Touring and recording artist, Charlie A’Court, is planning to continue to offer his Charlie A’Court Scholarship for Excellence in Music (CASEM) despite the Houston government recently announcing severe funding cuts to its 2026-2027 budget. Since 2018, CASEM had been offered as part of a suite of grants under the Minister’s Awards for Creative Excellence in the Arts offered by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The suite had awarded 4 scholarships to help students pursue post-secondary studies in the creative arts, including the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Award for Excellence in Visual Arts ($1000), the Award for Excellence in Performing Arts ($1000), the Award for Excellence in Film and Video ($1000), and the Charlie A’Court Scholarship for Excellence in Music ($500) In addition, up to 15 students would be selected as finalists and would each receive $100.
“I was informed by the department (EECD), the Minister’s Awards have been completely cut,” A’Court explains. “These broad and sweeping cuts particularly across the departments of Education as well as Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage send a poor message to the arts sectors that this government does not take us or our contributions seriously.”
Launched in 2017, CASEM awards $500 (CDN) to a graduating student who has been accepted in to an arts-related post-secondary program, specifically to continue their music education. “I know it’s a modest amount, but it’s my own money I save up each year to specifically fund this initiative,” says A’Court. “The arts and culture of Nova Scotia should be revered and protected and in light of the province’s blunt-force funding cuts I am untethering CASEM from the now defunct Minister’s Awards and will continue forward on my own.”
A’Court will announce plans in the near future as to how applicants can submit and when the new deadline to apply will be.