[Bcma-l] CMA Clip Serv: Culture 'no longer a priority,' BC arts groups say
bcma-l at museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Thu Sep 3 18:44:27 PDT 2009
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<b>Culture 'no longer a priority,' </b></span></font>
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<b>B.C. arts groups say</b></span></font>
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<b>Funding, already reduced in February budget to a projected $9.6-
million for 2010-11, now expected to be $2.25-million</b></span></font>
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Fiona Morrow, The Globe and Mail, Wednesday, September 2, 2009</span></font>
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Arts groups across B.C. were left stunned and confused by the
massive cuts in funding in yesterday's provincial budget.</span></font>
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Still reeling from Friday's announcement that previously approved
multiyear community gaming grants were being rescinded, they were
shocked to see the government's projected figures for Arts and
Culture were significantly lower even than the almost 50-per-cent
cuts announced in the spring budget.</span></font>
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"Unless the government finds money from elsewhere to supplement
the arts in 2010-11, we are looking at a 90-per-cent cut," said Scott
Walker of Victoria-based arts advocacy group ProArt Alliance.</span></font>
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In the Feb. 17 budget, general arts and culture funding was reduced
from $19.5-million to $11.9-million, with a one-off supplementary
fund that would maintain previous levels of funding for the 2009-10
fiscal period.</span></font>
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And, as part of the Liberal government's three-year budget projection
at the time, it projected that funding would be further reduced to $9.6-
million in 2010-11 before rebounding slightly to $9.8-million in
2011-12, with no guarantee of more supplementary funds going
forward.</span></font>
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Yesterday's figures projected that the funding for 2010-11 now stands
at a much-lower $2.25-million, dropping to $2.2-million in 2011-12.</span></font>
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"They have wiped arts funding out. It's appalling," said Heather
Redfern, executive director of East Vancouver's cultural centre, The
Cultch. "The government has made it clear that the arts is no longer a
priority for funding."</span></font>
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Carole Higgins, artistic managing director of Carousel Theatre in
Vancouver, which offers inner-city and rural B.C. children the
opportunity to attend live theatre free, noted that on Saturday she
received an e-mail informing her that her company's approved B.C.
Arts Council grant of $17,100 for 2009-10 was being funded through
the community gaming fund. Just the day before, she had received
another e-mail from the community gaming fund rescinding a
previously approved $50,000 grant for the same period.</span></font>
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It is unclear where this leaves the the independently adjudicated B.C.
Arts Council grants going forward.</span></font>
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"They really do appear to be robbing Peter to pay Paul," said Marcus
Youssef, artistic producer of Vancouver's Neworld Theatre.</span></font>
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"We have two very real fears," he said. "That the government does
not value community-based arts organizations; and that the level at
which they hold the B.C. Arts Council, the primary arts investment
agency in the province, is not that high."</span></font>
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The Vancouver-based Alliance for Arts and Culture has convened a
community meeting for B.C. arts organizations to take place later
today to discuss the funding crisis.</span></font>
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Representatives from the Liberal government and the B.C. Arts
Council were not available for comment.</span></font>
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_______________________________</span></font>
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Jim Harding, ED</span></font>
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BC Museums Association</span></font>
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(250) 356-5694</span></font>
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