Over 70 activists from across the country, including such luminaries as writer broadcaster Bill Richardson, filmmaker Deepa Mehta, actress Cynthia Dale, and dancer Veronica Tennant, converged on Parliament Hill on Tuesday 25 October to state the case for $5 per capita increase in funding to the Canada Council for the Arts.

Under the banner of the Canadian Arts Coalition, artists, administrators and community supporters from across the country representing all artistic disciplines, met with approximately 80 Cabinet ministers, party leaders, MPs and Senators from all parties. 

Team BC consisted of Heather Redfern, Executive Director of the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Bill Richardson, writer/broadcaster, Jonathan Middleton, Director of Exhibitions, Western Front, Axel Conradi, Past president, Arts Club Theatre, David Devan, General Manager, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Jeff Alexander President and General Manager, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Members of Team BC met with, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Liza Frulla, NDP leader, Jack Layton and a number of BC MP’s including, Stephen Owen, Bill Siksay and David Anderson. The Coalition’s recommendations were met with interested attention, informed questions, and what appeared to be genuine promises of support from almost all of the MPs and Senators.

The Coalition’s Lobby Day ended with a lively reception in the Senate Chambers that allowed parliamentarians and their staff to meet informally with Coalition representatives. Among those attending were Deputy Prime Minister Anne McClellan, Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla, Minister of National Defence Bill Graham, Minister of National Revenue, John McCallum, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Belinda Stronach, NDP Leader Jack Layton, CPC culture critic Bev Oda, and NDP culture critic Charlie Angus. The highlight of the reception were the impassioned speeches by writer broadcaster Bill Richardson, Albert Schultz from Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto, and Edvard Locke, founder of LaLa Human Steps, who all made the case for generous public support of Canadian creativity.

The Alliance Executive Director Heather Redfern, who sits on the steering committee of the Canadian Arts Coalition commented, “The lobby day was exhilarating and it was wonderful to inform MP’s from every party about the benefits an investment in the arts can have for Canada. The next step is to ensure that the issue is not forgotten, and that individual MPs are met in their own ridings by local artists and arts organizations.”

For more information, please contact:

Heather Redfern

Executive Director

Alliance for Arts and Culture

(604) 681-3535 ext. 209

Last Updated: Tuesday, November 08, 2005