There has been a groundswell of supportive response to the resignation of BC Arts Council chair Jane Danzo, and yesterday morning (Thursday, Aug. 26) Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Kevin Krueger appeared on CBC Radio One's Early Edition with host Kathryn Gretsinger, to add his perspective to the discussion.

In the interview Minister Krueger repeated the government’s talking points about arts funding cuts, but went a step further and told CBC’s listeners that at a meeting with some key arts advocates he had actually been “threatened”. The minister also demonstrated an unfortunate misunderstanding of Mrs. Danzo’s resignation.

The podcast of the interview can be heard here and a transcript can be found at stopbcartscuts.com

A point-by-point clarification of the facts as misrepresented in the interview will follow soon.

Last November the Alliance for Arts and Culture hosted the meeting that Minister Krueger seemed to refer to, the content of which had, until today, been deemed more or less in camera –- an opportunity for the minister to meet privately with creative sector workers, hear their concerns and understand their positions.

The participants included some of the most respected leaders and creative forces in our community.

The comments that Minister Krueger interpreted as being threatening were several statements that made two main points:

• that arts audiences province-wide consisted of a politically significant number of individuals of all political affiliations;
• that the arts community was prepared to take its advocacy to all constituencies in the province and to reach out to all MLAs and their electorates.

That was not a threat. It was, however, a promise that there would be ongoing and province-wide advocacy work to engage communities at every level. It was a statement from a group of citizens who understood their democratic right to speak out to their elected representatives and to take their message to the broader community through every communications channel at their disposal.

It is regrettable that Minister Krueger felt that these comments were threats. That was neither the intent nor the spirit in which the comments were made. We want to engage with Minister Krueger, and with all of the MLAs across the province. This is an important issue for all British Columbians.

Our province-wide advocacy has been gaining momentum through the summer. The Alliance for Arts and Culture, in concert with the ProArt Alliance of Greater Victoria, the Assembly of BC Arts Councils, the BC Touring Council, and other allies, will be announcing some next steps in early September.

“The success of our advocacy work, in the fullest sense, depends on our ability to make a strong and compelling case for the public interest in supporting arts and culture,” says Alliance Advocacy Committee chair Sandy Garossino.

“Even though the BC government, earlier this decade, made some important investments in arts and culture, all of that good work is being destroyed by the deep and unprecedented cuts over the past two years.  The level of cuts is greater than most areas, and it doesn’t make sense to do this when our economy is struggling.  Everywhere else in North America, arts spending is seen as part of stimulus programs.

“Just to bring us up to the national average of per capita spending in arts and culture, BC would have to spend at least four times as much money for operating grants to arts institutions.  Why does BC have to be dead last when it comes to arts and culture?  Does this government think arts and culture is for other people in this country?

“Our greatest strength is our audience, which is the public we serve.  They number in the millions, and they are everywhere, in every riding in the province.  To almost any problem, our audience is the answer.”

In reaching that audience, and in making the case for the public good provided by a strong creative sector, Ms. Garossino noted that the Alliance is working with a broad coalition of partners and supporters from across the political, social and cultural spectrum.

“The non-partisan character of our advocacy has been a source of understanding and strength, and we appreciate everyone’s hard work on behalf of arts and culture. Our audiences are as politically diverse as any other cross-section of the population, which was a point we were trying to make to Minister Krueger, and a point we were hoping he would see as an opportunity to earn some political capital by supporting our advocacy.

“Everyone will be back from summer breaks next week,” concluded Ms. Garossino, “and you can look for the Alliance to announce the first phase of a grassroots and province-wide outreach to MLAs across the province to ensure that they fully understand the importance of  the arts in their communities.

“We want Minister Krueger to be engaged in recognizing the public good provided by a strong and thriving arts sector, not to feel threatened. We invite him to see our advocacy as an invitation to political dialogue and constructive policy discussions towards a comprehensive and sustainable arts funding policy. ”

Stay tuned …

August 26th, 2010

Dear Premier Campbell,

I am writing you on behalf of the Canadian Dance Assembly in response to the recent and devastating decisions made in British Columbia in the field of arts and culture, affecting our daily mission as a national dance organization advocating for a healthy dance milieu. We are writing on behalf of 33% of our members, based in your province, striving to survive in an environment that, with all due respect, could easily be called a "scorched earth policy".

As everybody knows, arts and culture stimulate the economy. Close to 80 000 people work in culture in British Colombia, contributing over $5 billion to the provincial economy. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts website informs us that the province makes its cultural investment back in direct taxes at the rate of 138%. BC has the highest rate of its labour force in culture and arts and the past few years the Government of BC has made many wise investments in the arts sector, including a $150 Million endowment fund, so we find it inappropriate for the BC policy makers to cut funding for the arts by 40%-50%, and eliminate the support from gaming grants. It appears to be a short-term view and contrary to the interest of British Colombians and furthermore all Canadians.

We are equally concerned that the autonomy of culture at-arms-length, through the close association between grant decision makers and politicians, currently fosters a lack of independence. The way Ms Jane Danzo resigned suggests certain failures at the British Columbia Arts Council, and is for us a significant example. “I wanted to bring to the government’s attention that these are serious concerns that I had and the only way that I could really make a statement was by stepping down (..) It has recently been made clear that the Board does not have a voice independent of government” Danzo said. The Canadian Dance Assembly would like to urge you to promote a philosophy based on independence in the arts funding process, reminding you that the BC Arts council, like all the nationwide Arts Councils, should remain at- arms-length.

The Canadian Dance Assembly is actively engaged in important issues affecting the dance sector and BC’s trends are today seriously affecting the dance milieu in Canada in its large diversity. Most of our major members, including eminent board members, already advised us that they could not attend our national conference in September for economic reasons. The impact of their absence is huge and will have significant consequences: they won’t connect with their peers from across the country through national initiatives and think-tank groups; they won’t innovate in common projects with their peers; neither will they access the opportunity to organize tours in order to promote their creations. We would hope that culture not become hostage of a political debate but remain a source of joy, recreation and public health, as well as a way to create resources and empower the Canadian and the British Colombian economy. 

Moreover, when arts organizations are forced to scale back their programming, the losses are not only financial, but also in areas such as social cohesion. In a province where the proportion of new immigrants is huge, we do believe that dance is a proven vector to integrate youth and new comers. It helps them connect with a national identity through professional networking, promoting tolerance and diversity. 

“Culture is deeply ingrained within us, it shapes our identity and perceptions. At the same time, every culture is composite, alive and enriched by others. The result is a formidable and unprecedented diversity (...) This leads to (...) the power of cultural diversity and dialogue. We have not sufficiently recognized this power in politics, in international relations, in peace building. This is our challenge and our responsibility: ensuring that societies harness the power of diversity as they become more urbanized, more mixed. It takes time and does not happen naturally, without a political environment that promotes equal rights and understanding. There is a fine line between pride in one’s culture and intolerance towards what is different”

 (Irina BOKOVA, Executive Director of UNESCO, about the United’s Nations announcement of 2010: International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures)

The Canadian Dance Assembly therefore urges you and all British-Columbia policy makers to think of the future of British-Columbia.

We hope that you will adopt new policies regarding arts and especially dance, in order to contribute to the well-being of our society.  We encourage you to reinstate funds that were recently cut and urge you to consider adopting increased investment strategies moving forward, in the spirit of growth and investment.   

Yours truly, 

Michael Trent   
President, Canadian Dance Assembly     

Nathalie Fave  
Executive Director, Canadian Dance Assembly  
                                                                                       
CC The Hon. Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts 
The Hon. Colin Hansen, Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier 
Ms Jennifer Collinson, Secretary to the Council, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts 
Gillian Wood, Acting Executive Director, BC Arts Council
Alliance for Arts and Culture: 'Amir Ali Alibhai'
The Georgian Straight, Janet Smith 
The Times Colonist, Editor-in-chief 
The Province, Editor-in-chief 
The Vancouver Sun, Arts Editor  
The Vancouver Sun, Arts Writer 
L’Express du Pacifique, Nora Azouz, Directrice de rédaction

Dear Minister Krueger:

I want to express my grave concerns at the severity of the funding cuts recently imposed on much of the  BC Arts Community.

Over the past thirty five years    The BC Arts Council   has worked in trusted collaboration with   Arts organizations throughout British Columbia, assisting with annual operating expenses  and investing in the essential task of  building  infrastructures to last for the benefit of future generations. . The Arts Community learned to trust the  Council even when funds were limited. Through the Cultural Services Branch, it became known as a responsive  agency which maintained as even a hand as possible in its ongoing distribution of available monies,

The  draconian  cuts recently imposed coupled with the elimination of gaming grants for cultural organizations has left the BC arts world reeling.  I recognize that when cuts have to be made, very often somebody down the line suffers  inordinately.  It is not always possible to make all cuts equally across the board.  But I cannot believe that any government would  knowingly wish  to inflict such serious harm  on some of the very organizations which it has nurtured for so many previous  years.  Did you know, for instance, that the Prince George Symphony  - a vital Northern musical resources for the entire Northern region as well as for the City of PG has been cut off from its entire 2010-2011  BC Arts Council operating grant?    Your own Kamloops Symphony has been slashed to 43% of normal operating grant.

Curiously,  this is all happening at exactly the time that the BC Government has  announced  its special $30,000,000   Legacy fund,  designed  (according to the declaration on Page 2 of the  2010  budget statement,)  to  “enhance existing provincial arts investments in  arts and culture.”   There is even  a side-bar with a smiling theatre-logo which adds “$30 Million for Provincial Arts Investments.”   (We have little enough to smile about, these days!) 

Bravo!  The intent of Cabinet in its  budget-plan seems clear enough.  Investment.   But somewhere down the line, the good intentions  have become tangled in a morass of confused and confusing   regulations.  It appears that  most of the  new fund is linked  to  a series of time limited celebrations of  the legacy of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

It is a  wonderful thing to celebrate our Olympic success.  A good example is the  Canada Line  to the airport which  leaves  a permanent Olympic legacy.  In the Arts we also want  to celebrate with something  permanent.  There are more pressing needs than a glorious block party.

Public policy,  as announced  in the  Budget Statement cannot and should not be changed  But   hastily devised regulations which specify how  Arts funding should  be distributed  can - and should -  be amended At the same time this would reassert  the crucial  “arm’s length” separation  between government and its funding agencies.

It really is not too late for your Government to alter these regulations, and devote at least some  portion of the annual Legacy Fund  to  the BC Arts Council.  This might begin to make up  for some of the deepest and most injurious  cuts.  There are so many of them - and you’ve probably heard from them all!  Think about it - in  a simple move,  much of the damage  inadvertently inflicted  on the arts community would be undone. The intent of the Budget statement would be fulfilled, and the Olympic memory would still live on! 

I hope you might agree that it would be enlightened self-interest  to allow the Arts to flourish with this small new investment.   The alternative is that they will languish  because of  ill-advised cuts. Many of them will not survive.   Who knows - with a move in the right direction, the  Chair of the BC Arts Council,  who recently resigned over this issue, might be persuaded to return.

Sincerely,

George Zukerman, O.C. O.B.C.,
Surrey, B.C.

c.c   Hon Gordon Campbell                                        

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