The Truth About BC Gaming Grants

by Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA, Vancouver West End


Thursday, May 27, 2010

Dear Friends of BC Arts and Culture,

This week we learned that the BC Liberal government has dealt another blow to the arts and culture community.  It was brought to light that the limited gaming funds announced in the March 2010 Budget in fact exclude a large number of the arts and culture festivals and programs for children previously believed to be supported by the gaming branch.

In the March 2010 Budget the BC Liberal government announced its 50% cuts to funding for arts through BC gaming grants, and the arts community was understandably disappointed.  What remained was funding for youth programming, as well as fairs, festivals and museums. 

Arts and culture organizations that work in these areas breathed a sigh of relief that funding for their programs would not be axed, unlike so many other arts and culture initiatives that were denied gaming funding this year.  Festivals and fairs as well as youth focused arts organizations have been planning their season’s programming, and spending much time putting in their applications for gaming funds confident that they were eligible to be considered to receive support from the gaming branch.  

Unfortunately I learned this week from Ministry officials that the BC Liberal government has decided behind closed doors without notification to anyone that the definition of a "community cultural celebration" does not include "fringe festivals, dance festivals, film festivals, writers festivals, and music festivals" which are now largely ineligible to receive support.  I asked what their definition of youth and children's programming was and they told me that unless youth, or children were the performers and the producers of the show then companies that produce shows for young audiences were ineligible.  

It seems that the BC Liberal government believes that they know best what is "worthy" arts and culture in BC and which is not.  This is a perfect example of why peer reviewed funding bodies like the BC Arts Council are important.  They take the politics out of who receives support, and put those decisions in the hands of the community. 

Myself as Critic, Carole James, and the entire Official Opposition continue to speak out and call on the BC Liberal government to repeal its devastating cuts to arts and culture in BC.  Today I stood up in the Legislature to decry this recent blow to BC's arts community - you can click here to watch my questions to Minister Coleman and read the recent Globe and Mail and Georgia Straight articles on these cuts. We encourage you to write to Minister Coleman and Minister Krueger to protest this unfair and arbitrary decision.

As the summer approaches and I return from Victoria when the Legislature closes in early June - I look foward to working and meeting with artists, arts and culture organizations, and your supporters.   I welcome your emails and phone calls with feedback, suggestions and ways that we can work together to restore much needed funding and support for arts and culture in BC.

Sincerely,

Spencer Chandra Herbert
Official Opposition Critic for Tourism, Culture and the Arts
MLA - Vancouver West End
www.spencerchandraherbert.ca

Canada's 20 dollar bill is telling federal & provincial governments to smarten up!

twenty_ad_oct19b.jpg (JPEG Image, 3081x2226 pixels) - Scaled (10%)

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Rally to Save BC Arts Funding - Victoria October 20

Rally for the Arts
Save BC Arts Funding

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Time: 11AM - noon
Location: BC Legislative Buildings
Street: 501 Belleville Street
City/Town: Victoria, BC

MAP

The BC Liberal government has proposed cuts to funding for the arts, in the order of 50% this coming year, 90% in 2011, and 91%-94% the following year.

We believe that arts and culture are an essential part of our society and are therefore rallying to show our opposition to these cuts.

So... artists of all shapes and sizes, please join us on the steps of the BC legislature! Bring an instrument, a work of art, or a sign!

Let your voice be heard. It's only an hour out of your day to show your concern for the rest of your (or your friends) careers.

And invite everybody you know!!! We need at least 200 people for this to be noticeable.

A good website? Check out http://www.stopbcartscuts.ca/

Fight the Cuts to arts and culture in BC

Colin Miles urges audience to write to BC government

Colin Miles, regional director of the Canadian Music Centre (CMC), gave a marvelous speech at the Turning Point Ensemble concert at Ryerson United Church in Vancouver on Sunday night, giving a history of the CMC's creation in 1959 and its rapid expansion over the past two decades, which saw a 10-fold increase in the number of active composers living and working in British Columbia.

Then he informed the audience that this wonderful ensemble's funding for next year has not been renewed and asked audience members to stand if they would agree to write a letter to the BC government demanding that the funding be restored. Though the audience was clearly taken by surprise by such a "stand-up-and-be-counted" request, more than 3/4 of the audience rose to their feet.

I urge everyone reading this blog to talk to anyone and everyone you know about the theft by the provincial government of the gaming money that was specifically set aside to benefit charities and non-profits, including all sorts of social services, amateur sports, and arts and culture organisations. Read this article for a backgrounder on why we say the government has "stolen" the money.

Hugh Fraser leads musicians to protest at BC gov't Finance Commitee

Click on the title to read the article from The Tyee.

Colleague Sandra Bruneau reported this to me first; then I got the Tyee article. Sandra reported:

Hugh Fraser, trombonist, led a delegation of BC musicians who  protested today the BC government's massive cuts to arts and arts  organization in the province. The musicians appeared before a meeting of the provincial government's Finance Committee, the members of which, it is  reported, were "speechless."

EXCERPT FROM TYEE ARTICLE:

Outside the committee room, [Nanaimo musician Andrew ]Homzy said, "Musicians are probably the least organized among all the artists." They are vulnerable to these cuts and need support, he said. "We have intellectual resources, cultural resources that cannot be measured in dollars and cents."

Fraser said arts grants make a big difference to musicians getting established. "If I didn't have this kind of funding as a student, I wouldn't be able to do this," he said.

Fraser said he'd had the good fortune to once teach jazz singer Diana Krall. "I know everyone talks about her as an overnight success, but it was 20 years of hard work and a lot of B.C. Arts Council funding that got her out into the world and made her who she is," he said. "When people see models like that, they all of a sudden believe they can do it."

Arts groups are ready to fight for survival

Click on the title to read the article.

Excerpt:

I was interested to read a new book, We Know What You're Thinking, by Darrell Bricker and John Wright of Ipsos Reid, Canada's largest market and opinion research company.


Here's how the chapter on British Columbia begins: "This is the place for local arts and culture. People agree emphatically that funding for the arts should not be left up to private business and foundations, but should get a boost from local governments. Ninety-one per cent of B.C. residents praise the selection of [arts and cultural] events and activities in their community, and it's the only region in Canada where there's complete agreement with the idea that a vibrant cultural scene is great for the local economy."

British Columbians and Canadians speak out against the BC arts cuts

This web site – click on the title above – is dedicated to the expression of public concern and outrage at the BC government's plan to cut 94% of funding for the arts in 2010-11. As of this writing, the following famous Canadians have spoken against these cuts:

Margaret Atwood, Kim Catrell, Douglas Coupland, Geoffrey Farmer, William Gibson, Jim Green, Jay Hirabayashi, Lee Henderson, Veda Hille, Sarah McLaughlin, Gregor Robertson, Gordon Smith, Michael Turner, Scott Watson, Jerry Wasserman, Yulanda Ferris.