The War on Arts & Culture
“Every budding dictatorship begins by muzzling the artists, because they’re a mouthy lot and they don’t line up and salute very easily.” – Margaret Atwood
Since taking office as Prime Minister, the Harper Conservatives have cut an estimated $60-$80 Million to Arts & Culture programming across Canada. On August 8, 2008 the Prom Art program (administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade) was cancelled because grant recipients included “a general radical,” “a left-wing and anti-globalization think-tank” and “a rock band that uses an expletive as part of its name.” A Conservative government official who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity stated that Prom Art was cancelled because most of the money “went to groups that would raise the eyebrows of any typical Canadian” and “I think there’s a reasonable expectation by taxpayers that they won’t fund the world travel of wealthy rock stars, ideological activists or fringe and alternative groups.” (Source: Montreal Gazette )
“I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people, you know, at a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers, claiming their subsidies aren’t high enough when they know those subsidies have actually gone up, I’m not sure that’s something that resonates with ordinary people.” – Steven Harper, September 23, 2008
Additionally Bill C-10 (pending legislation) would prohibit federal funding of films and television shows the government might find “offensive”.
Since April 1, 2008 the Conservatives have cut the following Arts & Culture Programs:
- E culture (Culture.ca and Canadian cultural Observatory, including Culturescope.ca): $4.36 million
- Trade Routes Program: $9 million
- PromArt (Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade): $4.7 million
- Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund: $1.5 million
- National Training Program for the Film and Video sector: $2.5 million
- Audio visual Preservation Trust: $150,000
- Canadian culture online (Research and Development Component): $5.64 million
- Canadian Memory Fund: $11.57 million
- Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program (Stabilization Project): $627,000
- Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program (Capacity Building): was $6.1 million reduced to $4.3 million – reduction of $1.8 million (plus $1 million in salary and internal fees)
- Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program (Endangered arts organizations): Budget: $500,000
- Canada music Fund (Canadian Music Memories Component): $150,000
- Northern Native Broadcast Access Program: $2.1 million
- Book Publishing Industry Development Program: $1 million
- Canada Magazine Fund: $500,000
- Canada New Media Fund: $14.5 million
Total: $60,597,000 (Source: Canadian Conference of the Arts)
In late August, the Conservatives announced that much of the money will instead be used to pay for the $24.5 million Olympic torch relays and to provide $48 million to the Road to Excellence over three years. Source
Resources:
- Equity Online (which also includes Party Platforms on Arts & Culture – all Parties have a stated arts platform except for the Conservatives)
- Canadian Conference of the Arts
- Department of Culture
- The Wrecking Ball
- Canadian Arts Coalition
- Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
- PublicBroadcasting.ca
- Anyone But Harper
- Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton * Edmonton Small Press Association
Facebook groups that contain other good resources & articles:
Sign these petitions:
Read An open letter to Prime Minister Harper by Wajdi Mouawad (directly below Yann Martel’s)