Arts funding part of American economic stimulus package
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/arts/16mone.html
CBC on budget funding for arts
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/01/27/budget2009-arts.html
BBC reports on Canadian politics
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7853174.stm
How others see us
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1198865.stm
Hello to all! This group is focussed on arts funding cuts and their restoration through thoughtful letter-writing to our MPs, various ministers and the Prime Minister.
Thanks for your continued support!
"(T)he arts don't win or lose you an election, but I think the arts are a powerful voice." - Ed Vaizey, British Conservative Opposition Culture Critic
The Hon. James Moore named as Minister of Canadian Heritage (he is also responsible for the 2010 Olympics)
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=c7660459-7e05-4540-b825-ce3958285806&Language=E&MenuID=Lists.Members.aspx&MenuQuery=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.parl.gc.ca%2Fparlinfo%2FLists%2FMembers.aspx%3FLanguage%3DE%26Parliament%3D8714654b-cdbf-48a2-b1ad-57a3c8ece839%26Riding%3D%26Name%3D%26Party%3D%26Province%3D%26Gender%3D%26New%3DFalse%26Current%3DTrue%26Picture%3DFalse
See "How to Write to the Prime Minister...." on the Discussion Board below. The opposition critics will be posted as their names become available.
ABOUT THIS GROUP
This group started as being dedicated to stopping the egregious cuts to the FAITC (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada) and Canadian Heritage programs, PromArt and Trade Routes. These programs help artists travel and arts groups and businesses establish networks and business relations around the world. But with further cuts announced, there is a renewed dedication to fighting any and all cuts to the arts in all disciplines.
On August 22, 2008, it was announced that the funds cut from various arts programs, about $48M in total, will help fund what is said to be a reinvestment in the arts, namely the 2010 Olympic torch relay to Vancouver and a small bilingualism program. (And with a new $14.5M cut to the Telefilm New Media program, the arts cuts now total over $60M.) See Recent News below.
A central action of this group is to write to our elected officials. Every "snail mail" letter is counted as representing 5,000 citizens. This page has a broad range of information so that you can write informed letters. To get suggestions on how to reach various people, check the discussion board below, "How to write to the Prime Minister and your MP".
This is NOT a partisan site, no party is supported or condemned on this page, just the actions of some. The focus is on arts funding no matter which party is in power. (That said, I have no objection to legitimate partisan postings, ie. Facebook groups, news articles, and so on, including personal opinions, as long as they are sincere and informative ones. No personal attacks allowed!)
Now that the election is over, we need to re-commence writing to the Prime Minister, Minister Moore and our own MPs.
To find out who your MP is you go here and type in your postal code.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/index.asp?Language=E
Please note the Press Release from the private-sector advisory board to Trade Routes on the Discussion Board below.
NB: Karen Kain did the most effective thing she can do in expressing her concern about the cuts, SHE WROTE A LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER.
http://www.thestar.com/article/486105
FOOD FOR THOUGHT DEPARTMENT
For those of us who live in Toronto, we are #4 for culture in the world
http://www.thestar.com/article/520912
'Vote culture, eh?' artists urge
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/08/artists-rally.html
To be creative is, in fact, Canadian - Margaret Atwood
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080924.wcoarts25/BNStory/politics/home/
Study reveals erosion in arts funding - James Bradshaw
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080919.wbudget20/EmailBNStory/Entertainment/home
Arts funding in Quebec (some humour for our souls)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhgv85m852Q&feature=related
CP24 SNAP POLL RESULTS
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/HTMLTemplate?Results&id=102236&pollid=102236&tf=ctvlocal/ctvNewsSub.html&cf=ctvlocal/cp24.cfg&hub=CPHomeNews&subhub=VoteResult&poll_name=CTVNewsCPHome
Also, see Talking Points on the Discussion Board below to start a dialogue about what arts funding means.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
"Let's hope that many in the world of the arts respond, including our own Toronto Musicians Association, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony, Actra, Socan and all our other associates that we provide a living for. And don't forget our contribution to the TAX DEPARTMENT. Don't forget the fundraisers that Artists perform for free for The United Way, The Cancer Society, Sick Children's Hospital and many more. If we are lucky they feed us pizza and beer at the end of the day." - CANADIAN JAZZ LEGEND ARCHIE ALLEYNE
"To deny the arts is to deny the very essence of the human spirit. It is discouraging to hear this from our country's leadership." - MARGARET DINSDALE, PRESIDENT, SUGAR MOON MUSIC
"(T)here are the over 600,000 Canadian artists and other cultural workers who help to brand Canada to the world and inject over $43 billion annually into the Canadian economy." - JOSEPH L. ROTMAN, CHAIR, CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
"Both PromArt and Trade Routes are modest programs, but remain crucial to Canada’s art and cultural sector. These programs have a high return on their investment and some estimate the return on investment ratio is as high as 10 to 1.... Public funding for the arts is a proven economic and cultural stimulus that the majority of Canadians embrace." - PEGGY NASH, MP, LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER
"Canada must compete in the Global Entertainment and Cultural economy. And the competition is well-armed and very aggressive. Brits and Swedes travel to Japan annually to sell music. The Americans have the "biggest" (of course) stand at MIDEM. And everyone sings in English. Federal funding provides a bridge to markets which we couldn't otherwise access...the recent returns, both in terms of artist recognition and economic benefits have far outweighed the small amounts invested by the Federal government. Now the Chinese are in the game, we are looking at the largest market in the world, with fewer resources to reach it." - DUNCAN McKIE, PRESIDENT/CEO, CANADIAN INDEPENDENT RECORD PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION (CIRPA)
"Cultural investment pays off in jobs! It pays off in royalties earned from foreign territories! It's GOOD BUSINESS." - DAVID BASSKIN, PRESIDENT/CEO, CANADIAN MUSICAL REPRODUCTION RIGHTS ASSOCIATION LTD. (CMRRA)
"I put on gigs here in Sheffield, England and have had several Canadian acts play over the last 18 months. We've had some great nights and I know a large part of these shows having happened is the support the artists have had from your government enabling them to tour. Many have played to new listeners and helped broaden their fanbase, making connections that simply wouldn't have happened without the support they received." - CRAIG ALLEN, MUSIC PROMOTER, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND
"To sabotage investments in culture that generate money for the economy not to mention what it generates for the soul, is not only scary in what it says for the future of culture in this country, but it is also simply gross economic mismanagement." - HEATHER MORGAN, alt.COUNTRY MUSICIAN
"These programmes are defensible on two important grounds. One, they pay for themselves in promoting Canadian music and arts abroad; Canadian music alone has returned millions to the Treasury thanks to the success our artists have achieved around the world. Secondly, they give the world a picture of this country as something more than hewers of wood and exporters of oil and harvesters of wheat." - RICHARD FLOHIL, PUBLICIST/PROMOTER, LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER
"The often relatively small amounts granted under (the PromArt and Trade Routes) programs have had a leverage effect for many artists and organizations as they sought support to develop markets abroad, contribute to our national image and lend valued support to other general trade development efforts of our missions abroad. At the time of writing, there is no clear indication that the government intends to replace these programs with more performing ones." - CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF THE ARTS BULLETIN 27/08
"Government money is pump-priming money. Success breeds success. The irony is, if you double the grant to an arts body, you probably end up doubling the amount of private giving to it as well, because people say, 'I want to invest in something that has the backing of government'... From my point of view, the arts don't win or lose you an election, but I think the arts are a powerful voice." - ED VAIZEY, CONSERVATIVE, BRITISH OPPOSITION CULTURE CRITIC (in the National Post)
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