<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><img height="78" width="320" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" apple-inline="yes" id="115A2EEE-7673-4F6A-B6E9-9BF4EF148FE1" src="cid:1E2FD17D-B8CD-49AC-9E48-22C0E04353B9" class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><img height="277" width="240" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" apple-inline="yes" id="36B80DC3-8C52-4F12-AD44-774987964A4A" src="cid:C39FDE6B-B060-45C2-87DB-C477759A0AA5" class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><font color="#4b0082" class=""><span style="font-size: 20px;" class=""><br class=""></span></font></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><font color="#4b0082" class=""><span style="font-size: 20px;" class="">BC Alliance Launches ArtsVote BC,<br class="">Hosts </span><span style="font-size: 20px;" class="">All-Candidates Meeting On Arts and Culture, Oct. 15 </span></font><strong class=""> </strong><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 22.5px; text-align: left;" class=""><br class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class="">The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture has launched <strong class=""><a href="http://artsvotebc.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" class="">ArtsVote BC</a>, </strong>a website loaded with information to help both voters and candidates prepare for the 2018 BC Municipal Elections on October 20. The BC Alliance seeks to make everyone aware that creativity and innovation are key to a growing, sustainable future and that investment in arts, culture and heritage should be an election priority.<br class=""><br class="">In addition, the BC Alliance, in association with the Museum of Vancouver presents:</span></p></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><strong class="">Vancouver All-Candidates Meeting on Arts and Culture,<br class="">Monday, Oct. 15, 5-7 pm<br class="">Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St.)<br class="">Moderated by Dani Fecko<br class="">Free; please register at <a href="http://artsvotebc.ca" class="">artsvotebc.ca</a> </strong></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 18px; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; text-align: start;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); text-align: center;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" class=""><font size="3" class="">Confirmed attendance:</font></span></div><div class=""><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Yes Vancouver's Hector Bremner</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Pro Vancouver's David Chen</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Vancouver First's Fred Harding</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Independent Kennedy Stewart</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Independent Shauna Sylvester</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Coalition Vancouver's Wai Young</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Independent Golok Buday</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">VisionVancouver's Heather Deal</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">Green Party's Pete Fry</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">COPE’s Anne Roberts</font></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><font size="3" class="">NPA Party (candidate TBD) </font></div></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 16px;" class="">Many of the above candidates, as well as hundreds more across every single jurisdiction in BC, have contributed to <a href="http://artsvotebc.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); text-decoration: none;" class=""><strong class="">ArtsVote BC</strong></a> by responding to the BC Alliance's survey about arts and culture issues. Read their answers to questions about funding for grants and cultural infrastructure, arts and education, cultural tourism and more <a href="http://www.artsvotebc.ca/2018-candidates-survey/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); text-decoration: none;" class=""><strong class="">here</strong></a>. </span><br class=""><br class=""><span style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 16px;" class=""><a href="http://artsvotebc.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); text-decoration: none;" class=""><strong class="">ArtsVote BC</strong></a></span><span style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 16px;" class=""> allows citizens</span><font color="#4d4b4b" size="4" class=""> </font><span style="color: rgb(77, 75, 75); font-size: 16px;" class=""><strong style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="https://artsvotebc.good.do/werevoting/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); text-decoration: none;" class="">to send a letter to their candidates</a>,</strong></span><font color="#4d4b4b" size="4" class=""> </font><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class="">which outlines the importance of arts, culture and heritage as an economic engine and a source of community health and wellbeing. All you need to do is select </font><span style="color: rgb(96, 96, 96); font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">your jurisdiction (e.g., Victoria, Invermere, Nakusp -- whichever municipality or electoral area you call home). Use our letter explaining the value of the arts, or customize your own for max impact. Then, just click send! It's that quick and easy to make a difference and speak up on behalf of arts, culture and heritage.</span><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class=""> </font></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><strong style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="http://artsvotebc.ca/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" class="">ArtsVote BC</a></strong><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class=""> also lists other all-candidates meetings across the province, and provides details about voter registration. </font><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class="">Finally, a section called </font><a href="http://www.artsvotebc.ca/why-the-arts-matter/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(244, 121, 32); font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><strong class="">Why the Arts Matter</strong></a><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class=""> lists critical facts about the benefits of arts and culture to every community. Key takeaways: </font></div><div class=""><font color="#4d4b4b" size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><b class="">1. Economy:</b> Investing in the creative economy is an investment in jobs. The province’s main economic drivers are now based around innovation, creativity and the knowledge economy. </font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><b class="">2. Education:</b> Students with an education rich in the arts have better grade point averages and are three times more likely to get a degree.</font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><b class="">3. Health and Wellbeing:</b> Regardless of income level or education, participation in culture is strongly associated with good health and high life satisfaction.</font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><b class="">4. Society</b>: Experiencing creativity in any form that deals with poverty, sexuality, racism, and other issues helps us understand humanity and break down boundaries. Arts and culture help us develop tolerance and compassion.</font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font size="3" class=""> </font></div></div><div class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">Nancy Lanthier</div><div class="">Communications Director</div><div class=""><b class="">BC Alliance for Arts + Culture</b></div><div class=""><a href="mailto:nancy@allianceforarts.com" class="">nancy@allianceforarts.com</a></div><div class="">604-681-3535 ext 212</div><div class=""><a href="http://allianceforarts.com" class="">www.allianceforarts.com</a></div><div class=""><b style="font-size: 12.8px;" class="">Like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllianceforArtsandCulture/" target="_blank" class="">Facebook</a> and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/alliancearts?lang=en" target="_blank" class="">Twitter</a>. </b></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 13px;" class="">Keep up-to-date with breaking news, research, professional development opportunities and more: </span><a href="https://www.allianceforarts.com/subscribe/" class=""><b class="">Subscribe</b></a><span style="font-size: 13px;" class=""><b class=""> </b></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;" class="">to Alliance News, the BC Alliance's email newsletter. </span></div><div class=""><i style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">BC Alliance for Arts + Culture is </i><i style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">located on </i><i style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">unceded Aboriginal territories of the </i><i style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil </i><i style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">Waututh First Nations.</i></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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