Call Your MLA to Say "No more budget cuts to Alberta's arts and culture sector"
This is an important advocacy letter from APAC - Alberta Partners for Arts and Culture. Please join the 7000 members of APAC organizations by contacting your MLA to say "no more budget cuts to Alberta's arts and culture sector".
The Honourable Maureen Kubinec
Minister of Culture and Tourism
229 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton AB T5K 2B6
March 19, 2015
Dear Minister Kubinec:
Thank you for meeting with the Alberta Partners for Arts and Culture (APAC)-Alberta's Cultural Industry Associations and Provincial Arts Service Organizations-during the first week of March. You announced the government's plans to reduce arts and culture funding in the 2015 provincial budget by up to 9%. We said these cuts could devastate our sector, cultural organizations and businesses, and Alberta's individual artists.
The Alberta budget reductions in 2010 were generally 3% to 7%, but funding to the arts and culture sector was cut by 16%, perhaps the most extreme reduction in that year. Despite broad hints of restoration by Ministers Blackett and Klimchuk, and Premiers Redford and Prentice, over the past five years, restoration has not occurred. In August 2014, during the Progressive Conservative Party leadership race, Premier Prentice further promised a cultural renaissance in Alberta should he secure leadership of the party and province.
The cuts of 2010 have resulted in an accumulated loss of approximately $1.26 million to the 12 organizations that form APAC. [Please see the below financial information.] A further reduction of 5% to 9% in 2015/2016 could increase this number to between $1.34 million and $1.41 million. This is the impact, since 2010, on just 12 of Alberta's many and varied arts and culture organizations- organizations that work diligently and responsibly in service of our fellow Albertans, to improve quality of life throughout the province, to attract and welcome newcomers and visitors, and to showcase Alberta's unique identity around the world.
The 16% cut had a widespread impact throughout the arts and culture sector. We have yet to calculate the full extent of these cuts to our more than 7,000 individual and organizational members.
A further reduction in investment will result in fewer cultural opportunities for all
Albertans and visitors to the province:
* fewer stories being told through Alberta books, magazines, film, television, and video
* fewer arts learning opportunities for children
* fewer concerts and festivals
* fewer theatre and dance performances
* fewer learning and career opportunities for emerging and professional artists
* fewer exhibitions
* fewer national and international exposure opportunities
* fewer successful arts organizations and businesses
* fewer sales and income opportunities for artists
* fewer arts and culture experiences for tourists
* fewer international touring and promotional projects
* fewer awards, scholarships, and grants
* fewer public art projects
* fewer jobs in the culture sector
We are still countering the effects of the reductions from 2010. Cutting the investment to arts and culture again will have virtually no impact on the provincial budget, yet will devastate our entire sector. As our representative in the Legislature, we hope that your guidance and leadership will secure the support of your colleagues in favour of restoring arts and culture funding in the upcoming budget. We trust the information we are providing will assist in your efforts on our behalf.
We urge you to imagine and champion what would happen if there were to be a
reinvestment in arts and culture. We can imagine, and lead, the cultural renaissance in Alberta...
Sincerely:
The Alberta Partners for Arts and Culture
Tom McFall, Executive Director, Alberta Craft Council
Bobbi Westman, Executive Director, Alberta Dance Alliance
Suzanne Trudel, Executive Director, Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
Sharon Stevens, Executive Director, Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society
Bill Evans, Executive Director, Alberta Media Production Industries Association
Chris Wynters, Executive Director, Alberta Music
Brenda O'Donnell, Executive Director, Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta
Kieran Leblanc, Executive Director, Book Publishers Association of Alberta
Sylvie Thériault, Directrice générale, Regroupement artistique francophone de l'Alberta
Keri Mitchell, Executive Director, Theatre Alberta
Chris W. Carson, Executive Director, Visual Arts Alberta - CARFAC
Audrey Seehagen, Executive Director, Writers' Guild of Alberta
apac.alberta@gmail.com
ec The Honourable Jim Prentice, Premier; The Honourable Robin Campbell, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finance; Carolyn Campbell, Deputy Minister, Culture and Tourism; Jeffrey Anderson, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Culture and Tourism; Jeff Brinton, Executive Director, Cultural Industries; Erin McDonald, Acting Executive Director, Arts Branch; Todd Hirsch, Chair, Premiers' Council on Culture; APAC organizations' memberships
Appendix: Financial Information
Accumulated Losses to APAC Organizations Since 2010/2011
Alberta Craft Council - $151,102
Alberta Dance Alliance - $118,604
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association - $226,361
Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society - $63,149
Alberta Media Production Industries Association - $13,000
Alberta Music - $17,550
Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta - $105,801
Book Publishers Association of Alberta - $72,886
Regroupement artistique francophone de l'Alberta - +$6,446
(the only gain of 12 organizations over five years)
Theatre Alberta - $228,708
Visual Arts Alberta - CARFAC - $117,460
Writers' Guild of Alberta - $151,101
Total - $1,259,276
Please note: These figures include only the operating funding granted to each organization. They do not include the financial impact of the cancellation of the Community Spirit Donation Grant and Summer Temporary Employment Programs, nor cuts to other lottery programs, nor inflation over the past five years.