Nurturing new talent
One of RBC’s goals is to assist talented artists in their careers. Our cornerstone program is the RBC Investments Canadian Painting Competition, established in 1998. The 2004 competition received entries from 300 artists, with Toronto’s Dionne Simpson being named the grand-prize winner for her work, Urban e_scape13. Simpson and the two other finalists received cash prizes and their works will be showcased in RBC’s own art collection, while the artwork of 15 semi-finalists was shared with the public on a tour of the country.
Visit rbcinvestments.com/paintingcompetition for more information.

We also support the National Ballet of Canada Apprentice Programme, helping young artists make the transition from the dance studio to performance, and are a sponsor of the Banff International String Quartet competition.

The thrill of performing has the potential to inspire children to pursue an interest in the arts, and a donation from RBC Foundation to the Lethbridge Symphony Kids Choir did just that in 2004, as 838 elementary school children performed with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra.

Access and outreach
Often, small towns don’t have access to the range of arts programs available in a city. That’s why RBC supports initiatives to improve access to the arts in remote areas. For example, RBC Dain Rauscher has supported a mobile art education centre through the Crocker Arts Museum in Sacramento, California, since 2002. This “Art Ark” visited 32 schools and over 18,000 students throughout Northern California in 2004. In Saskatchewan, RBC also supported a series of rural concerts by the Saskatoon Symphony.

It’s not just remote communities who may not have access to the arts: RBC supports inner-city programs as well. For example, the RBC Foundation donated $50,000 to the Take P-Art Program, giving over 6,000 students in Surrey, British Columbia, a chance to visit a local arts centre and experience a First Nations dance troupe live. To cap it off, 10 schools will work together to create and present their own production to the community.

For more information on how RBC supports arts and culture, visit rbc.com/community

Performing arts in the community
Performing arts organizations rely on more than just ticket sales to ensure a successful run: they also depend on corporate support, and RBC is a long-time patron of the performing arts.

In 2004, for example, we presented A Recital, showcasing the best of Canada’s young performers from the National Ballet School of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio Program, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. To help launch Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal’s 47th season, RBC sponsored Romeo and Juliet.

In other instances, our support not only helped stage a performance, but also helped support a worthy cause. RBC Investments sponsored the Canadian Opera Company’s presentation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, with partial proceeds going to the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

To help celebrate 100 years of tradition in the Midwestern United States, RBC Dain Rauscher and RBC Mortgage sponsored the Ravinia Festival in 2004. Founded in 1904, the Ravinia Festival is one of the nation’s longest-running summer music events, attracting nearly 600,000 visitors annually.