Before we get to our Report from New York, we should mention the gala dinner that we attended last night in celebration of one of Canada’s most notable philanthropists and cultural supporters, Mr. Jim Fleck.

Jim Fleck. Image: rotman.utoronto.ca

Cultural bigwigs from Karen Kain to (VoCA favorite) the extraordinary cabaret star Patricia O’Callaghan came out to salute Mr. Fleck and perform, with actor Albert Shultz (of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre) holding court as Master of Ceremonies.

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At a press conference in Toronto this morning, National Ballet artistic director Karen Kain, Sara Diamond of the Ontario College of Arts and Design, filmmaker Atom Egoyan, Joe Halstead of Caribana, film director Paul Gross and Jim Fleck of Business for the Arts each issued appeals for Canadians to care about the arts in this election:

Since VoCA was unable to attend, you can read the report on the press conference HERE.

Playwright Wajdi Mouawad. Image: ledevoir.com

From Wajdi Mouawad, Governor General Award-winning Canadian playwright; Knight of the Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres, France; Artistic Director of French Theatre, The National Arts Centre of Canada.

Originally published in the Montreal paper Le Devoir.

Monsieur le premier ministre,

We are neighbours. We work across the street from one another. You are Prime Minister of the Parliament of Canada and I, across the way, am a writer, theatre director and Artistic Director of the French Theatre at the National Arts Centre (NAC). So, like you, I am an employee of the state, working for the Federal Government; in other words, we are colleagues.

Let me take advantage of this unique position, as one functionary to another, to chat with you about the elimination of some federal grants in the field of culture, something that your government recently undertook. Indeed, having followed this matter closely, I have arrived at a few conclusions that I would like to publicly share with you since, as I’m sure you will agree, this debate has become one of public interest….

Read the rest of the letter HERE.

The OLD Canadian twenty dollar bill. Image: members.shaw.ca

Did you know that if you look at the NEW Canadian twenty dollar bill – you’ll need a magnifying glass – you will read the following quote by French-Canadian author Gabrielle Roy (1908 – 1983):

Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts?

Nous connaitrions-nous seulement un peu nous-memes, sans les arts?

At last night’s jam-packed town hall meeting, organized in response to the Stephen Harper’s Conservative government’s recent slashing of $62.06 million in Arts and Culture programs, there were several passionate speeches by Claire Hopkinson of the Toronto Arts Council, Susan Swan of the Writer’s Union and Lisa Fitzgibbons of the Documentary Organization of Canada, rising to a crescendo with a polished, fervent speech by writer and activist Naomi Klein.

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…and well they should!

Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald says that recent cuts in federal funding for the arts will damage the province’s cultural sector.

In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the premier said the province has worked tirelessly with its provincial and federal counterparts over the years to emphasize the economic and social benefits of arts and culture.

“I sincerely hope that these cuts do not represent the level of importance that the government of Canada places on the value of this sector to the Canadian economy, to our provincial and our Canadian identity,” said MacDonald.

Read the rest of the article from the Chronicle Herald HERE

Illustration: Allen Crawford of Plankton Art Co. Image: timeout.com

A new report – done in collaboration with the federal government – argues for the importance of Canada’s arts:

Canada’s arts community has been given a big boost in its fight against government funding cutbacks in a form of an new economic report arguing that culture is a major contributor to national wealth and prestige.

The 60-page study from the Conference Board of Canada, a private-sector think-tank that did the study in collaboration with the federal government, argues that culture generated $84.6 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits last year, or 7.4 per cent of total gross domestic product.

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Liberal leader Stephane Dion – a man who understands the importance of culture..we hope.
Image: voiceofcanada.files.wordpress.com

Liberal party leader Stephane Dion has finally responded to the unbelievable Conservative party cuts to cultural programs:

“Harper seems to not understand that we need to be stimulating those programs. We must encourage different arts and culture…”

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Image: toothpastefordinner.com

1. HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING IN CALGARY:

Wait a minute. If our dynamic Canadian culture is in such demand all over the world, then surely the world will beat a path to its door and pay full freight to watch the likes of Les Grands Ballets, if not Holy F—.

Was this another story of our splendid arts community banding together to combat the heartless, uncultured Harper Conservatives?

Read the full article from the Calgary Herald HERE.

2. AND HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING OUT EAST:

With new cuts to culture and arts funding, the Conservative government is showing once again its complete disrespect toward our country’s cultural institutions and a flagrant lack of vision that is hurting our arts community and culture

The Conservatives are now showing clearly what they have in mind for Canada’s arts and culture. The lack of explanation for the cuts and the silence of the Heritage minister is unacceptable.

Read more HERE.

3. THE LIBERAL PARTY SPEAKS UP – FINALLY

Liberal Heritage critic Denis Coderre has criticized the government for not being forthcoming with information about cuts to a slew of arts-and-culture programs.

“A Liberal government … will reinstate all those programs and [Canadians] will have … a true structural vision of what culture should be for our country,” he said, in a telephone interview from his riding in Montreal.

More on Liberal plans in THIS Globe and Mail article.

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In case you missed it, here’s a link to the latest on the Canadian culture cuts – from today’s Globe and Mail:

“The Tories are committed to cutting $44.8-million in spending on arts and culture by April of 2010…”

Click HERE for an article that basically amounts to a long list of cultural programs to be cut.

Yesterday, VoCA spoke with curator Barbara Fischer, whose proposal of London-based artist Mark Lewis was selected as Canadian representative at next year’s Venice Biennale – arguably the most important and high-profile art biennale in the world.

Ms. Fischer expressed concern over the cuts and suggested that the future of Canada’s pavilion is in danger, since about one third of the money needed for the pavilion comes from government funding programs.

Nota bene: In 2001, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller won a coveted prize at Venice for their installation, The Paradise Institute, which helped to catapult them into the stratosphere of global contemporary artists.

Fuse magazine editor Izida Zorde and publisher Heather Haynes (of Toronto Free Gallery) are organizing a Town Hall meeting in Toronto to address the recent and upcoming budget cuts to the arts.

Valuing Culture: TOWN HALL REGARDING CUTS TO CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANTING PROGRAMS

Who should come? Everyone concerned about the Federal Government’s blatant contempt for arts and culture.

Who will be speaking? Representatives from Government, visual arts, film, video, performing arts

What will we be doing? Strategizing on how to get our voices heard in the next election

Why is this important? Because the wave of cuts and policy changes are radically changing Canadian society.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008 at 7pm.

The Theatre Centre
1087 Queen Street West, (South East Corner of Queen and Dovercourt)

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