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Dance Manitoba News

The 2008 federal election and the importance
of Canadian arts and culture

[Oct 1, 2008] The Province of Manitoba has the privilege to be home to so many diverse cultural communities and we are witness to the blending of cultures being presented on stage in dance, music and theatre. We are impacted by arts and culture every day in our lives, and I would ask of yourself to take a moment to take a good look around your surroundings and to take notice on how our arts and cultural community make a positive impact on our city, our province, your community.

Many of you are directors of dance schools, directors of professional training institutions, or are in charge of dance programs in public schools. You, are all educators and advocates of the performing arts, and have made educating and training your livelihood. Think of your current study body today, and your student body in years' past. How many individuals and families spent years at your school to learn and train in the performing arts, and while many of those students have not made a career in the performing arts, what they have learned in your studio, your classroom, are tools and resources that are transferable to any profession. You teach them to be open minded individuals, to show compassion to others, to teach them to think out side of the box, to be a contributing member to their dance community and to be open and flexible human beings.

There are many organizations across the country whom are working very hard to educate and inform others about the vital importance of Canadian arts and culture. We all make up part of the "creative economy". This sector of the economy has one of the highest levels of education and training of any sector, contributing billions to the Canadian economy. The Canadian Dance Assembly, the Canadian Conference on the Arts and the Canadian Arts Coalition have reached out to provincial dance organizations such as Dance Manitoba to make every attempt to remind us all of how important the Canadian arts and culture industry truly is.

The following has been taken from the Canadian Dance Assembly email :

Before October 14th! Do your part to support the future of the arts by taking action during this election campaign.

10 things you can do to ‘get political’ and assert your cultural citizenship this election!
Challenge yourself to make time to do AT LEAST three of these things before Election Day.

Read the news. Arts and Culture has been a visible issue this election so stay tuned into your local and national media. You can join in the dialogue by writing letters to the editor and forwarding articles of interest to your friends and colleagues (who don’t work in the arts!)
Write to your MP. This action is particularly effective if you live in a region or riding that is not a major Canadian cultural hub. We want candidates running in every riding to know that the arts are an integral part of their communities.
Sign up on the I Vote for Culture website (www.ivoteforculture.com), post the link on your website (if you have one) and send the link along to 5 friends and colleagues (who don’t work in the arts!)
Email an arts and culture question in advance of the leader’s debate on October 2nd! Email your question to host Steve Paikin at question@electiondebate08.ca. See CDA’s Election Toolkit for sample questions.
Stay informed. All parties articulate their policy positions during an election campaign. Find out where each party stands on arts and culture by following the links below.
• Green Party of Canada
• Liberal Party of Canada
• New Democratic Party
• Conservative Party of Canada
Put a sign on your door! Make a ‘Vote Arts’ sign (also available courtesy of Theatre Nova Scotia. It’s easily printable from your home or office.)
Consider a program note or pre-curtain announcement. If you’re having a show before October 14th, CDA can help you craft an advocacy message.
Engage your friends, family, board members, patrons, neighbours and, colleagues. The more our position is stated and reinforced by the non-artist or non-cultural worker, the stronger our case will become.
Tell us what you’re up to. The CDA wants to hear about the political action you’re taking this election. Contact the office or the CDA advocacy committee rep in your region. (see attached list)
VOTE!

News and links:

Study reveals erosion in arts funding,
James Bradshaw, Globe and Mail
Why public funding of arts matters to all of us,
Jian Ghomeshi, National Post

Dance Nova Scotia, has suggested that when you meet a political candidate, begin by sharing some information about yourself, and I ask that we join our other provincial service organization to do the same.

"As the director of x Dance School/Program, I employ x number of people in this community whose salaries inject dollars into the community each year. I teach ____number of students, spend ____ dollars locally on rent, supplies, and facility rentals, collect ____ dollars in GST and regularly hold performances that are attended by _______ or more of your constituents."

Please visit the following websites for background and current information and for further ideas on how to communicate to your political candidate:

The Canadian Dance Assembly www.dancecanada.net. The Canadian Dance Assembly exists to facilitate the dynamic exchange of information relevant to Canadian professional dance of all forms and aesthetics. We strive to cultivate a strong national voice for Canadian professional dance and to support the development of resources for this field of artistic expression.

The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) http://www.ccarts.ca. The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) is the national forum for the arts and cultural community in Canada. It provides research, analysis and consultations on public policies affecting the arts and the Canadian cultural institutions and industries. The CCA fosters informed public debate on policy issues and seeks to advance the cultural rights of Canadians.

The Canadian Arts Coalition http://www.canadianartscoalition.ca. The Canadian Arts Coalition is Canada’s largest ever group of artists, business leaders and volunteers assembled from across the country. We are united in the knowledge that greater public investment in the arts is essential to Canada’s future. We believe that the high quality of life, for which Canada is known, depends on a rich, vibrant and diverse arts and heritage community.

I strongly encourage all of you who are of age; studio owners, teachers, dancers, parents, Dance Manitoba members, board members and concerned citizens to take action and use your voice and go and vote on October 14th!