[Bcma-l] (Fwd) Hedy Fry Arts & Culture Blog

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

Subscribers;
Just received the following posting from MP Hedy Fry regarding the 
new Minisiter's recent (re)-announcement...
--Jim

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	"Barb Snelgrove" <barb.snelgrove@hedyfry.com>
Subject:        	Hedy Fry Arts & Culture Blog
Date sent:      	Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:47:48 -0700


Arts and Culture -- Too Little, Too Late


Last week, with much fanfare, the New Conservative government's 
New
Minister of Heritage, (re)announced a program that was unveiled 
during
the March 2007 budget.   This is becoming a trend.

The announcement was really the long-awaited release of $30 million,
promised by the government six months ago, to festival and local arts
and culture groups.  It is, in effect, a replacement of the
sponsorship program money... only much less and very, very late.

Under the Harper administration, Canadian Arts and Cultural
communities have been reduced to begging and to being thankful for
crumbs.

Vancouver is a city known for hosting world-class festivals.  In order
to produce festivals of this calibre, organizers must begin planning
at least a year in advance.  Funding for Summer and Fall 2008
festivals had to be applied for in March, April or May of this year. 
Festivals from coast to coast have been waiting for this application
process to begin.   And waiting.  And waiting.

Now, it's here.  The scramble to secure artists, to promote, to find
venues, and the challenge to make do with less money has become a
nightmare.

Why is this important?  Because Arts and Culture contribute $43
billion to Canada's national GDP (this includes all the revenue
accrued from cultural tourism, hotels, restaurants, consumer
spending).  All together, this creates 800,000 direct jobs annually.

This vibrant sector -- a purveyor of national values, social cohesion
and considerable economic benefit -- is being left with cap in hand.

It confirms the lack of vision; that terrible combination of a poor
understanding of the intrinsic value of arts and culture, and the
ideological predisposition of our New Conservative government.

Pity!  Once more...too little! ...too late!

- Hedy



**********************************************************************
*

Barb Snelgrove

Senior Special Assistant & Communications Advisor

Office Of The Honourable Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.

Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre

1030 Denman Street West (Denman Mall)

Vancouver, B.C.   V6G 2M6

Ph: 604-666-0651

Fx: 604-666-0114




------- End of forwarded message -------
_______________________________
Jim Harding, ED
BC Museums Association
(250) 356-5694