On the eve of an important by-election in Vancouver’s BC riding of Point Grey, the Pacific Association of Artist-run Centres (PAARC) would like to take this opportunity to wish all candidates the best and hope for a large voter turn-out.

In 2009, the BC Government imposed severe cuts to provincial arts investment. These cuts were both unprecedented and unique in Canada, and have left the province’s cultural industry in crisis.

Since many supporters and patrons of BC’s cultural organizations live in the Point Grey riding, we hope that voters make close consideration of candidates’ cultural platforms, and let their would-be MLAs know that arts funding will impact the way they vote. In doing so, voters will set the tone of the next provincial general election and contribute to a more vibrant cultural sector in British Columbia.

Mayor and Council
City of Vancouver
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 1V4

Dear Mayor Robertson and members of City Council:

I am writing on behalf of the members of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres to express our opposition to the proposed casino development in downtown Vancouver.

As you may know, many of our members, non-profit organizations in the visual, literary and media arts, are located in or near the city centre in Vancouver. In the past, non-profit charitable organizations in the arts and culture, and in other charitable sectors, have been used as a lever to justify the expansion of gambling in British Columbia. It has been argued that small amounts of money dispensed to charities through an ineffective and capricious bureaucracy offset the social ills associated with large-scale gambling, and justify the profits, and direct subsidies, taken away by commercial gambling operators.

If this was ever true, it is certainly not true at all now. Not only has the provincial government sharply diminished the amount of investment in the charitable sector through the Direct Access program, it disqualified most arts and culture organizations from applying for such funds, as an apparent punitive measure following community protests against provincial cuts to cultural investment.

We therefore wish to assure the Mayor and members of Council that, if you wish to respond to the social and economic problems with casino expansion identified within Councillor Woodsworth’s motion, you need not be worried that you are denying charities, and in particular arts and culture organizations, any revenue. You can choose to block the development of this ill-conceived project with a clear conscience, and with the support of our members.

Sincerely,
Keith Higgins
President, Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres (PAARC)

For Immediate Release

The Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres (PAARC) welcomes the announcement that the remainder of the $10 million from the “Sports and Arts Legacy Fund”, announced in the March 2010 provincial budget, has now been released to the BC Arts Council.

It is gratifying that seven tenths of the fund will be administrated through the capable and trusted peer-jury process of the B.C. Arts Council. Barring any further impediments or restrictions on the spending of these funds, this announcement could be a first step toward repairing some of the damage that has been done to public funding of the arts and culture in B.C.

However, the announcement also raises several important issues to be addressed:

1. As stated before, the $7 million announced recently is not “new” money: it is simply a fulfillment of commitments made by the Government of British Columbia in March of this year. It is regretful that it has it taken until now, and after a great deal of public protest and work behind the scenes for the government to follow through on its own commitment. In the context of limited financial and human resources, this communication shortfall can only be seen as improvident.

2. The release of these funds still leaves funding for the B.C. Arts Council painfully below the level recommended by the legislature’s Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, and does little to bring B.C.‘s per-capita support of the arts and culture in line with that of other provinces and territories. What must happen in order for the B.C. Government to address the historically inadequate level of investment in the arts and culture sector in our province?

3. The premise and effectiveness of the new “Sports and Arts Legacy Fund” is severely undermined by the continued absence of adequate and stable arts funding. Cuts to the B.C. Arts Council, and unannounced restrictions on Gaming funding, are continuing to affect British Columbians’ access to culture; the impact of those cuts will become more obvious during the year to come as programs at the community level are reduced. When it was clear to informed observers that the best remedy for these problems was stable, adequate funding for the B.C. Arts Council, we question why the government chose to put money into an entirely new budget line, and let months go by before announcing how these funds would be used.

4. Most importantly, we hope the Government of British Columbia will show a clear commitment to making the B.C. Arts Council a truly arms-length agency. The controversy surrounding the politically directed Spirit Festivals is itself an excellent argument in favour of arts funding that is at arms-length from electoral politics. Measures along these lines should include employing staff directly by the council, rather than the ministry, and drafting a clear policy limiting political direction to the council’s board.

We hope these points will be received as constructive criticism and look forward to opportunities for a closer dialogue with Government so that we can work collectively towards a healthy environment that supports the diverse and exciting culture for British Columbians to enjoy.

For Immediate Release

In recent months, the B.C. Arts Council has been subjected to an unprecedented amount of political interference, something former Arts Council chair Jane Danzo called attention to in her letter of resignation, made public yesterday evening. This political interference, taking the form of a direct assault on the arms-length nature of the council, should be of concern to all British Columbians. The B.C. government has disproportionately cut funding that used to support cultural activity and services in our communities (overall, by 50% to 70%), and now seeks to replace that money with politically-directed money from a Legacy Program. Not only will no money will be saved by this action, the democratic nature of cultural expression will be significantly impaired.

It is widely suspected in the arts community that this interference is an attempt by government to convert the arts and culture in B.C. into a tool to be mobilized for partisan political ends, rather than an essential outgrowth of, and benefit to, our communities. Furthermore, it is believed by some that this attempt to manage culture directly by political fiat originates in the office of the Premier.

It is incumbent upon the Premier and the government caucus to refute this theory, not by mere denial, but by demonstrating a strong commitment to arts funding at arms-length from political operatives, and by reversing the disastrous, reckless and wasteful decisions identified in Ms. Danzo’s letter.

Keith Higgins
President, Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres

A copy of Ms. Danzo’s resignation letter can be found here