BC Arts Cuts 'Devastating' Says Tory Minister
Arts funding a key form of economic stimulus: Heritage Minister Moore.
Heritage Minister James Moore: Heard complaints.
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Arts funding good for economy, says NDP
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Who Needs Art, Anyway?
Politicians don't value it. Why would they? It threatens them.
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Arts Groups: Surviving the Culture Change
Cuts to arts funding by the BC Liberals are potentially "devastating" to some organizations, according to James Moore, minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. At a press conference Friday announcing new funding for the Vancouver International Film Festival, Moore also said supporting the arts during the economic downturn is a critical element in the federal government's economic stimulus program.
But after the press conference, the MP for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam stopped short of directly criticizing the provincial government, saying he respects other governments' jurisdictions. "My job isn't to beat up on Kevin Krueger," he said of B.C.'s minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. "The province of British Columbia has made its own decisions and they will, politically, live with them."
According to the Canadian Conference of the Arts, B.C. is the only Canadian province to cut arts funding since the economic downturn began last year.
Minister told many arts groups may fold
Moore told The Tyee he is fully aware of the arts funding concerns in B.C., and met with Krueger during the week. While in Victoria, he also met with arts groups, and said some administrators told him longstanding organizations are at risk of folding because of 90-per cent cuts to their provincial funding. "That's devastating, and may not be recoverable."
Core B.C. provincial arts funding is slated to fall by more than 88 per cent over two years, from $19.5 million in 2008-'09 down to $2.25 million in 2010-'11, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture service plan.
The provincial funding, most of which comes through the B.C. Arts Council, is the operating cornerstone for many B.C. arts organizations, and allows them to leverage additional funding from other governments and private foundations.
When asked if cuts to provincial funding might limit federal funding for B.C. arts groups, Moore said his government is trying to compensate for funding that may be cut or absent in other Canadian jurisdictions.
He also said while the Canada Council operates at arm's length from government, its administrators are quite cognizant of the impact that the disappearance of provincial funding in B.C could have.
Cultural sector employs 650,000
During the film festival press conference, where Moore announced $467,250 in funding for this year's film festival from the Marquee Tourism Events Program, Moore made a forceful case that arts funding is an essential element in an economic stimulus program during difficult times. "This has to be a central component if we're going to deal with economic recovery," he said.
"There's a strong fiscally conservative argument for supporting the arts," Moore added, explaining that writers create things of social and economic value out of little more than their own knowledge and imagination. Moore said the cultural sector employs 650,000 people in Canada, twice the number employed in either forestry or agriculture, and he declared that infrastructure without the kind of activity that artists provide is "culturally and economically soulless."
Moore, whose Conservative government may have cost itself a majority in the last election as a result of arts-funding cuts and the statement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that ordinary people don't care about arts funding, trumpeted the Conservatives' support for the arts during its current term, stating that no government in Canadian history has spent so much on culture.
Two weeks to spend marketing money
The film-festival funding announced Friday comes from a $100 million Marquee Tourism Events Program, administered by the Ministry of Industry and geared to enhancing programming and promotion that attracts tourists, particularly international tourists.
The Vancouver International Film Festival, which begins Oct. 1, learned on Sept. 16 that it would receive the money, which must be spent to promote this year's event. Festival director Alan Franey addressed the concern that the funding announcement is less than timely in his prepared remarks. "We put this festival together in such a way that we would be able to take advantage of it should we be so lucky as to receive it."
The film festival, with a budget of about $2.4 million, has already been hit by provincial funding cuts. Its $70,000 gaming grant was axed, as the province increasingly diverts gambling earnings away from community groups and into general revenue. The festival had used that money for outreach to schools, multicultural groups and the underprivileged. While the festival received the usual $90,000 in operating assistance for 2009 from the B.C. Arts Council, it banked a $54,000 supplemental arts council grant for next year in anticipation of future provincial funding cuts.
The film festival is the fourth B.C. event to receive money from the Marquee Tourism fund -- the others were May's Cloverdale Rodeo ($345,900), June's Vancouver International Jazz Festival ($712,500) and August's Pacific National Exhibition ($1.38 million).
Other recipients include the Canadian National Exhibition ($3.75 million), the Toronto International Film Festival ($3 million), the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal ($3 million)and the Ottawa Bluesfest ($1.5 million). Nearly a million dollars ($965,000) went to the International Balloon Festival in St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, a town with two hotels.
Pre-election spending?
In all, nearly $40 million has so far been disbursed to 50 groups, with 85 per cent of the funding going to events in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
When Moore was asked if his funding announcement could be characterized as pre-election spending, he said right now when he buys a cup of coffee in his own riding it's considered pre-election spending. "Everything can be considered pre-election spending in a minority parliament." ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
G West
28-09-2009
This Guy
This guy Moore is the most pathetic excuse for a 'responsible' minister of the crown I have ever encountered.
He cannot answer a question without applying enough spin to keep a dozen plates in motion on the end of a dozen canes.
He and Kreuger deserve each other - they should be locked into a padded room with nothing but each other for company for a week or two.
The country would be better off without them...
damack
28-09-2009
Charitable Gaming Funded Small Arts Groups
Thanks Charles for your ooverage of the arts funding issue.
In the article you state most of the funding for the arts comes from the arts council. But much of the funding for the arts, especially small arts groups, came from gaming. Contrary to what has been reported elsewhere, that funding has not been restored. For many groups, this funding represented the majority of their budget. But it's not just the arts...all sorts of community based groups have lost control of what has always been a share of revenues from gaming. This local control was just as important as the money. We need a simple message: Restore the gaming funding. AND--restore the autonomy of the BC Arts Council with a fitting appropriation from general tax revenue. Both are relatively small amounts in the overall budget, but provide a big return in social and financial capital.
For futher information on gaming funding, please see:http://www.straight.com/print/258240#
Also...On this funding of the arts in general, and more specifically gaming, please note:
http://www.allianceforarts.com/blog/union-bc-municipalities-conference-debate-emergency-resolution-restore-gaming-funds
Please forward this on to your contacts as a way of supporting this resolution.
The Union of BC Municipalities Conference will take place at the Vancouver Conference Centre from September 28 to October 3, 2009.
All Mayors and Councils from across BC and all MLA's and the Premier will be in attendance.
An emergency resolution has been submitted and will be debated at the conference. The resolution requests the reinstatement of all Direct Access Gaming Funding to all of the Charities in BC.
Please support our BC Charities - the social-profit sector - the arts, culture, heritage, parents, teachers, hot lunch programs, libraries, amateur sports, AIDS relief centres, health centres, emergency preparedness, music and summer camps for blind kids.
Please call or email your local Mayor or Councillor now and ask that they support this critical resolution.
Rubber stamp
28-09-2009
Gaming grants
The BCLC use in their asvertising ....By gambling and playing lotteries you are supporting community groups,sports,and the arts...
There is a morale contract in place,these gaming grants were the selling point for expanded gambling..
We know what Gordon Campbell thinks of contracts,rip,shred,who gives a F......
Since the Campbell government has reneged on this morale contract, all groups should be able to put up prizes and run their own lotteries,because as you know they legally can`t, throughout this province in the era of expanded gambling the province has cracked down on groups using gambling to raise money.
As for James Moore, he and Campbell are birds of a feather,neither has walked away from a photo-op,Moore was in on the Evergreen line fraud,port mann bridge scam...
And you can bet your last dollar Campbell and Moore will be rubbing shoulders at the UBMC conference.
carfreed
28-09-2009
if a Torrie says so
Harper has never been interested in the arts. Sports, yes. Look at his attitude to CBC.
So, for this guy to say devastating, about the cuts, he is gathering votes or maybe it is really bad.
lynn
28-09-2009
shell game
As that 2004 article from the Walrus "The Man Behind Stephen Harper" revealed - the prime issue for Harper and his Reformatories, (whilst they wait out their hoped for (end-of-Canada) majority) is: "how do we fool the world into thinking we're moving to the left when we're not?"
biscotti
28-09-2009
damack is correct
The gaming money has been especially important in small communities. It would be tough to organize a boycott of lottery tickets, but BC Lotteries offices in Vancouver and Richmond ought to be targets of pickets and demos.
A key ingredient in the BC govt's spin has been to sow division between so-called elitist, bonbon-imbibing & martini-swilling artists and regular workers. Much like what Harper said in the last federal election. So some solidarity between unions and the arts sector would definitely be in order...
Fiat lux
28-09-2009
The barbarians' first target
The barbarians' first target for destruction are always the arts, because they don't have the brains to appreciate them.
Ed Deak.
Charles Campbell
28-09-2009
Gaming money
Apologies for the lack of clarity on gaming money. I should have elaborated on that aspect of the funding cuts. But as it's hard to put a number on those cuts, I stuck with what we know for sure from the Tourism, Arts and Culture ministry service plan budget. In that ministry, most of the money flows through the BC Arts Council. For many groups, gaming provides funding in the same order as the money they get from the arts council. In many cases that money has been cut entirely, in others it has not been cut at all.
ME2
28-09-2009
Putting the blame where it belongs.
Pretty effing cynical, I think, for these crooks to steal monies purportedly designated for the arts and sports, and put the money into general revenue in order to cover their asses for their financial bungling.
When they dump Campbell and try to re-brand with a new leader, will we remember that it is not just Campbell who is responsile for this, but also his Party's back-room boys and his caucus who are equally in on the game?
I hope there will be lots of embarrassing demonstations at at their showboating Olympics.
Des
28-09-2009
Arts Funding
cuts are "devastating" when provincial governments (especially the ones who say they are not Conservative) wield the knife. Somehow, the same action by Ottawa is transformed into life-saving surgery.
Moore spun his cuts to recording artists' exposure to foreign audiences as a mere diversion of funds, not cuts, when he appeared last week on Jian Ghomeshi's CBC Radio One show, Q. The artists affected disagreed. But Moore did agree to appear on the show weekly or more often. We'll see if Harper allows him to talk.
damack
28-09-2009
Arts Funding--Gaming Follow-up
It’s doubly hard to know the real figures for BC provincial funding, because they have taken the money that earned through gaming and funneled it into the already slashed budget of this year's BC Arts Council funding. No one really knows why. What's left? How can we really tell? No earned gaming money and much less actual arts council money. Speaking of the BC Arts Council--where were they on this? Do they really believe that Minister Krueger is serving the Arts? Where's the money from general revenue for the arts next year? Where is their autonomy?
And for all those community groups, including the arts, reinstate the money that these social-profit groups earned through lending their name and moral authority to the continued expansion of gaming in this province.
Finally, I would like to add, I liked the Federal/Provincial divide that has been explored here by Charles. And I thank James Moore for his endorsement of what British Columbians have been screaming for: fund the Arts. All governments’ studies prove that if we do, we make money in multiplier tax revenue. More importantly, we also create invaluable cultural capital that will be feeding our children's children.
damack
28-09-2009
Correction
Sorry about the missing "was" in my last posting. I did do a quick check before posting. Is there anyway of re-submitting? Please let me know.
And I meant to say, I like that the divide between federal and provincial funding for the arts is being explored through this article. I don't like the divide. And it's there.
Fiat lux
28-09-2009
With all the cuts and tears
With all the cuts and tears the Campbell gang just spent some huge amounts 4 laning about 1 mile of Hwy 97 just North of 150 Mile house, with crews working on the project for months.
There are no 4 lanes at either end of this idiocy and won't be for many years, especially when they reach the rockwall South of Williams Lake, and the expansion isn't even needed, because there isn't enough traffic to warrant it.
So, what was the purpose, or any benefits, while our other roads get no repairs and are breaking up all over ?
The money wasted on this stupidity would have paid for a lot of badly needed programs.
Ed Deak.
biscotti
28-09-2009
plenty of pavement
Yes, Ed, and there's a nice long section south of the 80 Mile Rd on Hwy 97 that didn't seem to have many potholes, but has been ripped up and widened...
DPL
28-09-2009
Any program under Kevin K.
Any program under Kevin K. has no hope of having a sensible coversation with the clown. The arts in BC will have a tough time surviving. Maybe if they claimed they were attached to the circus the money would suddenlt appear.
cypress
28-09-2009
arts funds cuts
spreadsheets online which set out the distribution of gaming money in every community in british columbia.
Where The Money Goes > http://www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/gaming/revenue/index.htm
ddiamond
28-09-2009
Imagine
Imagine the world’s reaction to the Government of BC making an announcement that, because of the current recession, and “surprises” regarding the provincial deficit, the Government was going to take care of the needs of the population of BC first and foremost, and while the Government would fulfill its obligations to the Olympics, it was going to scale the Olympics back as much as possible, because the citizens of BC had to come first. The reaction of people around the world would have been awed admiration. Instead, the world is going to arrive to a province in turmoil.
Maybe we need to start imagining what 200,000 people in the streets looks like, mourning the dismantling of education, health, arts and culture and the social safety net here in BC, on the opening day of the Olympics.
crankypants
29-09-2009
Hippocracy
Mr. Moore, please spare us the election campaign spiel. Your credibility is suspect at best.
A couple of months ago you had a photo-op presenting a cheque to the PNE for their 100-year celebration next year. Before the media you stated that this cheque was being presented by the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Harper. I ask, was this cheque drawn on the Conservative Party's funds or was it just taxpayers dollars being presented? You and I both know the answer to that. It was Canadian taxpayer's money and for you to state anything different is a bold faced lie. Making misleading statements such as this does nothing but erode your and your party's credibility. As a matter of fact, it is time that you and the other 307 MPs in Ottawa stop making statements that do nothing more than insult our intelligence. We deserve and demand better than this.
Valentyno
29-09-2009
Moore Is Now Modeling The Emperor's New Clothes
Moore presents himself that he is sympathetic to the arts and considers them key components of economic stimulus. However, in February, he announced the reorganization of magazine funding which will result in most of the small literary and arts magazines in B.C. and across the rest of the country of losing significant funding. The new Canada Periodical Fund, which comes into effect in April 2010, will set the minimum circulation required to be eligible for funding to be 5000 paid copies per annum. Most literary and arts magazines fall below this mark, including some of the most respected journals in both disciplines, magazines where some of Canada's most important writers began. They punch of their weight. Canadian Heritage has rationalized in public statements that its funding is a duplication of Canada Council funding in an attempt to deflect attention from the central fact that Canadian Heritage dramatically changed the operations of these magazines, making them more viable. Minister Moore, who says that the changes are all about administrative efficiencies, has been encouraged to transfer the monies that it has been granting to arts and literary magazines to the Canada Council—approximately $650,000. This would allow the Council to combine this sum with its existing periodical program, making it more effective. So far, the Minister has not done this. Also one wonders if the minimum paid circulation was set at 5000 copies in order to drop these small magazines, which do not fit the George W. Harperite agenda of commercially sexy. One also wonders if the Ministry of Canadian Heritage is living up to its responsibilities as our ministry of culture or should more properly be called the ministry of mostly sports, given its almost myopic focus on the Vancouver Gordon Campbell Games (a moniker used since the O word is trademark protected). I find it rich that Moore presents himself as concerned about the arts—which needs its small as well as its big players—and am surprised that The Tyee does not call himself on his record. Yes, funding the Vancouver International Film Festival is important, but making noise about it only hides what he is doing to other key components of cultural support. It is exactly what Moore wants the media to do; it is keeping him—and us—on message. And as for him buying a cup of coffee, let’s hope after the next election that is all he will be doing.
Des
29-09-2009
Cuts, cuts, cuts
hurt. And arts cuts are the unkindest cuts of all.
The fact that "advertising revenues" for media are down should not apply as a reason for cuts to CBC (radio especially) which is not just another commercial enterprise. R'man always tries to defend the indefensible. In the case of CBC, it has been obvious that Reform Conservatism ideology accounts for such punishing action from Ottawa.
Sean Ruthen's item corroborates the fact that Harper and Assoc. must get some sort of sadistic pleasure out of seeing perceived "enemies" twisting in the wind.
G West
29-09-2009
Sean Ruthen - tough indeed!
With Pee Wee, Baird and Moore on the case - not to mention Campbell - I think your dream of a new 'Churchill' or 'Pericles' coming into town over the next hill is wishful thinking; but then, what would you expect from someone who's hailing the new Trade and Convention centre and the Golden Ears bridge as something more than black holes.
We're still on the downward slope - it'll be a while before we reach the nadir.
Given the fact that extant case law permits folks to camp in parks perhaps we could see some expansive temporary 'outdoor' structures a-building in such places before long...
What's the current unemployment rate for graduates of UBC's architecture school?
With respect to the CBC Des - I'm sure you're right - it is their sadistic pleasure indeed...the best they can do now for afternoon AM radio is a reprise of local shows; rebroadcasts of Ideas and the like...
OilbertaRedTory
29-09-2009
realistically, Harper sells off ...
... anything not tied down.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/09/29/antiques-government-auction.html
Has Harper Reformed ?
"I'd like to put a 'For sale' sign on the CBC. We don't need it," Conservative MP Myron Thompson told the Moose Jaw Times-Herald on June 18, 1994.