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Home | Resources > Newsletter | Synergy - April 13, 2006
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Synergy April 13, 2006 -- Volume 17 Number 5 IN THIS ISSUE: A word from the Executive Director
A word from the Executive Director Hello all, Between the City of Vancouver’s budget and the Provincial Arts Summit, it has been a busy time. So rather than writing an editorial I have included the text of my submission to Vancouver’s City Council below. I would like to thank Adrienne Wong, George Laverock, Norman Armour, Minna Schendlinger, Art Willms and Hank Bull for also speaking at the budget meeting on behalf of the arts community. I hope spring brings a sense of renewal to each one of you. Enjoy the cherry blossoms! Heather Redfern “Last year city council made a visionary decision to invest in the arts and cultural infrastructure in the city. This investment of $3 million is spread over three years and consists of incremental increases of $1 million that began in 2005. I congratulate Mayor Sullivan, and Councillors Ladner, Louie, Cadman and Stephenson for having the foresight to vote in favour of this investment in 2005, and I look forward to seeing that support renewed this year with the added support of the first-year councillors. There are several speakers here who will tell you about the impact the 2005 investment has made in just six short months. You will also hear from other speakers that the 2005 investment is just the beginning, and that the full investments in 2006 and 2007 are essential to ensuring Vancouver has a healthy arts and cultural industry that properly serves the citizens of Vancouver and can take advantage of the explosive growth in cultural tourism that our city is poised to experience. Vancouverites perceive the community and personal benefits of having a healthy arts and cultural sector. So what are the benefits to the City of Vancouver? They are economic: Take one organisation for example: civic investment makes up about 5% of this average arts organisation’s budget. That 5% leverages an additional 30% in investment from provincial and government sources, 20% in corporate and individual donations and 45% in ticket sales. On the expenses side, 90% of the total revenue generated is spent in Vancouver. It is paid to Vancouver artists and arts workers and to Vancouver businesses through the purchase of goods and services. In fact the economic return to the city is $12.68 for every dollar that is invested in the arts. One good news story I would like to share with you comes from Touchstone Theatre. The additional funds Touchstone received last year has added to their box office successes this year and they have finally been able to eliminate a deficit that has haunted them for over ten years. They have asked me to thank you for your commitment and foresight and look forward to your continued and increased investment in future. In the report from Bronze to Gold, The Canadian Council of Chief Executives state: “Businesses increasingly recognise that the development of vibrant, creative communities has a direct impact on their competitiveness, in particular by helping them to attract, develop and motivate employees. Public policy should do more to motivate grassroots creativity.” The arts are the manifestation of our shared values: The arts create safer communities – youth-at-risk that are involved in arts and cultural activities are less violent and more culturally tolerant. For example, E-race, a yearlong project with at-risk-youth by Miscellaneous Productions, documented a marked change in attitude towards high-risk behaviour by teenagers who participated in and attended the production. To quote the psychologists who did the follow-up study: “All cast members felt they had made significant gains in their time-management, leadership and decision-making skills. Almost all cast members felt empowered after participating in such a youth-driven, challenging, time-intensive and rewarding project.” The arts create healthier citizens - kids that have a book under their arm, a guitar over their shoulder or are rehearsing a play after school generally aren’t breaking into houses and cars. Likewise, seniors that are involved in, or attend arts and cultural activities live longer and more productive lives. It has been proposed that $300,000 be cut from the $1 million increase allocated for 2006. With all due respect to the council, this is a false economy. The suggested decrease works out to about .85 cents per Vancouver taxpayer. Yet if these funds are left in the budget the arts and culture community can leverage financial and social benefits for the citizenry that far surpass this modest investment.” I attended my first City of Vancouver public meeting on March 22 in an attempt to speak about the 2006 city budget on behalf our members. Unfortunately, positioned at the end of a speaker’s list that numbered almost 70, I did not have the chance before the night was called to a close. Waiting my turn however, I was able to listen to many of the other speakers who turned out that evening and observe what kind of groups and individuals make the effort to have their voice heard. Who were they? Business organizations, unions, neighbourhood associations, “friends’ of” groups, service organizations and so forth; each speaking with a unified voice about their particular needs and concerns. They were heard because of this unification and it confirmed for me the concept of strength in numbers. The Alliance works to create such strength for it’s membership and for the arts and cultural sector in the city. Seeing the vast number of groups lobbying that night demonstrated why such a united front is crucial. At the April 6th budget meeting, Vancouver City Council cut a promised $1 million investment in arts and culture to $700,000. This was the second increment in a plan to increase investment in arts and culture by $3 million over three years. The Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture believes the 2005 decision to support arts and culture with a $3 million infusion was visionary. The impacts of the first $1 million that was invested in 2005 are already being felt. New economic opportunities have been created, investments from public and private sources have been leveraged, and increased social benefits are being provided to the city’s citizens and visitors. In addition we are finally beginning to address the long-term stability of the arts and culture sector in Vancouver. That investment was only at the beginning of a three year process. The Alliance for Arts and Culture and representatives from business, festivals, arts organisations and individual artists made a strong case for City Council to endorse the second $1 million installment. A motion to retain the full investment was defeated 6 to 5 with Councillors, Anton, Ball Capri, Ladner, Lee and Mayor Sullivan voting against the motion and Councillors Cadman, Chow, Deal, Louie and Stevenson voting in favor of the motion. A subsequent motion to allocate $700,000 was passed unanimously. The $700,000 infusion will have a significant impact on the arts and cultural sector’s ability to serve the citizens of Vancouver and to grow the city’s burgeoning cultural tourism industry. However, having the full $3 million investment come to fruition by 2007 is crucial to ensuring that Vancouver is ready to take the international stage in 2010 and beyond. For every $1 invested in the arts, the city reaps an economic benefit of about $12.50. We are building healthy and vibrant communities and this is a win-win investment. 2. Limited time to provide feedback in federal budget consultations The Hon. Jim Flaherty, Minster of Finance, has announced that the Government of Canada is carrying out pre-budget consultations for its upcoming 2006-07 federal budget. This year’s process differs significantly from the pre-budget consultations held by the federal government in recent years. With rumours of a budget being tabled in late April or early May and the government continuing to operate on more than $2.3 billion in Governor General Special Warrants accumulated since the beginning of the election, this year’s consultation is being carried out only until April 19, 2006. Visit http://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/consult/prebud_e.html to have your say. 3. Culture addressed in federal House of Commons Transcripts of Question Period: April 6, 2006 Mr. Maka Kotto (Saint-Lambert, BQ): Mr. Speaker, an entire Speech from the Throne and not a single significant word about culture. This is a clear admission of negligence. At the end of the 38th Parliament, the previous Minister of Canadian Heritage made a very formal promise to increase the Canada Council’s budget from $150 million to $300 million. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women take up this promise, which was in response, I would remind everyone, to a unanimous request from the arts and culture community in Quebec and Canada? [English] Hon. Bev Oda (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the government will follow through on its commitment to the arts and cultural community. We have committed to support them and to ensure that they will be able to sustain themselves and continue their contribution to Canadian life and to an improved Canadian perspective internationally. We will commit to supporting the arts and cultural community in the ways that are most meaningful to them and where the money is needed. [Translation] Mr. Maka Kotto (Saint-Lambert, BQ): Mr. Speaker, to encourage the government to become more involved, I would remind it that culture is a major source of job creation, as shown by a number of studies. Any investment in culture is of substantial benefit to the economy. Will the minister therefore admit that the increase in the budget of the Canada Council is not only an excellent decision for culture but also beneficial for the economy? [English] Hon. Bev Oda (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the benefits of the artistic and cultural community, not only to its cultural life but to the economics and the economy of this country. We will be working with every agency that benefits our cultural community and Canada in the appropriate ways. Hon. Mauril Belanger (Ottawa-Vanier, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage what her priorities were. In her answer, which was not an answer at all, she never mentioned the Canada Council. This is very worrying. Again today, she says that her priorities are to support performers and creators. However, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Mouvement pour les arts et les lettres and the country’s numerous other cultural and artistic bodies maintain that the top priority is to increase the budget of the Canada Council. Are we to conclude, from the eagerness with which she did not answer the questions, that she has no intention of honouring the Liberal government commitment to double by 2008 the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts? [English] Hon. Bev Oda (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is certainly not our intent to honour any Liberal commitment. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! The Speaker: Order, please. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has the floor. Hon. Bev Oda: Mr. Speaker, our intent is to meet the commitments and to honour our commitments to the people of Canada and to the arts and culture communities. Our intent is to make sure that they have the resources that they require to meet their needs. The creators and the performers of Canada for years have been at the end of a string with the former government. We will make sure that they have stable funding. We will make sure that the resources go to the performers and the creators, as they should. To read the complete Hansard transcripts, click here. 4. New cultural precinct for downtown Vancouver The provincial government and the City of Vancouver are launching a co-operative planning process to create a cultural precinct in downtown Vancouver. The provincial government is providing a $5 million contribution from the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and the Arts for the planning and initial development of the cultural precinct, which will be matched by $5 million from the city’s capital funds. The planning process will be led by the city in consultation with the provincial government. Read more.
5. Tourism Vancouver takes over operations of Tickets Tonight In an effort to increase its commitment to marketing cultural tourism to visitors as well as locals, Tourism Vancouver has taken over full operational responsibility for Tickets Tonight, Vancouver’s only day-of, half-price ticket outlet. Located within Tourism Vancouver’s flagship info centre downtown, Tickets Tonight has returned $2 million in incremental revenues to arts producers since its inception in 2002. Originally launched as a joint-venture with the Alliance for Arts and Culture, Tickets Tonight has sold thousands of day-of, half-price tickets for a range of independent arts and entertainment productions, as well as regular advance tickets while doubling as a full Ticketmaster outlet. In recognition of its valuable role in the initial development, as well as delivery of the service to date, the Alliance will continue to be recognized as a founding partner of Tickets Tonight. Additionally, Manager Paul Sontz will remain with Tickets Tonight, now as an employee of Tourism Vancouver, to provide the arts community access to this valuable and unique sales distribution channel. For interest in making arts and entertainment ticketable events available for sale at Tickets Tonight, contact Paul Sontz at 604.631.2819 or psontz@tourismvancouver.com. Marketing inquiries can be directed to Sarah Kirby Yung at 604.631.2889 or skirby@tourismvancouver.com. 6. Hill Strategies reports Vancouver has high concentration of artists A new report from Hill Strategies Research provides an analysis of artists residing in 92 municipalities across Canada with at least 50,000 residents in 2001. The Artists in Large Canadian Cities report shows that among large Canadian cities, Vancouver has the highest concentration of artists in the local labour force. In fact, three of the four cities with the highest artistic concentrations are in British Columbia – Vancouver, Victoria and North Vancouver District Municipality. A previous report from Hill Strategies Research showed that seven of the 10 most artistic small and rural municipalities in Canada are in British Columbia.
In terms of the absolute number of artists, the City of Toronto has about twice as many artists (21,000) as the City of Montreal (10,100), with Vancouver (7,300) having the third-highest number of artists. The report additionally showed that:
• Artists’ average earnings are much higher in North Vancouver District Municipality ($33,700) and Vancouver ($29,400) than in other B.C. cities. • Among all Canadian cities, North Vancouver District Municipality ranks second only to Toronto in terms of average artists’ earnings, while Vancouver ranks sixth. • The earnings gap between artists and other local workers is lowest in Vancouver, North Vancouver and Coquitlam. The earnings gap is 14% in Vancouver, tied for the third-lowest level in Canada. The earnings gap is 21% in North Vancouver District Municipality and 22% in Coquitlam. • In Vancouver, dancers, musicians and painters have average earnings below $20,000. The full report can be read online. 7. Live-work & artist studio guidelines adopted by Vancouver Council Vancouver City Council adopted new guidelines for live-work use and artist studios at the March 21, 2006 council meeting. The guidelines are for use by applicants and staff and work in conjunction with a district schedule of zoning and development bylaw or the Official Development Plans which permit live-work use and artist studios. The stated intent of the guidelines is to encourage functional, liveable, affordable and safe artist studios, live-work units and developments. Topics covered in the guidelines include light and ventilation, safety and security, uses, parking and loading, facilities, open space, neigbourhood character, limits on occupancy and internal design. Read the Live-Work Use Guidelines online. Read the Artist Studio Guidelines online.
Revisions to Catalyst and Innovations applications: Arts Now is undertaking a review and revision of the Catalyst and Innovations Applications Forms, Program Guidelines and Guides to Filling out the Application. The new forms will be posted online. New Arts Build Communities Program The toolkit can be found online and the webcast will be on April 20, 2006. More details can be found at www.2010LegaciesNow.com. 9. Feedback on CBC application to increase amount of advertising The CRTC has posted a Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-32 regarding an application from CBC to increase the amount of advertising from eight minutes to a maximum of 12 minutes per hour. The deadline for interventions is April 20, 2006. Click here for more information. 10. 2010 business opportunities guide The Ministry of Economic Development has releasedThe Guide for Business Opportunities in the 2010 Winter Games to address the opportunities presented by the 2010 Winter Games. According to ministry communications, the guide provides concrete steps businesses can take immediately to reach their full Olympic potential. The guide is available at www.2010CommerceCentre.gov.bc.ca. 11. Melinda Mollineaux appointed Canada Council Equity Coordinator Melinda Mollineaux, a visual artist who previously worked as a Canada Council program officer, has been appointed Coordinator of the Equity Office at the Canada Council for the Arts. The Canada Council’s Equity Office is responsible for developing and implementing policies and initiatives in the area of cultural diversity, and for ensuring that visible minority artists and arts organizations have an equal opportunity to access the Council’s funding programs. Born in London, England to parents from the Caribbean, Ms. Mollineaux also lived in Trinidad before moving to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1981. She studied art at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and the University of Victoria, where she received her MFA degree in visual arts. As a visual artist she explored the historical presence of Black communities in western Canada and was involved with various arts organizations and artist-run centres on Canada’s west coast, including the Or Gallery, Artspeak Gallery and Boo Magazine. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows across Canada and has appeared in numerous art publications. She arrived at the Canada Council in 1999, where she spent six years as a program officer in the Council’s Visual Arts Section. She has been acting in the Equity Coordinator position since June, 2005 and was permanently appointed to the position effective Feb. 20, 2006. 12. National Arts Centre roundtable on music and medicine In October 2005, the National Arts Centre held the first of three annual roundtables on the performing and the healing arts. The National Arts Centre and National Arts Centre Foundation roundtables provide a forum for community leaders to discuss how their work relates to the world of the performing arts. The Roundtable On Music and Medicine brought together leading arts, science, business and medical practitioners, and participants from various specialties revealed that music does indeed affect our bodies, our brains and our health. A report on the Roundtable is available through the National Arts Centre web site. It summarizes the discussion at the Roundtable On Music and Medicine including how music helps us understand the brain and improves learning and how music can be used to treat strokes and help people with cancer.
13. The Diversity of Cultural Participation: Findings of a national survey The Wallace Foundation in the United States has released the findings of a national survey called The Diversity of Cultural Participation. The survey examines arts participation decisions of survey respondents and notes that 70% of respondents attended at least one arts event during the 12 months preceding the survey while a typical respondent attended three arts events during the year. The report stresses the diversity of preferences regarding: types of arts events; the companions with whom events are attended; the venues in which people attend events; reasons for attending; and experiences at events. The “survey findings also indicate some important differences in participation among members of different ethnic groups and among frequent, moderate, and infrequent attendees.” The full report can be found online. Tax ruling says dancers are independent contractors A federal tax ruling handed down last week could have implications for arts groups across Canada and their performers. The case, dating from 2001, involves the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and three of its dancers, Tara Birtwhistle, Johnny Wright and Kerrie Souster. But the case was underwritten by a group of arts organizations, including the Stratford Festival, National Ballet and Shaw Festival, because it sets such an important precedent in the tax courts. "This affects all major performing arts and visual arts organizations," said Antoni Cimolino, executive director of the Stratford Festival. In the end, the Federal Court of Appeal came down on the side of the arts organizations, ruling that the dancers are independent contractors rather than employees. That means the Royal Winnipeg Ballet does not have to pay an employer's contribution on their employment insurance and Canada Pension. The dancers instead pick up the full cost of those universal benefits. At the same time, dancers become eligible as contract workers to deduct expenses, including agents' fees, special clothing, shoes and equipment, and physical training costs. For most arts organizations, the saving is about 30 per cent on their total annual budget, Cimolino said. But more important is that the ruling reaffirms the relationships that artists such as musicians, actors and dancers have had with performing arts companies since the days of traveling players. "When I'm working with a Martha Henry or a Colm Feore, they don't work for me," Cimolino said. "They are highly skilled professionals and they are collaborating with me." The ruling makes it possible for actors and dancers to pay for training and deduct the expenses at tax time, which will only benefit the quality of the arts in Canada, he said. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet typically hires 25 dancers for a season and it has long considered them to be independent contractors. An earlier ruling by a tax court judge declared them to be employees. But the appeal court judge reversed that ruling, saying he took into account the fact that both the dancers and the ballet company agreed that they were independent. There is still a risk the case might be appealed to the Supreme Court, Cimolino said. He says arts groups are ready to fight to see the current ruling stand. Earlier Revenue Canada rulings had hit arts groups such as the Thunder Bay Symphony hard, demanding thousands of dollars in Employment Insurance and pension contributions that drove them near bankruptcy. The impact of the ruling on the Royal Winnipeg Ballet won't be known for a while, said Judy Murphy, the ballet's chief operating officer. The company had been forced to treat its dancers as employees under the terms of the earlier court ruling and now has to review that arrangement. "We made this into a test ruling, using one principal ballerina and a dancer from the corps," she said. "This issue has been important for the arts community for a number of years." Dancers, musicians and actors have fully backed the arts agencies' efforts with the tax courts. Canadian Actors' Equity Association had tried to intervene in support of the Winnipeg Ballet's position, but the court would not allow it to make a submission. Advanced Arts Study Award program: The Vancouver Foundation has announced $70,000 for the continuance of the Advanced Arts Study Award program.Initiated to assist performing arts students who wish to pursue studies towards a career in music, dance or theatre, the awards range from $2,500 to $5,000. Further can be found on the Vancouver Foundation website. MEDICI Program: The BC Arts Renaissance Fund has added an additional program grant to support arts and cultural planning and organizational development initiatives. The MEDICI program (Management, Endowment, Development, Implementation, Capacity and Innovation) will support activities that assist arts and cultural organizations to improve their capacity, market their offerings and seek out strategic opportunities. Priority for MEDICI program grants will be given to organizations that are working towards accessing the BC Arts Renaissance Fund's matching endowment program. Further information is posted on the Vancouver Foundation website. Vancouver Book Awards: Entries are now being accepted for 18th Annual City of Vancouver Book Award. Books of any genre that demonstrate excellence and contribute to an appreciation and understanding of Vancouver's history, unique character, or its residents are eligible to apply for the $2,000 award. The winning book must also exhibit excellence in content, illustration, design, and/or format. To be eligible, books must be published in 2005 or 2006 and meet the application criteria. All entries must include: four copies of the book, a $15 submission fee, and a completed entry form. Deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 24, 2006. More information can be found at http://www.vancouver.ca/bookaward. Diversity Initiatives Grants: This City of Vancouver program is designed to support artistic development in distinct communities through experiential training and developmental projects. Grants are available for the following activities in the performing and visual arts: 1. Artistic Leadership Training An Assesment Committee of independent advisors reviews the applications and makes recommendations which are considered and approved by Vancouver City Council. There is no set maximum for the amount requested, but grant recommendations are expected to range from $2,000 to $10,000. The deadline for applications is May 26, 2006 Click here for more information. Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre: The call for nominations for the 2006 Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre is now open. On October 24th, either a lighting, costume, set, or sound designer will be honoured with the $100,000 prize, one quarter of which is given to a protégé chosen by the recipient. The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre honours professional directors, playwrights and designers in three-year cycles by recognizing excellence and encouraging further exploration in Canadian theatre. In 2006, the prize will be given to a designer who advances Canadian theatre through a body of work achieved in recent years, while influencing and inspiring younger theatre artists. It should be noted that the Siminovitch Prize is neither a life-time achievement nor an emerging artist award. It is meant for an artist who is at a point in his or her professional career where the recognition and resources associated with the prize will make a significant difference, allowing and encouraging the artist to go further in the pursuit of his or her craft. The deadline for nominations is June 14, 2006. More information can be found at www.siminovitchprize.com. For further information on awards and funding opportunities, please visit the following links on the Alliance website. SAMA, (Society of American Mosaic Artists) each year offers an international competition to all international members, followed by an exhibition of the pieces chosen by a jury composed of well known and respected specialists in mosaic art. Vancouver based visual artist Lilian Broca was awarded 1st prize by SAMA in the two dimensional category with her mosaic “Queen Esther with Mordechai”, 2005, 64” x 64”, Venetian gold, vitreous glass and smalti on panel. For viewing Lilian’s mosaic works, please visit www.lilianbroca.com. Neworldtheatre is the winner of the 2007 Alcan Award for Theatre. The $60,000 prize will go towards neworldtheatre’s adaptation of Adrift on the Nile, by the Middle East’s only Nobel Laureate, Naguib Mahfouz. The script will be adapted by Camyar Chai and Marcus Youssef. The cast will include Maiko Bae Yamomoto, Alex Ferguson, Marcus Youssef and James Fagan Tait. Artistic Director of Goh Ballet, Mr. Choo Chiat Goh and Academy Principal, Mrs. Lin Yee Goh were recently selected for a British Columbia Community Achievement Award. Premier Gordon Campbell said of the award: “It is our privilege to recognize the work of the individuals whose efforts and accomplishments help make British Columbia’s communities better places to live. We can all be inspired by their leadership, selflessness and determination.” Mr. and Mrs. Goh will receive their award at a ceremony in Victoria. Jack Hodgins is this year's winner of the Terasen Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a body of work by a B.C. writer. Last year's winner was Alice Munro. Hollywood North sees huge leap: Film and TV injected $1.2 billion into the B.C. economy in 2005 Film and television production in B.C. increased 50 per cent last year despite a soaring Canadian dollar, as the industry rebounded with the help of higher provincial tax credits, the minister of tourism, sport and the arts said Monday.Olga Ilich announced that film and television production contributed $1.2 billion to the B.C. economy in 2005, showing a major turnaround from the previous year...read more... Arts Notes: Art committees on hold Coast art scan underway Prepare to be scanned. An intensive inventory of the Coast’s arts and cultural groups, individual artists and their services and facilities is underway this spring, says cultural scan project manager Francine Lucas...read more... Harper restricts ministers' message: Officials urged to stick to five key priorities; PMO wants to vet all other public comment Prime Minister Stephen Harper has imposed central control over all information and comments to the public issued by government officials and even cabinet ministers, directing them to have everything cleared by the Prime Minister's Office, according to an internal e-mail and government sources. The orders, described in an e-mail to bureaucrats, indicate that ministers have been told to avoid talking about the direction of the government, and that the government wants them to be less accessible to the news media. And all government officials are instructed to avoid speaking about anything other than the five priorities outlined in the Conservative campaign...read more... New council to give Pemberton artists a voice A group of artists in the Pemberton area recently created the Pemberton Art Council (PAC) to help the community establish a thriving arts community in the area. The council was created in early 2006 by a group of 45 local artists who decided that an art-based establishment needed to happen in Pemberton. Similar to other organizations, the Pemberton Art Council (PAC) is a non-profit organization with the mandate to create an environment for the advancement of the arts in the community...read more... Movie Notes: The numbers are in Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts Olga Ilich announced on March 13 that B.C. film and TV productions in 2005 were up 50 percent over the previous year. “We haven’t seen this level of production since 2003,” Ilich told a crowd at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon at the Wall Centre...read more... Flagging concerns: Vanoc organizers learn some painful lessons from a presentation that fails to win gold from critics In the closing ceremonies of the Turin Winter Olympics, amid the dancing playing cards and rocket-fired skaters, Canada was given eight minutes to trumpet its plans for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Not everyone thought Canada's performing time was well spent, and negative public reaction back home -- including a disappointed Premier Gordon Campbell -- has taught the Vanoc organizers some painful lessons...read more... Premier says Vanoc blew it: Campbell says closing show at the Winter Olympics full of stereotypes that don't reflect 'the new Canada'The Vancouver Sun April 1, 2006 By Miro Cernetig and Kevin Griffin Canada's athletes may have shone at the Turin Olympics. But Premier Gordon Campbell doesn't think its Olympic organizers did so with their spectacle welcoming the world to Vancouver for the 2010 Games. In a rare criticism from one of the Olympics' biggest boosters, Campbell said the eight-minute closing ceremony had too many hackneyed stereotypes about Canada...read more... The Arts kept waiting by the feds It was not exactly the biggest shock of the season that yesterday's Speech From the Throne contained nothing about the arts — unless, of course, there are details in forthcoming law and order legislation introducing jail time for those who commit aesthetic offences. Realistically, no one but the official spokesfolk for ACTRA could be genuinely surprised Stephen Harper did not jump right in and declare that his top priority would be protecting cultural sovereignty on the airwaves by insisting on more hours of Canadian drama...read more... It glitters. It sparkles. It's art: Pyrrha, a small but savvy jewellery firm, takes to the courts to protect its original designs – and livelihood – from counterfeitsThe Globe and Mail April 6, 2006 By Alexandra Gill In Greek mythology, Pyrrha was the daughter of Epimetheus, the primordial titan, and Pandora, a poisoned gift from the gods. When Zeus put an end to the Golden Age by unleashing a great flood, Pyrrha and her husband, Deucalion, braved the storm together. After crashing through the waves for nine days in a chest, the two emerged as mankind's sole survivors....read more... Province ups film funding The British Columbia government will be providing regional film commissions in the province with funding increases and a new method for delivering those funds. Olga Ilich, minister for Tourism, Sport and the Arts, announced the increases last week and says her government will provide $275,000 to the Regional Film Commission. The money represents a boost of $75,000 to local commission coffers. Under the new framework laid out by the Liberals, the funding will no longer be broken up into five regions. Instead, the eight commission offices will be granted individual funding...read more... Summit meeting set to boost arts and culture sector in BC Can the provincial government increase the $4.2 billion that Statistics Canada says the arts and cultural sector already contributes to the B.C. economy? The moderator for a summit meeting of the major players in the province's arts and cultural scene believes that it can and should take a leadership role in recognizing the importance of artists, performers and creative people in creating the idea-based economy of the 21st century...read more... Council makes cuts after 11 agonizing hours It was like a night at the opera, filled with dramatic accusations, emotional pleading and even a surprise finale involving police. For 11 hours, from 5:30 p.m. Thursday to 4:30 a.m. Friday, Vancouver city councillors argued item by item over what should be cut from the city's $820-million budget to find about $10 million in savings. The other $20 million in the gap between revenue and expenses will be covered mostly by a 4.04-per-cent tax increase and a little by increased fees....read more.... News from away… Curtain rises on blockbuster cultural season: New performing-arts theatre, ROM, AGO creating 'buzz' city hopes will woo tourists The Toronto-only production of The Lord of the Rings opens in only six days, the kickoff for what local officials hope is a comeback year for tourism -- with culture centre stage. The musical extravaganza based on J. R. Tolkien's legendary tales is the opening act for new or expanded cultural institutions opening over the next 18 months, part of the city's "live with culture" festivities....read more... The office of the Alliance for Arts and Culture will be closed on April 14 and 17, 2006 to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday. 19. Endquote"Monuments aren't created; they happen. They depend on people to rub against them, talk about them, be affected by them. The monument, by itself, never means anything until someone has a picnic at its base, notices it, reveres it or, in a similar act of devotion, defaces it." - Kate Zankowicz writing for Now Magazine Our thanks The Alliance for Arts and Culture gratefully acknowledges the support from the following: City of Vancouver, the British Columbia Arts Council and the British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch. Comments? Send a message to: Alliance for Arts and Culture http://www.allianceforarts.com
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