CCA BULLETIN / BULLETIN DE LA CCA
IT'S CHALMERS TIME AGAIN!
Ottawa, January 11, 2004 - The 2004 Chalmers Conference is slated for Friday 27 February, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Building on information from the last conference, held in May 2003, the February event will explore in more detail the issue of advocacy specifically as we head into a federal election period. Positioning arts funding as an election issue is the primary outcome articulated by CCA members for the conference.
Who's on the agenda?
Key to the day's events will be a workshop by veteran lobbyist and political commentator Sean Moore on How the System Works and How to Work the System. This workshop is particularly timely given that Paul Martin has instituted a number of changes which will directly affect how organizations and associations interact with MPs and bureaucrats in the future. Chalmers participants will gain first-hand information on what the changes are, and how best to take advantage of them.
Nancy Juneau (Executive Director of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française) will moderate a panel providing further important information for those in the cultural community as we head into a federal election:
• Max Wyman (writer, broadcaster, President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO) will elaborate on the theme of his soon-to-be-released book, The Defiant Imagination - a passionate manifesto attesting to the central importance of the arts and culture to modern Canada;
• Caroline Di Cocco (MPP and former culture critic for the Ontario Liberal party) will outline the extensive consultation process her party undertook with those in the cultural sector prior to drawing up a comprehensive cultural platform for the recent provincial election;
• Elizabeth May (Executive Director of The Sierra Club) will outline successful - and not so successful - election strategies undertaken by her organization. (Further panellists to be announced in the near future.)
Chalmers participants will be challenged, in smaller breakout groups, to further define the key messages from the cultural sector and how best to get these messages across during the election period, and in between elections. Immediately following the conference, the CCA will use the intelligence gleaned from these sessions to define its 2004 election strategy which will then be made available, in English and in French, on our website. (An advocacy primer, containing information on how to develop an advocacy "habit", broad strategies to get your message out, and other useful information, will be available on CCA's website at the beginning of February. Check it out and get a head start on making the case for culture to your candidates!)
What's on the menu?
The conference begins at 8.30am with a networking breakfast, co-hosted by the National Arts Centre. CCA will be inviting MPs (the Speech from the Throne is now slated for 2 February) and departmental representatives to attend the breakfast, providing an exceptional opportunity for one-on-one networking and advocacy. There will also be a guest speaker at the lunch. CCA is waiting for confirmation regarding these guest speakers; we hope to have further details shortly.
What's the cost?
The Chalmers Conferences are intended for arts service organizations. They are free of charge for one representative from CCA organizational members; additional representatives, and organizations which are not members, will be charged $150 (includes breakfast and lunch, and materials). Simultaneous translation will be provided. If you have not already received a registration form, please contact Philippa Borgal (ext.19, philippa.borgal@ccarts.ca) or James Missen (ext.14, james.missen@ccarts.ca).
Again this year, the breakfast with guest speaker is open to individuals. CCA members may attend free of charge; the price for non-members is $25 per person. Everyone (members and non-members) must register in advance by contacting Philippa or James before Wednesday 11 February.
For more information:
Kevin Desjardins
Communications and Public Relations Manager
(613) 238 3561 ext.11
Fax (613) 238 4849
02/04
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