CCA Bulletin 19/06

FROM THE DESK OF ALAIN PINEAU
National Director
Canadian Conference of the Arts

April 7, 2006

CCA, CAC and the confusion of acronyms and roles

The CCA (Canadian Conference of the Arts) has received many questions over the past few weeks about the respective roles of the CAC (Canadian Arts Coalition), which is not be confused with another CAC (Conseil des Arts du Canada) or one of the many other CCA (Centre for Canadian Architecture, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association…). The profusion of CCA acronyms can be bewildering, as are the differences between the Canadian Conference of the Arts and the Canadian Arts Coalition.

For some months now the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) has been actively involved as a member of the Canadian Arts Coalition (CAC), which was formed to advocate for an increase in federal government spending on the arts by $ 5.00 per capita, through the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). As the National Director of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, I sit as a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Coalition.

The Coalition has waged an active campaign on the issue of increased stable funding for the arts. The CCA Board recently affirmed this issue as a one of its top priorities at its March 5-6 meetings in Ottawa. The Coalition is now working to convince the new government of Canada regarding the importance of doubling the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts over the next three fiscal years, an issue which it thought had been settled with the last government. The CCA is doing the same, both in its own advocacy interventions with Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as through its ongoing active participation in the Coalition’s Steering Committee and campaigning.

However, in addition to the priority issue of stable and increased funding for the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA!) is engaged in many other issues, including;

Equitable tax treatment for artists and the arts,
Support for a new museums policy and increase of funding for museums and galleries,
Support for increased resources for the cultural programs of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Canadian Heritage, among other federal departments,
Analysis of the 2006 Speech from the Throne,
Analysis of the 2006 Federal Budget and Main Estimates,
Preparations for the likely next round of Copyright reform discussions,
The likelihood of new legislation being introduced to further compromise Canadians’ Charter Right to Freedom of Expression
Recommendations in the Final Report of the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel and their potential impact on Canada’s foreign ownership restrictions in broadcasting and media,
A federal election readiness strategy,
The forthcoming CBC license renewal hearings this fall at the CRTC and a possible review of Canada’s broadcasting policy,
The development of a Charter of Cultural Rights for Canadians through a working group of the CCA Board,
The development of a youth and diversity engagement strategy as an extension of CCA’s recent Creative Management project,
Redefining the relationship of the CCA to the International Network on Cultural Diversity (INCD) and the Coalition for Cultural Diversity (CCD),
Redefining the relationship of the CCA to the ArtsSmarts program,
Building alliances with non-sectoral groups such as the Creative City Network and the Voluntary Sector Initiative, etc.

The Canadian Conference of the Arts has been engaged in broad pan-sectoral issues for over sixty years. It is the mission of the CCA to monitor developments within government, Parliament, and the arts and culture sector and intervene to ensure that the interests of artists, creators, arts professionals and Canadians are reflected within these discussions and processes. It is a mission that we care passionately about and that does not detract from the strong commitment and active support that the Board of the CCA has expressed for the work of the Canadian Arts Coalition.

P.S. To date the Board has not addressed relations with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association!