September 3, 2008 Town Hall meeting to mobilize in the face of sweeping arts funding cuts in Canada.
Much thanks to Catherine Kustanczy for passing these along.
September 3, 2008 Town Hall meeting to mobilize in the face of sweeping arts funding cuts in Canada.
Much thanks to Catherine Kustanczy for passing these along.
The worst aspect of these funding cuts is they stop us from chatting about cool/fun/inspiring things, like theatre.
True.
I did get a kick out of StellaBella’s “learn how to lobby” rant in the letters section of last Thursday’s Toronto Star.
So sad.
Let’s reprint it here for posterity:
“I have worked in the arts for over 30 yrs … and y’all just keep playin you same lame game over and over each election. WAKE UP CALL!!!! You’re doing it wrong. You do remember, don’t you, that there is an arts-friendly NDP leader in this minority government? Where have YOU DORK LOBBYISTS BEEN these last couple of years, when you should have been kicking Layton’s butt and getting things done? In a minority government, there is SUPPOSED to be some deal making … give Harper something, and in return, you get what you want. A minority government is democracy at its best. Everyone can win. But have you done jack-all since the last election? Um no. You’ve all just been god knows where staring at your navels … and decide to kick up a fuss NOW? As with every other arts funding dust-up, it’s too little too late. Learn how to lobby.”
I’m sorry, I don’t really understand what she’s saying here. (But when it comes to politics I’m the opposite of smart.) I mean, I get the sentiment, just not the specifics. Artists should have been lobbying for what? To not have those specific programs axed? For insurance against the removal of existing funding programs?
I don’t know if I’d consider making art doing ‘jack-all’ or ‘navel-gazing’, I didn’t know there were some imminent cuts that we’d have to kick up a fuss over. Is there any reliable federal arts policies watchdog agencies out there we should all know about?