CCA Bulletin 17/08

June 4 , 2008

Culture and Trade

On May 29, 2008, I attended my first Annual General Meeting of the Trade Team Canada -Cultural Goods and Services. It was a most interesting meeting, attended by senior officials from the Departments of Canadian Heritage and Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and many organizations from the arts and culture sector.

Some interesting data were provided on Canada’s cultural trade. In 2007, Statistics Canada released a study on the economic contribution of the cultural sector in Canada. The study showed that in 2003 the sector:

Contributed $ 43.2 billion to the Canadian economy,
Represented 4% of national employment,
Accounted for 3.8% of the Gross Domestic Product.

In 2005, cultural goods exports amounted to $ 2.37 billion and for services, they totaled $ 2.90 billion. The United States continues to Canada’s largest trading partner for both goods and services. Of Canada’s 2005 cultural exports, 90% of goods, and 73% of services went to the United States.

During the discussion, serious concerns were raised over the future of cultural diplomacy funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I was able to underline the sector’s preoccupation with the future of this funding as persisting rumours suggest that the rest of the program may be eliminated altogether in the next round of budget review this fall.

Almost as a preparation for CCA’s June 12 debate on cultural diplomacy and nation-branding, participants raised questions about the “Canadian brand” and debated which strategy was most effective in projecting Canadian culture and values on the world stage. If this meeting was any indication, the debate in Toronto is going to be lively and intense.

The other topic was a review of the Trade Routes program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. As this program is coming up for renewal alongside all the others included in what was formerly known as the Tomorrow Starts Today set of programs, the Department has undertaken a client satisfaction survey on their experiences with the program and obtained an 80% satisfaction mark.

Trade Routes has become an important tool for both not-for-profit and industrial arts and culture organizations seeking to expand their presence in international markets. The future of the program is more critical than ever given the continuing uncertainty about the programs offered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. As I said, these concerns were evident as participants tried in vain to exact a clear indication of the Department’s intentions for the cultural diplomacy program.

Trade routes has also funded Cultural Trade Commissioners to provide services to clients with a focus on export preparedness and international market development and help with skills development and export counseling. These Commissioners are housed in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montréal, Moncton, Halifax and St. John’s. These Commissioners were highly rated on the quality and timeliness of their services.

There is also an in-market assistance component to Trade Routes that provides services to arts and cultural exporters in Shanghai, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London. A high percentage of users of the in-market component were satisfied with quality and timeliness of the service.

The survey will provide Departmental officials clear ideas about the refinement of the program and its operations as it goes forward for renewal. 93% of respondents indicated that they preferred support for international market development rather than export preparedness.

Respondents also indicated that the notification of outcomes could be earlier and recommended the use of on-line applications and an approval-in-principle system to assist in expediting their international market development strategies.

The CCA will continue to explore other strategies to support the promotion of Canadian culture and values on the world stage. I encourage you to ensure that your Parliamentarians understand the importance of maintaining programs like Trade Routes and the programs at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. They are a vital part of the long-term survival and prosperity agenda for the cultural sector.

With the impressive financial data released by Statistics Canada, I cannot understand why any elected official would not only support but bolster the resources dedicated to the export of Canadian cultural goods and services.

Reminder

The CCA with the assistance of the Chalmers Fund and the Ontario Arts Council is staging a debate on cultural diplomacy and nation branding on June 12, 2008 at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Ms Cynthia Schneider, former US diplomat and currently Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, will share with participants her considerable experience in this field, while Melissa Aronczyk, a Canadian doctoral student at New York University, will explore the concept of nation branding as alternative to cultural diplomacy. It should be a stimulating discussion. Please register now to ensure you have a seat. The registration fee for non CCA members has been waived but donations are gratefully accepted at the door.