May 07, 2009
Submitted by Alliance
Talking about the arts...
C'mon, people… let's start talking about arts and culture during this election! We’re trying, but not everyone running for office wants to engage in this important discussion. We tried to arrange a live debate between candidates from the different parties regarding their respective arts and cultural platforms - no luck. We then tried a blog-discussion – you can re-visit the discussion to see what transpired. Thanks to all who participated.
You may also participate and continue the discussion and we urge candidates for all the parties to engage. The beauty of the blog debate is that there is a public record and opportunity for on-going conversation. There were questions raised that have not yet been responded to. We hope that these are addressed in the next few days. It is great to learn that an event at the Firehall Theatre is being planned for May 7th at 11am where the NDP will discuss their cultural platform with the arts community. We hope that this inspires the other parties to also engage with the arts community. Many British Columbians care about arts and culture and do not see thousands of jobs and important economic drivers as “non-essential”. We need to attend as many candidate debates as possible and ask questions about art and culture.
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Minna, I think that you nail
Minna, I think that you nail it with your comments and make excellent points, especially about making the arts and culture accessible to as many citizens as possible.
Hey all: I was asked last
Hey all:
I was asked last week to write something about arts & culture and the election for the blog, and I've been having some trouble doing it. This morning I think I figured out why. I'm not comfortable thinking of arts & culture as an election issue, probably because it's my way of life, it's not something I just think about during an election campaign. I think about it all the time, every day. And I'm not the only one. Every single person who participates in life participates in arts & culture. And that's an important message, not just to politicians, but to voters.
In the same way that we are all constantly and consistently participating in the environmental process, the education process, the public safety process and the economic process, we are all participating in the artistic process. Every time we pick up a newspaper, turn on a television, click on a website or eat in a restaurant, we are participating in the artistic process. We are supporting the artistic endeavours of our peers and colleagues. Even when we don't mean to, or even want to, we're participating.
I hear people accuse artists of being elitist. I hear people saying that they "don't like" art, because they don't understand it, so they don't think governments should support artists with "handouts." Interestingly, it's when governments invest appropriately in arts & culture that arts & culture becomes accessible. When politicians, regardless of their political stripe, elect to cut or reduce investment in arts & culture (and it is investment, folks. Not a handout or that all-encompassing and false word "funding"), the ones who suffer greatest are the audiences, the consumers of art. Because it is the investment from the public sector that makes it possible for those who create, produce and present arts & cultural activities to create, produce and present activity for everyone, not just those who "can afford" it. This is the message I want to send to those who vote and to those who are elected: we are all participants in artistic and cultural processes every day. Arts & culture production and delivery is as much an essential service as is health care, education and sound environmental and public safety policy. Think about it, talk about it. And regardless of anything else that you do, vote on May 12th.