BC Art Workers Coalition

Here’s a clip from Christy Clark’s radio show on CKNW, Monday, November 2: Cheryl Ziola, Exec. Director BC Association for Charitable Gaming, interviewed by Christy Clark

The issue: Rich Coleman is floating the idea of grabbing bingo revenues from charities, the same way that he grabbed casino revenues from charities in late August (by cancelling Direct Access grants). Apparently the decision will be finalized during the next 30 to 60 days, and Coleman feels that “old tired charities” in communities around the province will benefit from having their funds commandeered for a greedy politician’s pet projects.

The interview is with Cheryl Ziola, Executive Director of the British Columbia Association for Charitable Gaming.

Norman Armour’s letter to BC Culture Minister Kevin Krueger

Today there was a silent grey protest outside the Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Vancouver, where the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services was holding a public hearing regarding the 2010 BC budget. Many artists, art workers, and allies tried to get on the speakers list but were told that it was already full.

When the committee returned from their lunchtime recess, they found the committee room occupied by a silent grey protest.

Committee member and deputy chair Doug Donaldson (NDP, Stikine) told the hearing that many potential speakers were not able to get on the list, and another day of hearings needed to be scheduled. Committee chair John Les (Liberal, Chilliwack) agreed that an extra day was needed in Vancouver, but spoke about the difficulty of scheduling another date, as the committee’s hearings have to be wrapped up before the end of October, and the fall sitting of the legislature is in progress.

The committee appears to recognize the need for extra speaking slots. However, they will benefit from a reminder. Write to them and ask that additional time be provided so that all speakers have a chance to be heard directly.

Committee chair: John Les (Liberal, Chilliwack) john.les.mla@leg.bc.ca
Deputy chair Doug Donaldson (NDP, Stikine) doug.donaldson.mla@leg.bc.ca

Members: Norm Letnick (Liberal, Kelowna-Lake Country) norm.letnick.mla@leg.bc.ca
Don Mcrae (Liberal, Comox Valley) don.mcrae.mla@leg.bc.ca
Michelle Mungall (NDP, Nelson-Creston) michelle.mungall.mla@leg.bc.ca
Bruce Ralston (NDP, Surrey-Whalley) bruce.ralston.mla@leg.bc.ca
Bill Routley (NDP, Cowichan Valley) bill.routley.mla@leg.bc.ca
John Rustad (Liberal, Cowichan Lakes) john.rustad.mla@leg.bc.ca
Jane Thornthwaite (Liberal, North Vancouver-Seymour) jane.thornthwaite.mla@leg.bc.ca
John Van Dongen (Liberal, Abbotsford South) john.vandongen.mla@leg.bc.ca
Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk Assistant and Committee Clerk FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca

Received this today. Please sign up to speak if you can. Get your collectors, your suppliers, your friends and relatives, your landlord if you can, get everyone to make a submission.

If you can’t appear at the hearing, you can make an online submission using the link below.

> From: “Herbert.MLA, Spencer” <Spencer.Herbert.MLA@leg.bc.ca>

> Date: September 23, 2009 4:27:57 PM PDT

> Subject: Important – speak out on arts/culture cuts now

>

>                 Wednesday September 23

>

> Greetings Friends of Arts, Culture and Heritage,

>

>

> I am writing to let you know that one of the key opportunities to influence the next provincial budget,

> and call for a restoration of provincial investment in arts, culture, and heritage has arrived.

>

> The provincial Finance Committee will be travelling the province to hear from you about what you

> think the 2010/2011 budget should look like.

>

> The current BC Liberal budget plan for 2010/2011 includes cuts of 90% to arts and culture investment.

>

> As you know this will devastate arts organizations, throw thousands out of work, hurt our communities,

> and negatively impact our economy.

>

> It just doesn’t make sense.

>

> These cuts include the elimination of gaming funds, the entirety of BC Arts Council grants, and other

> investments in arts and culture.

>

> To get on the speakers list you need to act fast.

>

> The Finance Committee have provided less than 5 days notice for arts and culture organizations in

> Vancouver to participate in the first public forum they are hosting.

>

> The committee will visit other communities across BC soon thereafter.  (Full dates and times are below).

>

> The government has provided very little time to respond, and we can’t let them get away with keeping our

> communities voices from being heard.

>

> To get on the list to speak, please contact:

>

> toll free          1-877-428-8337

>

> local                  250 356-2933

>

> online            www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations

> and click on the “participate in a public hearing” button.

>

> If you are unable to make it to an in person session then you can submit your thoughts in writing or by

> Web video (just click on the link above).

>

> This is very important – even a one page submission outlining the impact of cuts and the need for next

> year’s budget to reverse the trend would be helpful.  It is important that speakers include community members

> speaking in support of the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, professionals, membership organizations, board

> members, volunteers – you get the idea.

>

> Here is the schedule in brief:

>

> Mon. Sept. 28              Vancouver (Wosk Centre)                                       9 – 5

>

> Weds. Oct. 7                Victoria                                                                        8:30- Noon

>

> Fri. Oct. 9                     Videoconferencing hearings

>                                       (Cranbrook, Courtenay, Dawson Creek)               9am – 1pm

>

> Weds. Oct. 14              Smithers                                                                      9 – Noon

>

>                                       Prince George                                                            4 – 7 pm

>

> Thurs. Oct. 15             Kamloops                                                                    9 – Noon

>                                       Kelowna                                                                      4 – 7 pm

>

> Fri. Oct. 16                   Surrey                                                                          9am – 6 pm

>

>

> I hope you will take this opportunity to share your views (you can even re-submit the letters you have sent

> the Minister).

>

> It is so important for us to keep the pressure, and action going.

>

>

> Many thanks,

>

>             Spencer Herbert

> Official Opposition Critic for Tourism, Culture, and the Arts

>

Socio – Economic Impacts of Arts and Cultural Organizations in BC (the Sandhu report)

The Georgia Straight reported last Monday that the BC government report authored by Sandhu and Associates in 2006, the source of the “$1 = $1.36″ figure that has been quoted widely, has been deleted from the Tourism, Culture and the Arts Ministry web site (”The following reports are a sample of the research that is playing a part in our policy discussions”). The article contains a pretty good summary of the report’s contents, and notes that even though the Ministry’s official line is that the report is old and had to be deleted to make room for new information, at least one older item on the same page wasn’t deleted.

It gets stranger: if there really “wasn’t enough room” for the report, one would expect that the actual file would disappear from the Ministry’s web server. It hasn’t — at least not yet. What has disappeared is the link to the file: it is not linked to from any government web pages, but the file is still there, just in a sort of internet limbo. Maybe it will disappear soon, as soon as the Public Affairs Bureau realizes that they haven’t yet stamped it out completely. But until then, it lingers on, putting the lie to the Ministry’s protestation that there isn’t enough space for a 128 KB PDF document on the government’s web servers.

If it does completely disappear, there’s a copy here. It is now, as internet security professionals say, in the wild. However, watch the discussion boards: since the PAB believes the report has been squelched, watch for their shills and proxies to start spreading misinformation and straw man arguments about its contents.

It started with him doing a radio interview insisting that nobody in the arts was concerned about looming cuts to the BC Arts Council. Then, when letters started pouring in assuring him that he was in fact wrong about that, he whined to the Alliance for Arts and Culture that the arts community wasn’t being respectful to him.

When the Campbell government’s diversion of gaming money provoked an outpouring of protest and concern from the arts community, he responded with a misguided rant about funding nutritional programs in schools instead (but it turns out they had already cut a lot of  those and were planning to cut more). Then, in response to letters of concern about the 81% cuts to the BC Arts Council presented in the Campbell government’s September budget, his office sent out a form response drafted before the budget came out, containing outdated information and also visibly containing deleted information including the name of the senior civil servant asked to draft the note.

More recently, cornered by the Province’s legislature reporter and asked about the cuts, he threw a tantrum — there are no cuts, he insisted, things are better than ever for the arts, and the fault is with the media.

Now he’s in an even sadder state. He is imagining that vicious rumours are circulating, and leaping into action to stop the voices from saying evil things. I’m talking about this bizarre, sad reply that his office is sending out in response (but not responsive to) letters of concern.

I write today to address a rumour that is circulating about the BC Arts Council (BCAC). You can be absolutely assured that our government has no plan to abolish or change the mandate of the BCAC in any way. Please consider this letter confirmation that no changes are being considered for the Council.

This government is very pleased and continuously impressed with the work of the BCAC and what the Council delivers for British Columbia’s arts community. We are grateful for their accomplishments, and how they represent you. Funding through the BCAC is being provided in 2009 at a level exceeding last year’s.

I hope this email will relieve any anxieties and eliminate rumours on this issue. Please do not hesitate to contact my office by email to TCA.Minister@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Kevin Krueger

Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts

Of course, there is no “rumour circulating”, otherwise at least some of us in the arts would have heard it, and nobody has. This is a fabrication of the Minister’s spin team, designed to give him a straw man to knock down.

He then says “no changes are being considered for the council”. Oh, and pretty much ending their legislative appropriation is not a change?

Now, to his new spin strategy, that this year was the best year ever. This is more interesting than an outright dumb lie, but not completely right. By “this year’ maybe he means the 2008-2009 budget year, which is now over. As far as the BC Arts Council is concerned, yes, in 2008-2009 their legislative appropriation was the largest it has ever been. And where did this put BC, relative to other provinces’ per capita investment in arts and culture? Well, for once we were not dead last. But now we are dead last again. That is the BC Liberals’ version of really good cultural investment.

On the other hand, if by “this year” he means 2009-2010, the budget year that we are actually in, right now, he is telling a lie. Either that, or he is in complete meltdown and has no idea what he is saying any more.

Here’s an online version of the leaflet distributed by the Art Workers Coalition at this year’s SWARM, September 10 and 11, 2009.

Here is the original PDF of the first page message (a slightly different version of the above): last swarm ever, page 1

It is a double-sided handout, so on the other side you print the downloadable letter (also linked above): last swarm ever, page 2

September 9th grey-event protest actions in Vancouver (”more than a thousand”) and Victoria (400+) gave artists, cultural workers and their allies a chance to demonstrate solidarity, and hopefully accelerate the fight against BC’s arts cuts.

Here are a few documents, images and videos from the day.

Alliance for Arts “Culture Matters” two-page handout

Georgia Straight report on the Vancouver protest, with video

Victoria News “Arts Cuts Protest in the Rain” video

Audio of rally speeches (raw, unedited, not processed) MP3, 37.2 MB

Audio of rally speeches (raw, unedited, not processed) WMA, stereo, 37.4 MB

Two MP3 clips of crow/ambient noise (and a bit of mic noise, sorry, it’s a handheld and I was dragging a bunch of stuff) 1 2

(updated with more content, 5:30 Pacific time on Sept.

Urge your local civic government to oppose BC provincial government arts cuts.

Contact your local mayor and council, and let them know that the Campbell government’s 81% cuts to culture are going to hurt the community you live in. Ask them to unanimously pass a motion urging the provincial government to reverse these massive cuts!

It takes only a few minutes to write an e-mail and send it. To find e-mail addresses for your local elected officials, go to http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp . In Vancouver, write to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca and ask that Councillor Woodsworth’s motion be put on the agenda at the first opportunity, and ask for council’s unanimous support. In Victoria, write to mayor@victoria.ca.

Do it at any time, day or night.

See this press release regarding the motion which is expected to come before Vancouver city council: http://www.cope.bc.ca/content/cope-wants-city-vancouver-call-provincial-government-restore-arts-and-culture-investment .

I’ll post more of these if people send me their copies, and I mean not just letters to Vancouver city government, but letters to every municipality in the province. This is a start though, please feel free to copy, adapt, edit and improve for your own purposes.

mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca

Dear Mayor Robertson and members of Council,

I am writing as a citizens, as a person who has long participated in arts and culture events, and as someone who, like all of you, is concerned about the health of our community, to urge unanimous support of Councillor Woodsworth’s proposed motion urging the provincial government to back down from its massive cuts to arts and culture.

Two principal sources of funding for arts and culture have been affected: the Gaming Branch Direct Access program, and the BC Arts Council. You may have seen news stories announcing that cuts to the Gaming program were reversed, however several groups are still subject to partial or complete cancellation of expected funding, leading to closures and cancellations of programming — the reversal was partial and fragmentary, and a time-limited reversal as well. The recent provincial budget announced estimated 81% cuts to the BC Arts Council.

81%. Yes, you are reading that correctly. No other sector is being asked to tolerate that kind of cut.

The government’s own research shows that a dollar spent on arts and culture through the BC Arts Council returns $1.36 to the provincial treasury. Arts and culture are also a a generator of jobs and economic activity. These cuts are an anti-stimulus and will hurt rather than help the provincial economy and the economy of the City of Vancouver. More than that, they will directly affect the public’s opportunity to attend exhibitions, screenings, literary events, children’s and community art events, and performing arts events.

In view of these facts, I ask you to unanimously support Councillor Woodsworth’s motion, and to show your support for healthy communities, which include arts and culture.

Sincerely,

[name]

[occupation]

[address]

[phone number]

And here’s another one, sent by Jeannie Kamins to Vancouver’s Mayor and Council:

To Mayor and Council.

I am asking you to unanimously pass a motion urging the provincial government to reverse the massive cuts to the Arts. The Campbell government wants to use all government monies for other uses that do not help the people of BC. It is up to you to take steps to support your city and your people. This is an easy choice and a no brainer. Do pass the motion.

It has been proven that children who get training in the arts do better in school. They learn to read sooner, they are better in math and are more apt to get a higher education. So by joining in this fight you will be able to keep more young people in school and have them be more productive in later life.

Besides that, this does not include the underpaid salaries that people in the arts get. (Including from the city as I have just spent a week painting a mural to discourage graffiti for $500 – the top the city pays for this service.) Artists are the largest supporters of our culture. The technician in the arts makes double and triple what the creator of the arts does as his starting salary. The creative person in the arts averages about $10,000 per year from the his product as apposed to the guy who runs the movie or the art curators etc.

The Campbell government’s 81% cuts to culture are going to hurt this community! Help us out.

Jeannie Kamins

The Fax Insurrection event on Thursday was cancelled, apparently due to some security flap in the neighbourhood. However, you can participate from anywhere, anywhere with a fax machine that is.

Send your views and arguments regarding the arts cuts to:

Premier Gordon Campbell: Fax: 250 387-0087
gordon.campbell.mla@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Hon. Kevin Krueger: Fax: 250 953-4250
kevin.krueger.mla@leg.bc.ca
MLA: Hon. Rich Coleman: Fax: 250 356-7292
rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca

Fax_Sheet — Here’s a one-pager already made.

Oh, and keep watching #bcartscutssuck on Twitter and Organizing against Campbell’s cuts to the arts on Facebook.

Here’s a site that will allow you to send two free faxes a day, in case you don’t have a fax machine.