[BCMA MBEN] CMA Clip Serv: Arts face huge BC funding cuts
Jim Harding
JHarding@MuseumsAssn.bc.ca
Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:51:15 -0700
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<b>Arts face huge B.C. funding cuts</b></span></font>
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<b>N. Van gallery, theatre looking at cutbacks</b></span></font>
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Kerry Blackadar, North Shore News, Sunday, July 26, 2009</span></font>
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The feathers of local arts organizations are more than just a little
ruffled after what British Columbia's Minister of Tourism, Culture
and the Arts, Kevin Krueger said last week. And now, they are taking
up arms with their mightiest weapon: the pen.</span></font>
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"I've already written a letter to the minister, and my colleagues have
done the same," says Brenda Leadlay, who has been the artistic
director at North Vancouver's Presentation House for nearly six years.</span></font>
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Last week, in an interview with the Professional Arts Alliance of
Greater Victoria's Scott Walker, Krueger characterized the arts
community as indifferent over potential cuts to their funding.</span></font>
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"I am not hearing complaints at all from the arts and cultural
community," he said. "I think people are pretty happy with what
we've done."</span></font>
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When the provincial budget was tabled in late February, the Ministry
of Tourism, Culture and the Arts saw its budget drop from $353
million in 2008/2009 to a proposed $55 million for the 2009/2010
fiscal year. The B.C. Arts Council was set to face a near 40 per cent
drop in funding alone.</span></font>
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"I think it is really quite ignorant of the minister to say 'the arts
community is happy and that he hasn't heard any complaints,'" says
Leadlay. "We are all very concerned. The cuts would pull the rug out
from a lot of artists."</span></font>
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The B.C. Arts Council is an agency of the provincial government that
provides operating and project assistance to a multitude of
organizations involved with literary, media and the visual arts, as well
as dance groups, museums, festivals and music and theatre programs
across the province. Every year, the fifteen-member council</span></font>
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allocates funds earmarked by the legislature.</span></font>
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"My guess is the only reason the minister hasn't heard any complaints
is because arts communities were told coming up to the provincial
election that we should wait until it was over before we reacted," says
Leadlay.</span></font>
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As a longtime North Shore landmark, Presentation House, located
several blocks north of the Lonsdale Quay on Chesterfield Avenue,
houses a theatre, art gallery and museum. A large percentage of
funding for Presentation House Theatre comes from grants provided
by the District and City of North Vancouver, but this money is</span></font>
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heavily supplemented by project grants from the B.C. Arts Council
and the Canada Council for the Arts, the federal funding agency.</span></font>
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According to Leadlay, Presentation House Theatre only started
receiving money from the B.C. Arts Council five years ago. "For
many years, the Presentation House Theatre was more like a
roadhouse," she says. "But over the past few years, we've been
creating more quality shows. If we lose funding from the B.C. Arts
Council then that is really going to impact our ability to do that."</span></font>
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The Presentation House Theatre's upcoming season, which starts in
September, would be unaffected by any cuts made to the budget this
year.</span></font>
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"It is the 2010/2011 season that we would have to worry about," says
Leadlay. "We all know that after the Olympics, some funding will
disappear."</span></font>
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With the advent of the Olympics, Presentation House Theatre has
received a surge of support from the B.C. Arts Council. This year, an
extra $38,000 was dished out for the Edward Curtis Project, a
theatrical performance and photographic installation piece based on
the life of the early 20th century photographer and creator of the
controversial series The North American Indian. The Edward Curtis
Project will be showing at the Presentation House Theatre in late
January and is just one of the projects part of the 2010 Cultural
Olympiad, a showcase of Canadian and international art festivities
taking place next year.</span></font>
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After the Olympics, and depending on how funds from the B.C. Arts
Council are allocated, Leadlay says Presentation House Theatre could
be forced to look for ways to reduce their expenses. Putting on
smaller shows or coproducing plays with other theatre groups would
be two cost-saving options. Ultimately both avenues would mean
hard times ahead for the fewer actors and designers needed for a
smaller 2010/2011 season.</span></font>
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The budget cuts would likely mean an increased reliance on the
private sector too.</span></font>
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"We only do a small amount of funding in the private sector now, but
obviously that is where we would have to turn with these funding
cuts," says Leadlay. "It would be up to individuals and corporations to
provide support -- and everybody knows that giving has really
decreased in these areas because of the recession."</span></font>
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Reid Shier, the Director of Presentation House Art Gallery, which has
existed since 1976 and operates independently from the theatre, is
also concerned about the proposed budget cuts. He says a major
reduction in funding from the B.C. Arts Council would mean job
losses and pay reduction for the gallery staff.</span></font>
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"It is so unfortunately short-sighted on the part of the province," says
Shier. "Although the province has done great work on bringing their
level of funding up over the last five years . . . if the B.C. Arts
Council were to receive cuts now, it would not only be devastating to
us in the short term, but I think it would destroy a lot of really good
work that has been done over the years."</span></font>
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When the updated provincial budget is unveiled in September,
authorities will likely continue to cut spending and programs in
everything from health care to education to the arts. For Leadlay, such
cuts are disappointing, but nothing that she hasn't seen before. "Arts
programs are always one of the first to be cut because people still</span></font>
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view it as a frill," she says. "But it really isn't. The arts help create a
healthy community, enhance our education, and shape our identity."</span></font>
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For now, Leadlay, together with a growing number of concerned and
unhappy individuals across the province, will continue their letter
writing campaign to the minister in hopes that it will be enough to
conquer some ground on this year's budget battlefield.</span></font>
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