 |
 |
 |
|
Home | Resources > Newsletter | Synergy - November 16, 2004
|
||
 |
November 16, 2004 Volume 15, Number 15 Synergy, the electronic newsletter A word from the executive director. This issue of Synergy is firmly rooted in advocacy. A resolution of support from all of the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for culture, a call to advocate from the Canada Council, and consultations with the visual arts community on major changes to the Visual Arts Section at council are just some of the news you will read about. I recently attended the CAPACOA (Canadian Arts Presenting Association) Conference and was privileged to hear Glen Murray, former mayor of Winnipeg, speak about the role that the arts and artists play in creating healthy communities. I am happy to announce that we will have the opportunity to hear Mr. Murray speak in Vancouver and Richmond on Wednesday Nov. 24. Details are available here. There is nothing like an inspirational speaker to get the juices flowing and it is not too soon to be thinking about the coming provincial election. Our challenge will be to come together and engage a broad spectrum of citizens in examining their values and the value the arts bring to cities and towns in BC, both in terms of economic benefits and in quality of life. Provincially, a major, long-term investment in the BC Arts Council’s operating funding is needed. A $5 million increase per year for the next four years for a total increase of $20 million to the base funding of the BC Arts Council will create jobs, provide educational opportunities for youth and some stability for artists and arts organisations. Keith Kelly from the Canada Council for the Arts was also speaking at CAPACOA. He talked about changes that will reflect a shifting focus for the council from nurturing a sector established 47 years ago, to supporting a sector that has matured and grown over the time the council has been in existence. Details on how that will be achieved will be available after the Council’s December board meeting and when their budget is confirmed for 2005/06. When governments invest in the arts it creates economically viable communities that are able to thrive in an increasingly international world. These are truly interesting times! There is nothing like an inspirational speaker to get the juices flowing and it is not too soon to be thinking about the coming provincial election. Our challenge will be to come together and engage a broad spectrum of citizens in examining their values and the value the arts bring to cities and towns in BC, both in terms of economic benefits and in quality of life. Provincially, a major, long-term investment in the BC Arts Council’s operating funding is needed. A $5 million increase per year for the next four years for a total increase of $20 million to the base funding of the BC Arts Council will create jobs, provide educational opportunities for youth and some stability for artists and arts organisations. Heather Redfern,
1. Ministers back “Tomorrow starts today” renewal Guest Editor: Mirjana Galovich 1. Federal, provincial and territorial ministers back Tomorrow Starts Today renewal A number of promising resolutions have emerged from the meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for culture and heritage, held in Halifax on October 30 and jointly chaired by Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for the Status of Women, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage of Nova Scotia, Rodney MacDonald. The focus of the meeting was “Investing in creativity: The role of arts, culture, cultural industries and heritage in strengthening social and economic growth at the community level”. During the conference, the provincial-territorial ministers tabled a resolution calling for the multi-year renewal of the programs of the Tomorrow Starts Today and Historic Places Initiatives at the current or a higher funding level, and asked for a firm commitment from the Government of Canada in this regard. Further, the ministers urged the Government of Canada to involve them in a meaningful fashion when investing funds for these initiatives. For more information on the Tomorrow Starts Today program, visit:
The Canada Council for the Arts has called on Canadians to send all levels of government a clear message about the positive impact the arts have on their communities. In his introduction to the Council’s 47th Annual Report, which was released November 2, Canada Council Director John Hobday said that current levels of the public funding to the arts were inadequate to sustain the enormous artistic growth that has taken place in Canada over the past half-century. Mr. Hobday called on “artists, arts organizations and all Canadians who believe passionately in the arts to become partners in arts advocacy.” “The arts are important in the lives of our communities: they are a significant factor in enhancing ‘creative’ cities, they provide value-for-money, and they improve the quality of our lives immeasurably. The prompt, clear and effective communication of this message to all levels of government is key to assuring a viable future for the arts”, said Mr. Hobday. The full text of the Annual Report, as well as more detailed information by province or territory and a searchable database of grants awarded in 2003/04, are available on the Canada Council web site at: www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/annualreports In 2003 the federal government committed to reallocating $1 billion annually in existing program funding “from lower to higher priorities” with ”priorities” to be determined by the government. In addition, one of Prime Minister Paul Martin’s first initiatives upon taking office was to establish a Cabinet Committee on Expenditure Review to “conduct a fundamental review of all programs and expenditures to ensure that spending remains under control and is closely aligned with the evolving priorities of government”. The amount to be “saved” was set at $12 billion over three years. We are now beginning to get an idea of where some of the cuts will be made. The Supplementary (A) Estimates for the 2004/05 fiscal year indicate that the Department of Canadian Heritage will receive the following cuts: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) ($8 million) The estimate will now go before the Supplementary Committee on Canadian Heritage for debate. For complete details of the Supplementary (A) Estimates go to the Treasury Board Website at: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2004/1104_e.asp
The following is an excerpt from the Artist Run Centres and Collectives in Ontario (ARCCO). The Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres (PAARC) has expressed similar concerns. Visual artists in Canada — your attention is needed! Big changes are underway at the Canada Council — changes that will, if implemented, fundamentally affect the way visual artists approach their practice. The Visual Arts Section of the Canada Council is proposing a plan to significantly overhaul granting criteria, levels of support and the process of peer assessment. While the economic and professional status of the visual artist calls out for change, there is reason to fear that proposal is the shifting the focus of granting criteria away from creative process towards market-certified product. The primary concern is that the new system will not effectively advance the status of the artist. The time available for arts community response to these changes is very short — they want the new granting system operational next April. That means they need to have their regulations locked-in much sooner — approved by the Council’s board by December of this year. There are just a few weeks left. Members of the visual arts communities need to make sense of the Visual Art Section’s proposals and make their opinions and suggestions known now — or live with the consequences later. For the complete text of this article please go to: www.arcco.ca/html/Information/CurrentNF.html Information about the consultation is available on the Canada Council website at: www.canadacouncil.ca/visualarts/va_consultations.htm If you wish to provide feedback to the committee reviewing the Visual Arts Section please contact Shayla Morreau, Financial and Program Assistant at the Canada Council 1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4082 by December 1, 2004.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is providing $299,997 in funding for the British Columbia Association of Magazine Publishers. The funding will enable the Association to offer professional skills training to its membership, as well as undertake a variety of promotional activities to increase the number of subscribers to the province’s magazines. “British Columbia has a very diverse population, and it is very important that our citizens have access to a wide selection of magazines“, said Senator Jack Austin.
As reported in local media recently, the SeaVancouver festival will be reborn for 2005. The Festival, which hasn’t taken place since 1995, is expected to run from July 6th to 10th next year, and will include cultural performances on a floating stage, a maritime marketplace, a paper boat flotilla, paddleboat races, historical displays, and a Ship of Fools comedy venue. Every third year a Tall Ships Challenge race will be included. The $2 million festival would be co-sponsored by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments in conjunction with the private sector. Planners estimate a return of nearly $30 million to the city in tourism dollars. The five-day festival will kick off with a $400 per plate VIP gala and end with a public fireworks and musical light display. More information on the project will be posted at www.seavancouver.ca in coming months. Arts patron honoured Michael Audain, Chairman of Polygon Homes, has been presented with the Edmund C. Bovey Award by the Council for Business and the Arts for leadership in support of the arts. Mr. Audain says, “There is a tremendous relationship between art and economic development”. He has given over $4 million to the arts in British Columbia and created the Audain Prize for the Visual Arts. Polygon Homes was The Visual Arts Award sponsor at the 2004 Vancouver Arts Awards.
On November 11, 2004 eleven new members will be inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame at the Orpheum. Plaques honouring new inductees: Randy Bachman, Bruce Fairbairn, Leila Getz, Jim Hibbard, Anthony Holland, Terry Jacks, Norma Macmillan, Arthur Polson, Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen, Sibel Thrasher, and Janet Wright, will be embedded in the sidewalk along Granville’s Street Entertainment Row along with the other 147 current members.
The Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop presented its 3rd annual Community Builders Awards Dinner on November 6, 2004 in recognition of the continued success and influence of Asian Canadian writers and publishers in Canada. The 2004 recipients are writer Joy Kogawa and publisher Scott McIntyre of the Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group. Rogers Media is expanding into the Vancouver market by agreeing to purchase the licence of NOWTV, a Surrey-based religious station operated by a non-profit charitable organization. The sale, which is still subject to approval by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, comes after three previously unsuccessful attempts by Rogers to acquire a Vancouver television licence. Rael Merson, president and CEO of Rogers Broadcasting, says that NOWTV offers good family-friendly religious fare and that Rogers will not alter that. What: “Making the Most of media relations” - From press release to headline What: Guest Speaker – Glen Murray Please note that due to limited seating, space is limited to one participant per organization. ENDQUOTE
“…if you're only going to have enough money… to fix pipes and pavement, and have enough money for police, you would go to the average 25-year-old and what would they say? “This is not the kind of place I want to live. It's boring.” Comments? Send a message to:
Copyright © Alliance for Arts and Culture, 2005 |
|
 |
 |
|
