The Arts Advocate Blog

MInister Michael Chan has opportunity to make his voice heard on importance of culture to Ontario

2011-12-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

One can’t miss the fact that Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is working hard to strengthen the relationship between the cultural sector and the federal government, one that has clearly had its rocky moments. Tonight’s launch of the Minister’s first Music Night on Parliament Hill is further evidence of his efforts to garner support for the sector.

It follows that Minister Moore is calling on all governments to come together to recognize the importance of the creative economy. Recently, at the International Institute of Communications Conference in Ottawa, he said

In challenging economic times, all governments have to come together to recognize the importance of the creative economy, … not for its own sake, not as a boutique element in government investment, but as a central pillar in maintaining our cultural communities, our quality of life, and supporting a central piece of Canada’s economic infrastructure.

With the prospect of difficult times ahead for Ontario (and many cities in the province) Ontario Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Chan has the opportunity to take up the federal minister’s suggestion and add heft and substance to what are now the Province’s well-worn statements on the importance of the creative economy.

With culture absent as an issue in the recent provincial election, and concern about the watering down of its importance the undercurrent of many conversations, the sector would welcome Minister Chan becoming a stronger advocate.

Later this week, he may have that opportunity when he joins Toronto’s Creative Trust and the Professional Arts Organizations Network for Education for the launch of the Performing Arts Education Overview.

MPs and Canada's Sesquicentennial: arts and culture key to the conversation

2011-11-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

At a time when economic doom and gloom dominates much of Ottawa’s agenda, it’s refreshing to know that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is looking forward to 2017 and how to best celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary. Happily, arts, heritage and cultural institutions appear poised to be central players in making this happen.

Many, if not most, Canadians have a fond memory of either the reality, or recollections, of our country’s centennial in 1967. Its legacies and accomplishments have resonated ever since. Looking ahead, Canadians appear ready for another national celebration. According to an Environics poll commissioned earlier this year, 49% of us think it is very important to commemorate this event in a meaningful way.

This week, leaders of Luminato, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, The Banff Centre and the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society will be appearing before the Committee. They have a fabulous opportunity to speak with MPs about how arts and culture can deepen the conversation about what kind of Canada we want, and how we need to adapt to our rapidly changing country. Beyond that of course, we can probably expect that they will point to how arts and culture can tell our sesquicentennial story to the world!

The Arts Advocate will be watching.

You can too by going to a video link on the parliamentary webpage.

From the Ground Up, a new report that reinforces the connection between jobs and culture

2011-11-08T07:13:00.000-05:00

From the Ground Up: Growing Toronto’s Cultural Sector is a new report prepared for the City of Toronto by the Martin Prosperity Institute, and six other partners, that explores the link between culture, economy and place and its relationship to economic prosperity. It adds further evidence that culture, and the jobs it creates, are a fundamental part of an international economy. This comes at a time when the City of Toronto is wrestling with its 2012 budget, amid continued skepticism that arts and culture is a frill.

The Report reinforces that culture positively impacts:
- Jobs;
- Business growth;
- International attraction; and
- Quality of Life.

Not surprisingly, it argues for continued cultural investment, not less.

What is new about this report is that it provides new tools for identifying the geographic patterns of Toronto’s cultural resources. The project partners hope that this information can feed into more pro-active land-use strategies and planning, business development and preservation. All of this, they suggest, will lead to increased global competitiveness for the City of Toronto.

The model put forward in From the Ground Up speaks to a large urban centre. That said, it advances principles and a framework that other centres can apply to their cultural planning and economic development.

The longstanding transparent criteria-based processes of arts grant decisions a great example to be showcased

2011-10-26T16:40:00.000-04:00

The process around the federal government’s decision to award $33 billion in shipbuilding contracts to Seaspan and Irving Shipbuilding has been widely applauded.

In Ottawa, according to some Parliament Hill journalists, “the debate is over why future procurement contracts – such as that multibillion-dollar, fifth-generation, fighter-jet deal – cannot be structured the same way as the shipbuilding contracts.” Removed from the political realm, the process used was a points-based evaluation on an established set of criteria. It is seen as transparent and fair.

All of this sounds remarkably like the longstanding, well-established process of determining grants at the country’s arts councils:

Important cultural agencies, like the Canada Council for the Arts, or the Ontario Arts Council’s have a strong track record in making funding and granting decisions that are, for the most part, seen as fair and objective. In fact, in a ‘special examination’ of the Canada Council in 2008, the Auditor General of Canada commended it and said that ‘the Canada Council’s systems and practices have contributed to success in several areas.’

So why the sudden revelation in Ottawa and public policy circles that an objective set of criteria, administered through a process removed from political realm, renders good decisions? We’ll leave our readers to ponder that question.

Maybe though, those of us in the cultural sector, should blow our horns just a little louder when it comes to demonstrating the transparent administrative effectiveness and sound policies of the organizations that invest in Canadian arts and culture.

Tourism and culture in the minority legislature: steady as she goes

2011-10-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

Markham MPP Michael Chan will continue as Minister of Tourism and Culture in Premier Dalton McGuinty’s minority cabinet, unveiled 20 October 2011. He is one of just a few ministers remaining in their previous portfolio (despite no new faces being added to Cabinet).

Minister Chan’s reappointment will bring stability and predictability for the sector. It also suggests that the government will be staying the course on cultural files, holding steady to past accomplishments with little in the way of new initiatives. Any cultural announcements will almost certainly be filtered through the ‘jobs’ lens, the dominant priority of Premier McGuinty and his colleagues.

The stand pat position of the Ontario government was evident in this fall’s election, when, for the first time, the Liberal party did not issue a stand alone cultural platform, as it has done since 2003. Rather, the Liberals stood on their record. Citing a $4.1 billion investment in the cultural sector since 2003, the Liberal’s indicate that ‘creative-industry jobs have increased 15% - representing 39,000 jobs’.

Jobs results like this will be helpful to holding the sector in good stead as the Ontario government looks to contain its costs and address the fiscal deficit.

Ontario election: the implications of cultural policy silence

2011-10-05T15:27:00.000-04:00

The way politics happens in Ontario has changed.

Gone are the days when sectors could engage political leaders and parties in meaningful dialogue and discussion to better understand their perspective on the issues affecting them. Nowhere was this more evident than in the decision of Ontario’s two leading political parties to decline participation in a roundtable dialogue with the Ontario NonProfit Network last week.

The same is true for the cultural sector. Barely a whisper has been heard on the contribution and potential of this sector, despite its impressive contribution to Ontario’s economy. (The cultural sector accounts for over 4% of Ontario’s total employment, or over 252,000 jobs for the province).

This means that going forward, the arts, heritage and cultural industries have little sense of what the future holds in the way of cultural policy, regardless of which party forms government.

There’s no question that broad policy initiatives, such as deficit reduction, will impact the sector; but the policy lens which will inform these decisions is unclear.
* Will audience access be the priority, or will it be opening up international markets?
* Will there be a download to municipalities, or will there be continued strong provincial investment?
* Whither the Entertainment and Creative Cluster?

These are just some points to ponder, with no compass to provide a guide.

As the cultural sector looks ahead to working with the next government, whatever stripe, it will want to consider how it engages with government on these broader cultural policy questions.

Leaving it only to happenstance is unlikely to yield the best possible results.

Ontario election: with jobs as a focus, why is there not more discussion of the cultural sector?

2011-09-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

Jobs are a central theme of the Ontario election campaign: Ontario Liberals delivering 300 clean-energy jobs for Windsor is today’s headline for the governing party; yesterday, it was Creating jobs for Sudbury. And so it has gone since the start of the campaign. The jobs theme is a little less pronounced for the Progressive Conservatives (focusing of late on wasteful spending and sexual predators), but they also declare the Ontario PC Party has a real jobs plan that will give all workers an equal chance to succeed. The NDP pledges to create a post of Jobs Commissioner, a position they say will bring stakeholders together when lay-offs are announced to explore alternatives.

Recognizing the size of the cultural workforce in Ontario and the 252,300 jobs it represents according to Statistics Canada, it’s noteworthy that none of the parties in Ontario’s provincial election have yet put forward a cultural platform. This, despite the fact that the cultural sector is a major economic driver contributing almost $20 billion to Ontario’s GDP.

Save the Liberals’ attention brought to the Ontario-India Film partnership during TIFF and the importance of tax incentives to that industry, there has been no discussion of the place of arts and culture in this election campaign.

We’re not yet at the half-way point of this campaign, so there is still lots of time to hear what the parties might have in mind for arts and culture. Hopes are high in the cultural sector that we will.

If history serves as a guide, both the Liberals and the PCs issued stand alone cultural platforms in 2007. The NDP have always been more vague, making pledges to strengthen Status of the Artist.

We’ll keep you posted.

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore an effective champion for culture in Conservative government

2011-05-15T15:10:00.000-04:00

The shape of Canada’s new Conservative majority government will become clearer this week as Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to announce his next Cabinet. For the cultural sector, the question is obviously whether Minister James Moore will stay in Canadian Heritage or be moved to a more senior portfolio. Recognized as a strong performer in the last Cabinet, there is strong speculation that he will be rewarded with a bigger portfolio, while also becoming BC’s political minister.

That said, it’s not clear who could take on a portfolio as diverse and sensitive as Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. Minister Moore’s bilingual ability, appreciation of both the cultural and economic contribution of the cultural sector and a perspective that looks to embrace the new digital reality uniquely position him to champion the sector.

Clearly, not everyone, or every cultural organization, agrees with Minister Moore or the policy decisions of the federal government he has been part of. Bill C-32 is the obvious case in point.

That said, Minister Moore’s combination of attributes and understanding will be hard to replace if the Prime Minister decides to do so.

There are no doubt others in the Conservative caucus who would be effective advocates for the cultural sector, should Prime Minister Harper move Minister Moore to another portfolio. Whoever is appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage, we hope they bring the enthusiasm and sensitivity displayed by Minister James Moore.

Making arts and cultural champions of all Canadians, not just the party brass

2011-04-20T15:13:00.000-04:00

In this election, precise arts and culture pledges and promises are advanced in all the parties’ campaign platforms. This is a success, one worthy of being celebrated!

In the not so distant past, Canada’s arts and cultural sector was acknowledged more in platitudes and generalities, than measurable specific policies and initiatives to strengthen the sector. Hard work has changed this.

Now it's time to move on to capture the hearts and attention of Canadians generally.

The past few years have seen Canada’s diverse cultural sector secure the attention of the political parties and policy makers. The Canadian Arts Coalition, ACTRA, the CCA, CAMDO and others have worked hard to make sure that the needs and interests of the sector are understood by the parties, and those developing the platforms. Their success can be seen in the consistent and recurring refrain of Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, who, for the past number of months at least, has stressed the connection between cultural policy and economic policy. In February, at the Canadian Media Production Association’s Prime Time Conference he said

… supporting Canadian culture means supporting the Canadian economy.

Arts and culture represents over 630,000 jobs in the Canadian economy.

Canada's cultural industries represent $46 billion in the Canadian economy.

A little further he said,

In our Economic Action Plan, we stood up for and stood with our cultural communities and increased our support to record levels.

We did so because we know how fragile arts organizations are. How quickly they can disappear if support isn't there.

And, also, we increased our support because we know how much Canadian artists do for Canada.

Canadians though, remain in the mushy middle when it comes to considering arts and cultural policy in making their voting decision: They don’t connect cultural policy to either the economy or their quality of life.

The recent Nanos poll commissioned by The Arts Advocate found that half of us aren’t really sure if cultural policy is important or not in determining our vote. Just one in ten of us said arts and cultural policy is an important factor in considering this question.

What this means is that, as Canadians, we have a hard time relating cultural policy to our daily experience -- we don’t connect the dots between the magazine or book we read, the show we watch, or the museum we visit to Canadian cultural policy or politics.

So what does it all mean?

Perhaps the information best gleaned from the polling data commissioned by The Arts Advocate is that Canadian artists and cultural organizations need to change the way we connect to Canadians.

The dialogue, perhaps, has to be about how artistic experience connects to the everyday lives of Canadians. It’s not about more funding for the CBC or Canada Council for the Arts, per se; rather, it’s about making sure that all Canadians have the experience of and access to high quality artistic opportunities.

How we tell this story is what needs to change.

No question, many people are putting their minds and attention to this, with Culture Days an obvious example.

Initiatives like this provide a jumpstart perhaps, but truly connecting Canadians to the richness of the arts and the importance of cultural policy is going to take the efforts of all of us, everyday, changing the way we communicate and interact with our neighbours and our friends. It’s not an ‘us and them’ conversation; it’s about ‘all of us together’.

Is this platitudes? Perhaps. At least I’ll start thinking about doing things differently though.

Federal arts and culture funding: 29% of Ontarians think it's inadequate, 18% feel it's adequate

2011-04-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

It’s well established that Canadians value the place of arts and culture in their communities, and believe that governments should invest in it.*

What is less well established is whether Ontarians and Canadians think that arts and culture is adequately funded. A recent poll commissioned from Nanos Research for The Arts Advocate Report found that 29% of Ontarians think that federal funding for arts and culture is inadequate. The number is a little less nationally.

Only 18% of Ontarians think it’s adequate. This means that most people are somewhere in the middle.

The question becomes ‘what does this mean for Ontario and Canada’s cultural sector’. A few thoughts come to mind:

First, celebrate that 3 in 10 Ontarians really do pay attention to federal arts and culture support and figure out how to build on this foundation.

Second, and most important, the arts and cultural sector needs to significantly raise public awareness and understanding about the role of public funding in allowing artistic pursuit and activity to enrich individual lives and communities - - most Ontarians and Canadians really have no idea of either the importance or the limited extent of public cultural funding.

Third, those naysayers populating the media comment boards disparaging fat-cat artists paid through public sources are few and far between – less than 2 in 10 Ontarians! Don’t dwell on them.

*Last year, the Ontario Arts Council released an Environics poll showing 8 in 10 Ontarians feel that the arts are important to their own quality of life. 81% say they believe public investment in the arts is a good thing.

Ontario's nonprofit sector: forging a new relationship with government

2011-04-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

This week, the Ontario NonProfit Network (ONN) brought together leaders from across the province to forge a plan for strengthening the sector in an environment of unprecedented demand, change and challenge. In the words of ONN co-chairs Tonya Surman and Peter Clutterbuck, “ The relationship between the government, for-profit and nonprofit sector is changing fundamentally. Donations are stagnant and as governments react to a changing economy, cuts are coming.”

Among the highlights of the two-day gathering was a presentation by Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Eric Hoskins. Born and bred in the nonprofit sector, Minister Hoskins pledged to change the relationship between the provincial government and the sector.

Key to achieving the change, in his view, will be fostering respect. Respect can be viewed in many ways, a point emphasized by Partnership Project Executive Lead, Helen Burstyn: ‘self-respect’ she said is as important to the sector as respect of the government to the sector.

Minister Hoskins and Helen Burstyn were well received by the ONN audience. Minister Hoskins’ emphasized that the recommendations of the Partnership Project Report had been accepted by Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Together with Civic Action’s Julia Deans and MASS LBPs Peter MacLeod, I had the privilege of following Minister Hoskins’ comments as a ‘provocateur’. Not a small task! I urged both the government and the sector to ensure that the recommendations of the Partnership Project do not end up creating additional processes and programs for the sector to contort themselves into: The recommendation that funding and regulatory processes need to be streamlined and aligned is welcome by all. It’s up to all of us, though, to ensure that the government involves the sector in doing that. Too often, best intentions have resulted in additional hurdles and hoops for nonprofit organizations, providing limited help to actually achieving core objectives.

The organizations on the ground, be they a large arts company or a social service agency, etc. know their business best. Moving forward, both the government and the sector need to focus on providing an adequate, appropriate core level of support that achieves the basic objectives of Ontario’s rich array of nonprofits. That way, everyone can do his or her job better.

Congratulations to the ONN for bringing the key players to the Unconference. It was an important step in what promises to be a productive period ahead for Ontario’s nonprofit organizations.

A question to ponder: the value of fitness vs the arts?

2011-04-04T13:56:00.000-04:00

The proposed Conservative Budget, tabled March 22 in Ottawa, promised to introduce a $500 children’s artistic activity tax credit. (The pledge was originally made in the 2008 Conservative Platform). It parallels the children’s fitness tax credit, introduced in 2007.

The proposed new tax credit is welcomed by many in the cultural sector: It will demonstrate to Canadians that piano lessons are equally as legitimate a pursuit as soccer in the development of children.

What to make then of Sunday’s Conservative Party pledge to double the children’s fitness tax credit, with no mention of the artistic activity tax credit?

Both artistic and fitness activity are essential to a child’s development. Study after study finds positive correlation between arts education, academic success and all round health. The same is, of course, true of fitness activity.

So why promise to double the fitness tax credit, with no reference to the artistic activity tax credit?

One can’t help but ponder the question.

Election 2011: The emerging cultural policy platforms

2011-03-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

It’s early days yet in the federal 2011 Election campaign, but already there are signals as to how the cultural policy platforms are shaping up for the three main national parties.

Conservative Party

In the weeks leading to the election, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore and his colleagues were on whirlwind tour across the country making funding announcements to arts and cultural organizations. Much of this funding was from the suite of departmental programs renewed and modernized by Minister Moore, including the Canada Cultural Investment Fund, the Canada Arts Training Fund and so on.

Going forward, expect the Conservative Party to focus on their cultural spending record and their budget promises, including the plan to create a new Children’s Artistic Activity Tax Credit, an earlier promise of their 2008 cultural platform.
The key elements of the 2011 Budget for culture are:
* Children’s Arts Tax Credit, an initiative expected to cost the federal government $100 million in its first full year of operation;
* Ongoing funding of $100 million per year for the Canada Media Fund;
* Stabilized funding for the Canada Periodical Fund, which means adding $15 million to its ongoing base.

The Conservative’s are apt to remind people that these things will not come to be unless they are re-elected.

Liberal Party

The Liberals state that ‘for the Conservatives, cultural programs are either superfluous expenses or vehicles for them to advance their right-wing agenda.’

The promise to
* Double funding to the Canada Council for the Arts;
* Restore and increase funding to the Trade Routes and PromArt programs;
* Guarantee stable funding to the CBC.

For details go here

The NDP

To date, the NDP have not released any platform specifics. If 2008 is any indication, expect them to also focus on increased funding to the Canada Council, the Canada Media Fund and support to ‘home-grown film and television production.’

C-32: The Copyright amendments

C-32, the proposed Copyright amendments can be expected to feature in the party platforms, though it is not there yet. Look to the Conservatives to pledge to stop the ‘iPod Tax’, while the Liberals, Bloc and NDP will be speaking to creating a balance between the creator and consumer.

Canada’s cultural sector responds to Budget 2011

2011-03-23T17:16:00.000-04:00

The response of Canada’s cultural sector to yesterday’s federal Budget 2011 is mixed. There is elation on the part of some national associations like the Canadian Media Production Association and Magazines Canada; on the other hand, the Canadian Arts Coalition and La Fédération culturelle canadienne-française are disappointed. Some are in the middle, while other organizations chose not to weigh in.

Below is a snapshot of various public responses, presented in no other order than the alphabet!

Canadian Arts Coalition

…the Canadian Arts Coalition (CAC) expressed disappointment with the content of yesterday’s federal budget.

“Budget 2011 was clearly focused on strengthening the economy and re-building Canada’s international presence,” noted CAC spokesperson Shannon Litzenberger. “Given these priorities, we believe that the Government of Canada missed the opportunity to build on the strengths of the arts sector to boost job creation, the vitality of communities across the country, and Canada’s international reputation through strategic arts investment.

Canadian Conference of the Arts

The budget is peppered with a series of tax credits for a number of Canadians, and there is one that concerns the arts. This is possibly the only new item for the arts in this 2011 budget, and is in fact the reintroduction of a promise made during the 2008 election. … The CCA originally asked for this tax credit in April 2006 and welcomes it as a recognition by the government that arts training is just as important as physical training for Canadian children.

Canadian Media Production Association

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) applauds the Government of Canada and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honourable James Moore, for committing an ongoing $100 million per year to the Canada Media Fund (CMF) in support of the creation of high-quality Canadian content across multiple platforms. The CMPA is also pleased the Government has announced a one-time $60 million in funding to CBC/Radio-Canada to be used in the production of Canadian programming.

“This brings much-needed stability to the financing of Canadian television and interactive content,” says Norm Bolen, the Association’s President and CEO. “It removes uncertainty for independent producers and broadcasters and allows them to plan their activities with the knowledge that the CMF will be there to partner with them for years to come.”

Canadian Museum Association

“We are pleased that these (museum) programs were fully maintained at a time when fighting the deficit is the priority, and some programs have suffered real cuts,” observed John McAvity, CMA Executive Director. “This was not going to be a budget with significant new spending.”

“Still,” McAvity continued, “the CMA is disappointed that the government did not move on our recommendations to develop a matching donations program to encourage increased private sector investment in Canadian museums, and a much-needed increase to the Young Canada Works program, which provides valuable career-building opportunities for Canada’s youth.”

La Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)

« Avec l’annonce des crédits d’impôt pour les cours d’arts, c’est un budget qui facilite timidement l’accès aux arts, mais qui ne reconnaît pas l’importance et la valeur des investissements dans les secteurs des arts et de la culture en ce qui a trait à la création d’emplois et la relance économique » déclare la présidente de la FCCF, Mme Boulay LeBlanc.

Magazines Canada

The Canadian magazine industry is delighted with the Federal budget commitment to the Canada Periodical Fund. This commitment confirms that $15 million annually is being added to the Canada Periodical Fund budget. The budget papers say the investment will be "$15 million in ongoing funding to the program to continue to support the distribution of publications to Canadians, while providing long-term stable program funding."

"This means that the CPF will remain strong and intact," said Mark Jamison, CEO of Magazines Canada.

Federal budget watch 2011

2011-03-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

The Ottawa ‘circus’, as many media pundits are calling it will soon be underway, with Tuesday’s federal budget being the main act. This is what The Arts Advocate Report will be watching for from the perspective of the arts and cultural sector:

The details of a new tax credit for children’s artistic activity, a measure announced last week, by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This initiative will fulfill a promise initially made in the Conservative Party’s 2008 campaign platform.

Whether or not the government responds to any of the pre-budget requests put forward by cultural organizations in the fall. Some of the needs advanced include:

* Extension of the $50 million/year Marquee Tourism Events Program, the marketing assistance program for the country’s largest festivals and events

* Maintenance of the Canada Periodical Fund at a level of $75 million (as contrasted to what the federal government indicates is the base level of about $60 million in the latest federal expenditure estimates)

* New investments in international cultural diplomacy and the Canada Council for the Arts, as requested by the Canadian Arts Coalition

* Continued public support for Canadian content creation, as made possible through programs like the Canada Media Fund, a priority for organizations like ACTRA

* A new initiative for museums, called the Canadians Supporting Their Museums Fund, as put forward at a level of $25 million a year by the Canadian Museum Association

Expectations that any of these funding investments will be addressed are relatively low among those in the cultural sector. The PM and Finance Minister have made it extremely clear that the Economic Action Plan, as announced two years ago, is over and that fiscal restraint will be the order of the day. That said, if the government is looking to curry the favour of artists and cultural enthusiasts in a potential election this spring, the budget may include a few goodies.

Changing the dial on the arts contribution

2011-03-17T17:32:00.000-04:00

Last week, TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin asked the question ‘Who needs the arts? And “who should carry the can?”

The National Ballet School’s Jeff Melanson, Stratford Shakespeare Festival Antoni Cimolino, Toronto Arts Council’s Claire Hopkinson, Ryerson University’s Gerd Hauck and Artist Pandora Topp made a clear and compelling case for investing in Toronto and Ontario’s cultural sector. If you missed the show, it’s available as a podcast on iTunes – it’s worth watching.

Although a fan of Steve Paikin, it was disheartening to hear him allege that ‘the only argument I’ve ever heard from the arts is that they need the government to give them more money.” It reinforced the need for everyone in the cultural sector to change the channel on how Ontarian’s and Canadian’s perceive the arts in our country. I’ve been at one to many dinner parties where I hear friends argue that the arts need to be more ‘business-like’. Rather than being at the soul of our country, the sector is seen as continually looking for hand-outs, without entrepreneurial know-how or acumen.

Cold comfort though it is, the arts aren’t alone in battling this perception. Ontario’s Partnership Project led by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Eric Hoskins and Ontario Trillium Foundation Chair Helen Burstyn heard this from across Ontario’s 46,000 not-for-profit organizations. Their report states “there is a general perception among many that they are perceived as supplicant, coming to government only for the purpose of funding.”

So the question is, how do we change the channel on the broader public perception of the arts? A question many ponder these days.

Enhanced public engagement in the arts is a great start – gobbledeegook to many, this means encouraging friends and neighbours to get out and experience arts activity, be it amateur or professional, local or international. Chances are, most friends and neighbours are already engaged in a myriad of arts activity – they just don’t connect it to ‘the arts sector.’

Culture Days is making great strides in engaging even more Canadians. While the word is out, there is still a long way to go though.

Governments, too, are assisting: Ontario announced a tax credit to encourage children’s artistic activity last fall. Today (17 March), the federal government also announced that details of a similar credit will be contained in the 22 March budget.

… all steps in the right direction.

Budget watch: Ontario libraries look to make up ground on provincial funding

2011-03-07T17:36:00.000-05:00

Budget season is upon us, with most of the attention focused on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget and the speculation of whether it will trigger an election or not. The cultural sector has a wish-list for Ottawa, though expectations are low that any of it will be addressed on 22 March.

The Ontario budget, anticipated around the same time as the federal one, has had decidedly less attention from the cultural sector. In the two weeks of pre-budget hearings held across the Province, arts, heritage and cultural organizations were decidedly absent.

The single and noteworthy exception to this is the library sector. Several libraries appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, rallying behind the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries. According to its spokesperson, Jim Bennett, provincial library funding was cut in 1996-97 by 40% and has remained at that level, of $18.7 M since that time. It is the lowest provincial per capita funding in the country. This, they say leads to an overreliance on municipal support for libraries.

To fix the problem, libraries across Ontario want the province’s contribution to grow to $43.9, an increase of over $25 M, over two years. This is to bring provincial library funding back to the equivalent of where it stood in 1995, and respond only to CPI and population growth.

The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries says that Culture Minister Michael Chan has acknowledged the need to fix library funding. Time will tell whether 2011 is the year where it will happen.

Second annual recognition of significant cultural policy landmarks in Ontario

2010-12-31T12:44:00.000-05:00

With 2010 drawing to a close, we reached out to cultural leaders to help us establish this year’s significant developments in cultural policy and politics in Ontario. Some are decided accomplishments, while others are initiatives, the implications of which are yet to be fully understood. They are presented more or less in chronological order.

(Much happened municipally across Ontario, but we’ve focused this on the provincial and national level.)

* After 8 years as a stand-alone ministry, Culture is now reconnected to Tourism under the leadership of Minister Michael Chan. Opinions are mixed on the merits of the restructuring, but one clear upside is the stronger connection the joint ministry makes to the economic development envelope in government.

* The introduction of Bill C-32, (Copyright Modernization Act), the third attempt at updating Canada’s copyright legislation: Parliamentary hearings on the proposed legislation will continue when the House of Commons reconvenes at the end of January, with intentions that the legislation will pass this spring.

* Permanent funding for the Ontario Media Development Corporation at a level of $15 million this year, 2010/11: Long the subject annual ups and downs, the long term commitment to the agency will add a measure of stability to Ontario’s cultural industries.

* The introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax, a measure that many in the cultural sector fear are hampering sales and earned revenue.

* The Digital Economy Consultation, a key federal government priority with substantial implications and opportunities for Canada’s arts and cultural sector. Look to Budget 2011 to provide clarity on the specifics of the new Digital Economy Strategy.

* The Arts Investment Fund, a $27 million, three year funding envelope to provide additional support to operating clients of the Ontario Arts Council.

* The ‘partnership project’, an initiative to strengthen the relationship between the Ontario government and the not-for-profit sector: It is expected to result in practical recommendations to the Premier, right about now.

* Culture Days, the nationwide program to raise awareness and increase the engagement of Canadians in the arts: With one-third of Canadians reporting that they were aware of it in its first year, there is no question that it succeeded in capturing attention.

* Unprecedented advocacy and lobbying activity at Queen’s Park (Museums Days) and on Parliament Hill (Canadian Arts Coalition, Canadian Museums Association, Creators’ Copyright Coalition, among the key umbrella groups), a clear recognition that the cultural sector needs to make sure its voice is heard on the cluttered pubic policy agenda federally and provincially.

In our first blog next, we will look ahead to what 2011 might hold for Ontario’s cultural sector.

Happy new year!

Canadians need to know that arts and culture charities make a difference

2010-12-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

Getting a true picture of the contribution that arts, heritage and culture make to the lives of Canadians is always a daunting challenge. This is particularly so in the charitable and not-for-profit sector, where numbers, and the interpretation of them are always nuanced.

What is clear though is that arts and culture are making a difference in communities across Ontario and Canada. That is why it’s so troubling to see the apparent decline in donations from Canadians. Figures released today by Statistics Canada indicate that donations to the country’s not-for-profit and charitable organizations declined 2.6% in 2008. Any number of factors can be attributed to this, but none take away the reality that this is a troubling trend.

Political leaders continue to call for Canadians to dig deeper to support arts and cultural organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations – particularly as the prospect of more limited public sector support is on the horizon. To achieve this though will require a demonstrated leadership on the part of politicians and other leaders in society. Here are some ideas:

- Support the proposed charitable donations stretch tax credit, a measure advanced by Imagine Canada and supported by others to encourage Canadians increased donations;

- Challenge the media to report responsibly and accurately on the contribution and impact of Canada’s 160,000 charities and not-for-profits. No doubt there are bad apples out there, but the vast majority of charities, including those in arts and culture, make meaningful and important contributions to Canadians and our communities. The recent media attention on sleazy charities and questionable practice is misleading and incomplete. Look at the good, which will take a lot more ink, rather than just make headlines out of the few that are out of line.

Policy trends to watch in Ontario

2010-11-29T19:35:00.000-05:00

While federal files such as the Copyright Modernization Act dominate the cultural policy agenda, Ontario trends and developments warrant attention.

The Ontario government has worked hard to demonstrate its support of the cultural sector. As the Province no doubt readies itself for some fiscal belt-tightening, Tourism and Culture Minister Michael Chan appears to have wrung out a series of three-year funding enhancements for cultural initiatives.

The most recent announcement was the three-year, $10 million renewal of funding to the Ontario Cultural Attraction Fund (OCAF), announced 25 November. In September, the Province introduced the Arts Investment Fund, another three-year program. There is still more buried in the Spending Estimates, the details of which remain hard to come by.

The latest OCAF news didn’t attract much attention beyond the client base most interested in its sustainability; that is likely the way the Ontario government preferred to see it played, if the buried news release is any indication. The government is looking to portray itself as fiscally prudent to the greater numbers of the unconverted and any cultural spending is risky business.

So, as Minister Chan told The Arts Advocate Report last month, ‘in the immediate term, we’re covered.’

What the future holds though is unclear: Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s Fall Economic Statement this month received short shrift in the media, with energy prices dominating any and all coverage. Policy watchers could be well advised to look beyond the headlines though, and consider the reality of what the $18.7 billion deficit will mean for all Ontario government spending, particularly after the October 2011 provincial election.

Arts leaders connect with Ottawa decision makers

2010-11-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

Arts leaders and artists were in Ottawa last week putting forward the message about the value of the arts to Canadians and making the case for public support. At three separate gatherings (the Canadian Conference of the Arts policy conference, a joint board meeting of the Performing Arts Alliance and the Canadian Arts Coalition's Arts Day on the Hill), politicians and policy makers were engaged in conversations exploring the place of arts in Canadian communities and for Canadians.

It is clear that the focus of this conversation has shifted from earlier times. Today, the relevance and connection to audiences has become the paramount issue. This is something that the sector had somehow become disconnected to, according to Paul Gross the keynote speaker at the CCA conference. “We’ve lost touch with our neighbours” he suggests. In his view, we need to focus on the things that matter in our communities and country, and be part of the discussion about what’s happening around us. From there, we will be able connect to support for the sector.

Across the Rideau Canal, Performing Arts Alliance keynote speaker Ben Cameron put a different spin on the same challenge. Noting that resources always rise to the top of the issue list for artists and arts organizations, his view is that funding is the manifestation of problems, not the cause of the problem. In today’s vastly different world though, arts organizations and artists need to look at their reality through a whole new lens to connect with the audiences of today. This new world though is daunting, one few are equipped or prepared to address.

Against this backdrop of seismic change facing Canada’s arts sector, the Canadian Arts Coalition made the case for more dollars for the Canada Council for the Arts and international touring. It convened over 100 meetings with MPs from all parties, including Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore. Accounts points to a successful day.

Whether in fear of what happened in 2008 or truly seeking to better engage with the Canadian arts sector, the attention and interest of the country’s political leaders is a welcome and good thing!

Where some of Ontario's new mayors stack up on arts and culture

2010-10-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Last week, The Arts Advocate Report provided subscribers with a round up where arts policy fit into Ontario municipal mayoralty elections in major regional cities. To keep you up to date, here are the mayors elected in cities looked at last week, and whether their public position speaks to arts and culture.

On face value, it looks like Windsor will be out ahead.

Kitchener Carl Zehr: No specific platform, but does speak to importance of arts and culture

London Joe Fontana: No reference to arts and culture

Ottawa Jim Watson: No specific platform, but covers culture in tourism policy

Sudbury Marianne Matichuk: No specifics, but believes private money should pay for new performing arts centre

Toronto Rob Ford: No specific platform on arts and culture

Windsor Eddie Francis: Speaks specifically to role of arts and culture in Windsor, and the place of the cultural plan.

Connecting the dots of government investment and public support for the arts

2010-10-26T16:39:00.000-04:00

At last week’s open board meeting of the Canada Council for the Arts, Chair Joseph Rotman, Vice Chair Simon Brault and Director Robert Sirman reinforced two key points to the overflow crowd in Toronto:

* The board of the Council enjoys the confidence of the Government of Canada, a result, in its view, of the alignment of Council’s activities and priorities of the Government.

* The current $182 million allocation to Canada’s arts sector, through the Council, is significant and very much appreciated, especially in this time of fiscal restraint.

The Council acknowledges that, on a constant dollar per capita basis, its funding is smaller than in 1990; but it does not see itself in a growth phase at this time. Pointing to the realities of the competing spending priorities faced by Ottawa (and evidenced by the sheer number of witnesses participating at the House of Commons Finance Committee pre-budget hearings underway), the Canada Council board is carefully acknowledging the ‘potential for growth’ without making the ask at this time.

When queried as to why the board of the Canada Council for the Arts was not more aggressively championing a funding increase for the arts, Chair Joseph Rotman delivered a spirited response that pointed to reality of governing at this time. He reinforced again the confidence of government enjoyed by the Council, and stressed the need for everyone to be sensitive to the tenor of our times. (Not sure everyone agreed with him!)

The link to the recent Environics survey on the attitudes of Ontarians to arts and the quality of life (completed for the Ontario Arts Council) becomes salient here: 81% of Ontarians agree that government should spend dollars to support the arts. Dig a little deeper though, and the numbers show that 38% of respondents ‘strongly agree’ with this statement, while 43% are in the ‘somewhat agree’ category.

In this period of shrinking dollars and belt tightening, it’s going to be important for all of us to move people from the ‘somewhat agree’ group to the ‘strongly agree’ group.

From that observation, it’s back to the Canada Council’s new strategic plan and their enhanced focus on ‘public engagement’. I’ll connect those dots another time!

Cultural issues on the municipal election agenda -- it's happening

2010-10-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

With Thanksgiving behind us, Ontarians will now turn their attention to the municipal elections in earnest. This year, the cultural sector is a force that candidates are paying heed to, like never before. The politicization of arts issues in the last federal election is ricocheting across the political landscape, and candidates and parties recognize the risk, media wise at least, of being seen as offside.

In Toronto, the largest cultural centre in the country, ArtsVote and the film industry both elevated the importance of cultural contributions. At the Toronto Mayoralty Arts Debate held late September, the crowd was beyond capacity with people even turned away at the overflow spaces. Film Ontario, centred in Toronto, hosted a debate earlier in the month where the leading mayoralty candidates demonstrated their understanding of this rapidly evolving industry, looking to demonstrate how they see it fitting into Toronto.

Outside Toronto, arts issues are also on the agenda. Last night, there was an arts debate in Kingston, also reportedly with overflow crowds. Similarly in Windsor and Ottawa, the arts sector has come together to canvas candidates on their positions about the arts. Information on candidates’ views about the arts is readily available.

Individually, each of these initiatives may not command much attention beyond their immediate target audience. Together, they demonstrate that the cultural sector is taking arts advocacy more seriously, and having more impact than perhaps thought possible in the past. Aided by initiatives like Culture Days, it’s clear that Ontario citizens do embrace, participate in and value arts and cultural opportunities.

Arts and cultural issues don’t dominate the municipal election agenda this fall. But candidates also know that to ignore them, or attack them, is folly.

Brault's No Culture No Future -- Taking up the invitation to discuss how we put culture on the public policy agenda

2010-08-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

Happily, this summer I completed Simon Brault’s No Culture, No Future.

An enjoyable read, it reinforced, once again, the challenge of putting culture on the mainstream public policy agenda. For those of us engaged in the cultural sector, the arguments and imperatives of robust cultural policies and programs at every level of government are clear and obvious. We forget though that in many ways, we are speaking only to ourselves with little regard to the importance that others attribute to cultural activity. The realization that the participation rate of Canadians in cultural activities is remaining stable at less than 5% is a sobering figure indeed. (Canadian Index of Wellbeing, Report Highlights, Leisure and Culture, June 2010).

If Canadians don’t see themselves engaging in cultural activity, which many don’t, it’s hard for policy makers to make arts and culture policy a priority.

Brault makes clear that “we must address without delay the issue of attendance at arts events and participation in the arts” if we want arts and culture to move to the forefront of policy discussion. With attendance remaining, at best, stable, we have a distance to go.

More and more money is invested in culture from all sectors, including government, a point acknowledged by Brault in his book. As we look towards an increasingly challenging fiscal environment in the years ahead, it will be imperative to demonstrate to government that Canadians are engaged in the rich array of arts and cultural opportunities and activities offered across the province and country. Culture Days, happening next month, is a great step in the right direction.

Simon Brault is clear that he would like his book to enrich public discussion on cultural policy. He has already gone some distance to achieving that, recognizing that most cultural policy watchers I know have the book on their ‘must read’ summer list. The impending municipal election season in Ontario, together with the reality that Ontario and federal elections will soon follow, provide us all with a great opportunity to sustain the conversation.

Note: The Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate happens Wednesday 29 September, 7 pm at the AGO. Watch for more news on this, and other major arts related municipal election events, in the blog and on our twitter feed.

Fostering creativity: arts education is a better place to start than Play-Doh for adults

2010-06-15T12:13:00.000-04:00

Today’s Globe and Mail features an article on fostering creativity for business and government types. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/work/battle-of-the-brainstorms-should-you-be-all-business-or-be-creative/article1603948/) Citing a new book by author Alexander Hiam, Business Innovation for Dummies, it suggests you exercise your creative muscles though tactile activities like Play-Doh or building blocks, obviously the mainstay of the pre-school set.

An alternative option, with far-lasting impact and benefits, would be for the key leaders in our society to ensure arts education has a meaningful place in our educations system. Often seen as a frill, experience and study demonstrate that effective and sustained arts education programs throughout a student’s career lead to enhanced creativity, imagination and effectiveness.

So rather than investing in Play-Doh for execs, perhaps we should consider the policies and actions necessary to put in place some meaningful arts education for all students.

Creating a marketplace framework for Canada’s digital content advantage

2010-05-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

The Government of Canada is asking Canadians our views on how to improve our country’s digital advantage. Arguing that Canada is only in the ‘middle of the pack’ in terms of adopting and exploiting the value of digital technology, the federal government states that “we need to do better”; hence, the launch of the digital economy strategy, first announced in the March 2010 Throne Speech and Budget. At the Canada 3.0 conference in Stratford Ontario earlier this week, Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement released a consultation paper to solicit Canadians’ views. He also promised key stakeholder roundtables, though details aren’t yet available.

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is playing a key part in the development of this strategy from the perspective of digital content and creation. Acknowledging the innovation of Canadian creators, the consultation paper states that “With the right framework, digital media entrepreneurs have the ability to create Canada’s digital content advantage with vision and boldness to unleash the potential of content to capitalize on our investments … and drive more innovation”.

For Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, the framework focuses on the marketplace. The chapter on Canada’s Digital Content Advantage emphasizes the responsibility of the government to ensure the right polices and measures are in place for digital entrepreneurs to succeed: “The Government of Canada’s role is to put in place a marketplace framework in which our creators, inventors and entrepreneurs have the incentives to innovate, the confidence to take risks and the tools to succeed.”

The paper does not discuss the role of digital media of sharing Canada’s diverse cultural voices with each other, or bringing the Canadian cultural perspective to the world, although Minister Clement’s speech did make reference to this.

The consultation is open until 9 July 2010. For more information, go to http://de-en.gc.ca/home/

Canada Prize in Arts and Creativity -- now it's time to contribute to good public policy

2010-05-06T09:42:00.000-04:00

In the January issue of The Arts Advocate Report, MP Gary Schellenberger, Chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, noted how slowly the wheels of government turn. This became readily apparent this week with news from Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore that the Canada Prize for Arts and Creativity will be administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, its parameters yet to be worked out though. Regardless, the Minister was emphatic in stating that he expects the first prizes to be awarded next year, 2011.

Originally announced in the 2009 federal budget, it became evident that the Government did not have clear plans and objectives for the Canada Prize. Moreover, the rumoured roll out of it, centred in Toronto, became divisive within the cultural community. This presented the feds with significant problems particularly in Quebec. With speculation running rampant as to the genesis of the prize, the Canada Prize was a good example of how public policy should not be developed.

Recognizing the firestorm that developed around the Canada Prize, it makes sense to go back to first principles to see that the new prize becomes sought out by all artists, and is respected throughout Canada and around the world. With this week’s announcement, Minister Moore re-asserted ownership of the Prize. The appointment of an advisory panel to “generate a series of recommendations and options regarding the parameters of the Canada Prizes” will provide everyone with an opportunity to have their views heard. Chaired by Canada Council Chair Joseph Rotman and including Vice Chair Simon Brault, the 5-member panel will make recommendations on how to “recognize outstanding Canadian artistic achievements and will help brand Canada as a centre of excellence”.

Notwithstanding the controversy that has dogged the Canada Prize for Arts and Creativity, its proponents should be credited for convincing the Government of Canada to recognize excellence in the arts, something this government, and minister in particular, have not been identified with: The ‘i-pod minister’s focus has seen to be on consumer demand and access -- important factors in artistic decisions, but not in isolation from excellence.

Now it behooves Canadians, particularly those in the cultural sector, to give the advisory panel good and creative ideas on how to make the Canada Prize for Arts and Creativity work for all Canadians.

To make your views known, go to http://survey.pch.gc.ca/perseus/se.ashx?s=0B880FDE0B712106&c=en-US. You only have until 21 May 2010.

Looking ahead to next week's budget -- cultural loose ends

2010-02-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

As the glow of the winter Olympics and the Cultural Olympiad begins to dissipate next week, attention will shift to the federal Throne Speech and budget. With policy watchers fully anticipating the governing Conservatives to stay the course, so to speak, there are few expectations in the cultural sector. It is clear that two-year economic stimulus funding will continue for one more year, with strong signals expected that restraint will kick in from 2011 onwards.

That said, based on previous commitments, there remain a few loose ends for the Government to address in the cultural sector:

- Since last fall, details around the $25 million Canada prize announced in the last federal budget have been promised soon. No word on when that might be though.

- The Conservative election platform pledged a refundable tax credit, up to $500, for children who participate in eligible arts and cultural activities.

Next week might tell the tale on where these initiatives stand.

Ontario's report on the economy's long term prospects -- the place of the broader cultural sector

2010-01-28T17:19:00.000-05:00

Ontario released its long term report on the economy last Friday, a report designed to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing the province over the next 20 years.

The report provides an extensive in-depth look at the many factors and influences expected to affect Ontario going forward. Chief among them of course are demographic shifts, the changing global economy and increased competition from rapidly emerging economies.

It’s nice to see that culture, more specifically the digital sector and parts of cultural industries, are expected to continue playing a key role in Ontario’s economic prospects. Acknowledging that Ontario’s economic success is “increasingly dependent on knowledge, creativity and innovation” the buzz words ‘du jour’, Ontario’s Long term report on the Economy notes that entertainment and creative services are expected to lead job creation and output growth over the long term. Pointing to digital media, and film and music production, the Report suggests these sectors will continue to be strong global competitors.

Where this leaves the rest of Ontario’s cultural sector is not addressed. The Report does make clear that the Ontario government sees cultural tourism as an area of significant potential, pointing to the Province’s cultural attraction agencies. The combined impact of smaller institutions, museums and arts organizations across the Province is not acknowledged in the Report.

The juxtaposition of creative industries and cultural tourism in this report is consistent with the outline of Culture Minister Michael Chan’s new responsibilities as outlined by the Premier. The resulting challenge for heritage, arts and smaller segments of the cultural industries, the part that provides texture, richness and colour to Ontario, will be to ensure that Minister Chan and the Ontario government continue to see and understand the full scope of cultural activity across the Province and the contribution it makes in every corner of Ontario.

It’s a tall order for the cultural sector in the current fiscal and policy environment in Ontario and Ottawa.

Ontario’s cabinet shuffle: re-amalgamating Culture and Tourism

2010-01-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

Ontario’s cultural sector will be looking hard at the meaning of the re-amalgamation of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Premier Dalton McGuinty's announcement did not provide any clues to his rationale for his decision: No link was made between culture and tourism, despite the potential to do so. His decision probably has as much to do with the current focus on cost-cutting and fiscal prudence as it does with policy alignment. After all, the position of Deputy Minister has been vacant since the summer, with the Acting DM, Tourism’s Drew Fagan, seen as doing a good job.

The long term implications of the re-amalgamation will be contemplated for months, even years, by the cultural sector. There was genuine happiness that Culture merited its own ministry. That said, many in the sector wondered if that decision actually side-lined the importance of the sector, despite the identification of the Entertainment and Creative cluster as one of the economic pillars to drive Ontario forward.

Aileen Carroll was well-liked by the cultural sector and seen to be a supportive proponent. There is no question that she was successful in delivering some significant increases in support to the cultural sector, particularly in the last Ontario budget. Going forward though, it’s a different scenario in a different time. Much of last year's funding is one-time, with some signficant programs up for renewal.

Minister Michael Chan will have his hands full. The Province hails tourism as a major economic driver, but has yet to deliver much in response to the major recommendations made by Greg Sorbara, former finance minister, in a far-reaching report early last year. The Premier’s statement on the cabinet shuffle could certainly lead one to surmise that Minister Chan’s focus will be on the tourism side, with cultural industries being the second thought. Where this leaves the other parts of the cultural sector is an equally open question.

Ten cultural policy developments and initiatives worth noting from 2009!

2009-12-31T16:22:00.000-05:00

With 2010 almost upon us, The Arts Advocate Report would like to acknowledge and celebrate the many accomplishments in cultural policy and politics in Ontario, and nationally, over the past year. We reached out to leaders of the cultural sector for their thoughts on this. Thank you to all who shared your insights with us.

The ten cultural policy developments, initiatives and directions that we feel merit attention are:

* At the federal level, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore delivered on five-year renewals of significant programs for broad segments of the cultural sector. From the revamped Canada Cultural Investment Fund and the Canada Book Fund to the Canada Magazine Fund and Canada Music Fund, cultural enterprise and organizations are on more solid and predictable ground going forward.

* Love it or leave it, Minister Moore has also articulated clear policy directions for culture in Canada. Focused on modernizing, digitizing and responding to the need of the consumer, Minister Moore has brought clarity to the directions cultural policy is going in Canada.

* The recently established national Arts Caucus in the House of Commons holds promise for raising the level of dialogue around culture in Ottawa.

* The arts hold a soft spot for Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Be it a cameo performance at the National Arts Centre gala or joining in a televised Bollywood dance show on his recent trade mission to India, the PM knows that Canadians delight in his artistic pursuits.

* In Ontario, Culture Minister Aileen Carroll convinced the Finance Minister and her colleagues to increase the Culture Ministry’s budget by $92.2 million in the March 2009 budget, an impressive 51% increase over 2008-09. This, despite a soaring provincial deficit. Some of the new money is one-time and the dust still needs to settle as to what will be sustained over the long term, but the result is noteworthy regardless. Two initiatives from this new funding deserving mention are the increase in operating funds to cultural attraction agencies and delivery of the promised $5 million increase to the Ontario Arts Council.

* The Intellectual Property Fund, one of the initiatives of the Ontario government’s increased cultural spending, signals interest in developing alternative programs to tax credits for the cultural industries. The IP Fund is designed to support upfront creative and development costs, a notoriously difficult area to finance and one ignored by government for at least a decade.

* Tax credits have a place in cultural policy though, and the Ontario government saw fit to continue enhancing or enlarging their scope.

* The growing momentum of Culture Days, the collaborative, Canada-wide volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement by all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities, is exciting and an initiative to be watched going forward.

* While museums generally did not have a lot to celebrate this past year, it’s noteworthy that both the Canadian Museums Association and the Ontario Museum Association have ramped up advocacy and policy dialogue with decision makers in Ottawa and at Queen’s Park with Museum Advocacy Days.

* In Toronto, arts advocacy and mobilization happened in ways never before seen. The successful campaign of the Beautiful City Billboard Fee Alliance, an initiative of young artists designed to introduce a billboard fee that would ultimately go towards arts funding and public arts, created a new model of mobilizing artists and arts supporters through a sophisticated social networking campaign. It bodes well for the impact of such initiatives as ArtsVote2010, also launched late this year.

No doubt, we could add a list of cultural policy bloopers or misses. In fact, many were suggested to us. We’ll leave those for the moment, preferring to look forward to 2010 in an optimistic and constructive fashion. It’s clear we have lots to build on from 2009.

Happy New Year to everyone!

MPs pre-budget recommendations provide little to compel a forward-looking national cultural vision

2009-12-14T15:36:00.000-05:00

As Parliament wrapped up last week, the Standing Committee on Finance released A prosperous and sustainable future for Canada: Needed federal actions, its report on the Canada-wide pre-budget consultations. A significant number of arts and cultural organizations participated in the Committee’s deliberations this year, looking to ensure that the momentum garnered from last year’s attention on arts policy (during the election) is not lost.

After the Committee navigated its way through a huge array of policy proposals and funding requests from the cultural sector, they concluded simply that ‘artistic and cultural undertakings enrich people’s lives and communities.’ They recommend that

The federal government make a significant investment in culture, for example by enhancing the Canada Feature Fund and the feature-length documentary fund, eliminating the Goods and Services Tax on books, providing a tax exemption for copyright royalties and increasing the budget for the Canada Council for the Arts.

This provides quite a shopping list for the government to choose from, with no compelling argument in place for any one significant and impactful measure. While there is no question that governments often ignore the recommendations of parliamentary pre-budget consultations, this report is so scattered and general, that it is little more than a compendium of requests. The federal government would be correct in replying that the report does not provide a clear vision, and in fact they’ve already announced measures that do provide a significant investment in culture.

Museums fared a little better in the Standing Committee’s Report, with the concluding and final recommendation stating that

Moreover, the government should work with non-national museums with a view to developing a funding strategy for their long-term sustainability.

The absence of a clear national museums policy and funding infrastructure is a longstanding issue for this part of the cultural sector.

Modernizing cultural policy in Ottawa -- make it digital!

2009-12-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore was in his element this morning, addressing delegates to the NextMedia conference in Toronto and re-iterating the themes we’ve now heard a few times in the past month. Clearly happy to be with a ‘forward looking’ audience ‘who gets it’, Minister Moore pledged to continue modernizing the legislation, regulations and investments the Government of Canada is making in the creative economy, one three times the size of the insurance industry in Canada, and twice the size of either forestry or agriculture, according to him.

Stating that we ‘can’t let the forces of negativity prevail’, that is those ‘concerned about the status quo’, Minister Moore reinforced his point that government must adapt to the changing times to support the creative sector, so creators can work on multiple platforms. This is to provide consumers with the opportunity to choose how they get their content.

The Minister stated that the old way of developing cultural policy in silos, like television, radio, broadband etc, is now irrelevant. In his view, too many people are developing public policy ‘who don’t get it’. 'It’s all the same thing' now, he suggested. He talked about the various Funds in place now at the Department of Canadian Heritage, pointing to the changes the government is making to ensure the digital platform is now considered in all policy decisions. The federal government is making arts and culture investments so we can ‘compete to win’.

Minister Moore concluded by calling on the delegates at NextMedia, most of whom he concluded were relatively young, to ‘stay engaged; The average age of an MP is 57 he said; senior public servants are in that same age range. These people don’t get it he concluded, suggesting that many are digitally illiterate. It’s up to the likes of people at NextMedia to be ‘agents of change’ in his view.

Lessons learned from Culture Montréal’s Colloquium on The Arts in a time of Economic Crisis

2009-11-20T20:40:00.004-05:00

…enroute back to Ontario from Culture Montréal’s Colloquium on The Arts in a time of Economic Crisis: A joint initiative with HEC Montreal, this was an impressive gathering that drew together people like Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, the Toronto Arts Council’s Claire Hopkinson, Antoni Cimolino from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, UK based John Nicholls and a host of Quebec’s cultural leadership including Francois Colbert and Laurent Lapierre, all discussing the health of the cultural sector in today’s economy, and the implications for the future.

Centered around a study by HEC’s André Courchesne and Johanne Turbide about the effects of the economic crisis on earned income of cultural organizations in Quebec, the findings provide sector-wide validation of what most arts organizations have been observing for the past year: “a sizeable drop in private-sector revenues”, most pronounced for the largest organizations who count on larger corporate and foundation contributions.

Claire Hopkinson brought the Ontario perspective to the table. Based largely on anecdotal evidence, she spoke to the reality that earned and contributed revenues are fragile, particularly in the area of corporate and foundation giving and the box office. Most notable from the Ontario perspective was the nimbleness of cultural organizations to respond and adapt quickly, adjusting cost structures to avoid the prospect of difficult financial situations in the future. Much of this she attributed to the resilience developed in the difficult years of the late 1990s. Equally important, she noted, is the healthy balance of public, contributed and earned revenue -- in essence a call to maintain arts and culture funding at all levels of government.

It was heartening to see the level of Ontario engagement in the conversation at the Colloquium. Recognizing Ontario Culture Minister Aileen Carroll’s interest in the bilateral relationship with Quebec, The Arts Advocate Report, and others, mused about the possibility of seeing an Ontario-Quebec (perhaps multi-provincial) Colloquium next year, exploring how the cultural sector is faring one year hence . Perhaps more importantly though, the question might be focused on how the cultural sector is contributing to the economic recovery economists predict for late next year, and into 2011.

…more on this and HEC’s study in the next issue of The Arts Advocate Report.

The key themes of Canada's cultural policy agenda

2009-11-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

On Friday last week, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore spoke to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce about our country’s creative economy and where the Government of Canada “intends to go” with it. The speech didn’t garner much media attention, but a close look at it provides a succinct picture of the key themes being pursued by this federal government in the area of culture, and their goal to recalibrate the tenor of the dialogue with Canadians on the arts.

An economic contributor and driver
In a marked shift from the tone of a year ago, arts and culture are seen as economic drivers. “Arts and culture has a tremendous impact on our economy” Moore says. Further on, he states that “Our support is not a handout. It is a wise investment in Canada economic and cultural future.”

A focus on the digital revolution, with choice for consumers
To thrive, Moore suggests that ‘creators need the right environment … conditions that support their work in building new, innovative products and services on all platforms.” It’s from here that the ipod minister, talks at length about the digital revolution and the opportunities that this holds for Canadians. Throughout, it’s clear that the focus of the government’s cultural policy is to provide consumers with the choices they want. Traditional business models will be supported “when it makes sense”.

Long-term commitment
Minister Moore speaks to the five, and now six, year renewals of many of the major programs offered by the Department of Canadian Heritage as testament to the federal government’s commitment to culture. (Yesterday, Minister Moore announced that a program for aboriginal youth, Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth, has been renewed through until 2016, an unprecedented renewal period for this government.) How all these renewals will fare subject to the federal program review is of course unknown. Some hints might be provided by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty this Friday, when he addresses Toronto’s Canadian Club.

Multiple pillars of support
Government can’t go it alone, says Minister Moore. To thrive, arts and culture need private and public sector support. Many of the renewed programs at Canadian Heritage have built in requirements for private sector contributions, a trend that is expected to continue.

For cultural policy watchers in Canada, this speech provides a worthwhile read. It can be found at http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/minstr/moore/disc-spch/index-eng.cfm?action=doc&DocIDCd=SJM091859

Ontario business leaders explore the place of creative industries in fostering economic growth

2009-11-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

This week, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Ontario Economic Summit, a gathering of high-powered business leaders, ministers and deputy ministers discussing the ways that Ontario can be ‘readied for stronger economic recovery’. The Arts Advocate Report was intrigued by the Summit’s focus on the ‘creative disciplines’ and a morning devoted to exploring how the creative industries are a source of innovation and wealth generation for Ontario. Thanks to Sara Diamond, President of OCAD, and Moderator at the Summit, for drawing our attention to it.

Lyn Heward, Creative Consultant and Executive Producer of Cirque du Soleil was charged with getting the participants’ brain juices flowing in a presentation on the creative process behind the Cirque’s incredible success. Lyn’s keynote address (the same one as delivered at last week’s Creative Places and Spaces Conference in Toronto) focused on nurturing and developing the creative process in a way that can lead to transformative ideas, and potentially, change. The place of collaboration and teamwork is central at the Cirque according to Lyn.

(The contrast in audience response between the Creative Places and Spaces gathering and the Ontario Economic Summit was in itself a fascinating observation, with the business reaction decidedly more tepid than that at the conference last week.)

Sarah Diamond had the daunting task of bridging the take-aways from Lyn Heward’s presentation to addressing economic growth for Ontario. The panelists helping her do this were Diana Pliura, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Health Exchange, Paul Rowan, Co-founder and VP of Design at Umbra and Ian Wilson, Strategic Advisor to the The Stratford Institute for Digital Media and Culture (former Ontario and national Archivist). In the view of The Arts Advocate Report, it was Ian Wilson who grasped the enormity of the task, arguing that business, government, universities and the NGO sector needed to embark on some ‘rapid, unprecedented collaboration’ that would turn existing business and government processes and models on their heads. Our diversity and background provide fertile ground for doing this, in his view.

Ian also drew parallels that could foresee the creative industries work much more directly with technology companies and the like. For others, it seemed more of a stretch, preferring to draw on the lessons of collaboration for their own industries, but failing to make the leap to new business models: the prospect of cross-sectoral partnerships and working together was welcomed, but seen as somehow more distant, almost a happy adjunct.

The notion that fostering creativity begins in the early years of education and then must be fostered throughout, was left to Sara to conclude. Calling for a redesign of arts education and a focus on creative thinking throughout education and the economy (with reference to Sir Ken Robinson’s work on being in ‘the element’) Sara left the Ontario Economic Summit with food for thought on the place of creativity in our economy.

Whether the business community is ready to drink the juice is another question, but bravo to the Ontario Economic Summit for at least sampling.

Arts Council England CEO offers arguments to sustain public arts funding that resonate in Ontario as well

2009-10-28T11:06:00.001-04:00

As Ontario’s cultural sector girds itself to demonstrate the public benefit of sustained government investment in arts, heritage and the cultural industries in the face of expenditure program reviews at all levels of government, we might look to the arguments being put forward on the other side of the pond by Alan Davey, CEO of Arts Council England.

Last week, Mr. Davey put forward a powerful and cogent set of arguments to sustain public arts funding under any government, Conservative or Labour. Speaking to a Conservative arts conference, Culture is Right, he steered clear of any suggestion of entitlement to argue that the ‘complex mixed economy model’ of public and private investment in the arts sector in England is indeed the ‘model of the future, not of the past’.

I want to straight away get away from any idea of the Arts as a monolithic public service ripe to be cut, and instead assert the truth: that the arts live in a complex mixed economy which could provide a model for how public investment could work elsewhere. The model is a model of the future, not one of the past, it’s one that works with public money levering private money, with the arms’ length method of making decisions putting it outside the vagaries of short term political whim….So my message is this: strengthen and celebrate the model, don’t weaken it.

The notion that public investment in the arts levers private investment is not new. Rarely though, has such a clear and powerfully-demonstrated argument been put forward in a such a positive, compelling manner. Moving away from the ‘woe is me’ argument, Mr. Davey holds up the complex ecology of arts funding, one similar to the system in Canada and Ontario, as a model to be emulated in other sectors. “The mixed economy means money works hard, and hardworking money is especially missed.” He goes on, “We’ll need to help you encourage the Treasury to be an intelligent funder and to convince them that not all public spending is bad, that ours works hard, and because of this, there is a disproportionate effect when it is cut.”

With pre-budget hearings underway federally and now in Ontario, and as cultural organizations muster arguments at the municipal level, Alan Davey’s speech may resonate well beyond the borders of England.

For more information go to: http://press.artscouncil.org.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=872&NewsAreaID=2

Ontario's Fall Economic Outlook -- Measures to address the bleak forecast will wait for the spring Budget

2009-10-22T15:43:00.000-04:00

There are no surprises in Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s Fall Economic Outlook released this afternoon. As anticipated in the latest issue of The Arts Advocate Report, and clearly signaled by the Finance Minister for some time now, the Ontario deficit is much higher than predicted, expected to stand at $24.7 billion this year.

The government acknowledges that it’s facing expenditure pressures in many areas, not the least of which are job training and the auto sector. That said, the government appears to be withstanding pressure to make in-year expenditure adjustments. For the future though, the Ontario Treasury Board is launching a review of all spending to ensure that the key priorities of the McGuinty government – job creation, health care and education – remain sustainable. The outcome of that review will be part of next year's budget.

Notable for the cultural sector, this review includes a review of all boards, agencies and commissions “to ensure they are meeting Ontarians' needs and expectations.” Recognizing that the vast majority of Ministry of Culture expenditures are through agencies, this will be one initiative that arts, heritage and cultural industries will want to watch closely.

The province-wide pre-budget consultations get underway with the release of this document today. An online consultation is already open and community roundtables will be announced in November.

Finance Minister provides few hints to culture about Thursday's Fall Economic Statement

2009-10-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan provided few hints as to what the cultural sector might expect in Thursday’s Fall Economic Statement. Indeed, it could well be the 2010 budget before any meaningful details are revealed, leaving the Ontario government and Culture Minister Aileen Carroll a few more months to focus on the enhanced cultural investments this year.

In a speech to a business audience at the Canadian Club and Empire Club in Toronto, Minister Duncan said that sustaining public services in the face of a persistent, and large, Ontario deficit will mean focusing on priorities. Those priorities are health and education. This could, of course, be code to suggest that serious cuts to other program areas are on the horizon: “We must focus our priorities and make strategic and sometimes difficult choices” he said.

That said, the Finance Minister also sent signals suggesting that investments in 21st century industries, including the Entertainment and Creative Cluster need to be sustained. It, along with industries like financial services and information technology, continue to create employment he says. Does this mean that culture will be spared the broad stroke cuts of a review of program service delivery?

Maybe Thursday’s Fall Economic Statement will provide the details. It’s more likely to happen in next year’s provincial budget though.

This gives the cultural sector a few months to ensure that its impact and challenges are heard in the coming months, as the pre-budget ramp-up gets underway.

Watch for details on pre-budget hearings at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. As well, the Finance Minister is expected to hold consultations in communities across the province.

Cultural sector active at pre-budget consultations

2009-10-15T10:17:00.001-04:00

Despite the lull of the current break at both the House of Commons and the Ontario Legislature, preparations for next year’s budget cycle are getting underway in full force. In Ottawa, the Standing Committee on Finance is in the midst of its pre-budget hearings. A number of cultural organizations, including Orchestras Canada, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, ACTRA, Directors’ Guild of Canada and the Association of Canadian Publishers have all appeared. A number of the national performing arts organizations are expected to appear later this month when the Committee visits Toronto on October 21. To stay on top of the hearings, go to parl.gc.ca and click on committees.

Next week, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will lay out the “challenges facing Ontario's economy and the tough choices Ontarians will have to make as the government focuses on its priorities” in a speech to the Toronto and Ontario Canadian clubs. Likely setting the stage for a fall economic statement that will focus on harsh reality of the Ontario budget, policy watchers will looking for any clues about what to expect next year. Provincial pre-budget consultations will likely follow shortly thereafter.

The impact of the HST on Ontario's cultural sector: is there time to influence its implementation?

2009-09-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

Last week, The Arts Advocate Report hosted a Policy Dialogue for subscribers on Ontario’s proposed Harmonized Sales Tax. The subject of much political debate both federally and provincially, the actual reality of what this will mean for Ontario’s cultural sector is just starting to dawn. It’s clear that there will be significant revenue implications, at least for the medium term. The impact of these on Ontario’s cultural sector is not widely understood in many circles including government. Adding to this is the complexity of Ontario’s cultural sector, making it difficult to generalize, or fit in a specific box.

The evidence presented by Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s staff makes it clear that the new tax regime will benefit lower and middle class Ontarians, while resulting in a small increase for higher income earners. Recognizing the relatively low incomes of Ontario’s artists and cultural workers, the proposed HST should be welcome.

For producers, institutions and the many small businesses and self-employed individuals though, the implementation and roll out of the HST poses challenges. There is real concern that there will be revenue erosion (or financial cost) as many fear that consumers will not accept an 8% increase in ticket prices, gallery admissions or subscriptions, at least in the medium term. For a sector that operates on the edge of financial solvency, with little price elasticity in this current economic environment, this signals problems.

It could also mean that much of the recent Ontario government investment in cultural agencies like the Ontario Arts Council and the Ontario Media Development Corporation could be negated as cultural organizations grapple with how to deal with anticipated revenue loss, a reality that has not been considered.

The window for the cultural sector to have any influence on the implementation of the HST is small. While the introduction of the new harmonized tax regime is largely a foregone conclusion, there is still time for the cultural sector to put forward recommendations to ease any potentially difficult impacts of its implementation.

First Post

2009-09-15T08:47:00.001-04:00

Welcome to The Arts Advocate Report’s new ‘blog’. The blog is intended to encourage informed dialogue and debate among cultural policy makers and watchers, with a focus on Ontario. Like the Report, it will provide timely, balanced commentary on the policies and politics affecting arts and culture. It will also allow The Arts Advocate to point to other important research and initiatives that the Report can not cover.

The blog will complement, not replace, the Report, Updates and Policy Dialogues that subscribers have come to count on over the past 15 years.

The fall of 2009 is shaping up to be a heated and volatile environment for all policy watchers, including those of us focused on arts and culture. We look forward to an interesting dialogue, now and into the future. We hope you join in.

Looking forward

Both the House of Commons and the Ontario Legislative Assembly have resumed. The events of the past few weeks suggest that it will be anything but sleepy sessions in both houses. Heightened expectations about a federal election call later this month, or early October, and media-fuelled perception of flagrant misspending across Ontario agencies are serving to derail substantive progress on a number of files.

In Ottawa, this means that substantial cultural files, like amendments to the Copyright Act, are unlikely to go anywhere. The subject of yet more consultations over the past summer, it’s clear the likelihood of any substantial progress on the outdated copyright legislation is virtually impossible, despite promises from the Government.

In Ontario

Ontario cultural agencies have been spared inclusion in the list of agencies which will now have their expenses overseen by the Integrity Commissioner; equally important, none have been identified as flagrant spenders. That said, one can count on increased vigilance and a whole new level of scrutiny on every dollar spent. The ramifications of this will ripple throughout the cultural sector.

The new Intellectual Property Fund, given life in the March 2009 budget, could be unveiled in the context of the Toronto International Film Festival currently underway. Add to that the welcome Ontario investment of $10 million in TIFF’s new Bell Lightbox, and it’s already been a good year for the Film Festival.

Ontario’s Tory Culture Critic – Passing the torch from Julia Munro to Ted Arnott

This session of the Legislature sees longtime PC culture critic Julia Munro pass the torch on to Ted Arnott, MPP from Wellington-Halton Hills. Munro was respected as a credible, sensitive and approachable critic for the cultural sector, one who was open to listening to the concerns of the sector from a truly interested perspective.

Long time MPP Ted Arnott is not totally new to the Culture portfolio, having already served as Culture Critic for one year, from 1994 to 1995.