ADVOCACY ALERT !

THE TIME TO DEFEND FEDERAL ARTS AND CULTURE

FUNDING IS NOW !

Ottawa , November 15, 2004 - The press has been abuzz this past week with news of meetings in which Canadian Heritage Minister Liza Frulla has been appealing to the arts and culture community to step up their advocacy efforts in support of the renewal of the Tomorrow Starts Today (TST) funding program.

The original TST initiative was announced as a three year $560 million investment in 2001 and was extended for a fourth year in 2004 for an additional $207 million. It is currently scheduled to conclude at the end of March 2005. CCA members are united in their support for the extension of TST on a permanent basis as the need for sustainable funding is urgent. This recommendation is issue #1 front and centre in CCA 's 2004 Pre-Budget Submission (see CCA bulletin 48/04), which we will present to the Finance Committee on November 23 rd . CCA has also been asking our member organizations and individuals to write their MPs for many months now (see CCA bulletins 41/04, 44/04 and 47/04) in order to advocate for TST .

In the November 10 th edition of Le Devoir , Paul Cauchon reports that Mme. Frulla , in a speech to the film and television industry in Montreal , urged attendees to "work together" with her to ensure that a possible 5% reduction in all federal departmental spending does not extend to Canadian Heritage. In particular, the Minister cited the effectiveness of the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts in demonstrating how federal funding goes directly to the support of culture. Any cuts would be seriously damaging to the arts and culture sector in this country, which is mentioned in CCA 's 53/04 bulletin when the 2004/05 Supplementary Estimates (A) were tabled in the House.

More revealing is a November 13 th article by Richard Ouzounian in the Toronto Star that reports on a meeting this past Friday that the Minister held with major Toronto performing arts organizations. According to the story, Mme. Frulla's major agenda was alerting everyone to the precarious status of the TST program. Kevin Garland, Executive Director of the National Ballet of Canada, is quoted as saying "There are questions being raised in the House about the way the funds are being administered and ( Frulla's ) been called to defend it next week." The article goes on to say that, according to both Garland and Martin Bragg , Artistic Producer of CanStage , "There (is) a very real chance Tomorrow Starts Today would not be renewed for another year." Reportedly, this Tuesday November 16 th the Minister will have to defend the program in the House against the Conservative Party, which is concerned with its "accountability".

CCA applauds its member organization the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres ( PACT ) for initiating an email-writing campaign in response to news of this imminent threat to the future financial support of Canada 's arts and culture. For details and information on how you should participate, see: http://www.pact.ca/act_GetFile.cfm?pdf=Advocacy%20Alert%20November%2015%2C%202004%2Epdf

The following is an excerpt from the November 15 th PACT release: " PACT is urging everyone in the culture community, including those members of our audience and local community who support a strong Canadian culture, to ACT TODAY. Mr. Harper will be appearing in Parliament tomorrow - Tuesday, November 16 th  - and is expected to address party concerns about accountability in the funding processes at the Department of Canadian Heritage and with the Tomorrow Starts Today program."

"Each year, the official opposition can request that a Minister come before Parliament to defend their portfolio's spending. This year, PACT has been advised that the Conservative Party has targeted the Heritage Department and will spend four hours questioning the value of the Department's direct spending (for example on the programs including Stabilization, Cultural Spaces Canada, and Arts Presenters that are part of the "Tomorrow Starts Today" package) - and, possibly, funding to cultural agencies, including The Canada Council.  The Conservatives have indicated that their concerns revolve around accountability, measurable results, whether the Department's spending programs are beneficial to the community, and whether they promote sustainability. They are preparing to mount the same attack on the extension of "Tomorrow Starts Today" when it comes up for renewal."

"This information was obtained at a luncheon Friday November 12 th from the Minister of Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla through st af f of PACT Member the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People."

Further, CCA strongly encourages its members and member organizations from throughout the sector to not only write the leader of the Conservative Party ( Harper.S@parl.gc.ca ), but to also send concrete examples of how TST works -- and should be continued! -- to all the parties' Canadian Heritage critics in the House of Commons, including the Parliamentary Secretary. Please address your letters to the following Parliamentarians as well, and copy CCA :

- Charlie Angus, New Democratic Party: Angus.C@parl.gc.ca

- Maka Kotto , Bloq Qu é becois : Kotto.M@parl.gc.ca

- Bev Oda, Conservative Party: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca

- Hon. Sarmite Bulte , Parliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage, Liberal Party: Bulte.S@parl.gc.ca

"The non-renewal of TST would put thousands of projects at risk and af fect employment in the arts across the country. It would drastically reduce Canadians' access to their culture," says Jean Malavoy , CCA National Director.  " CCA recently sent each of the 308 Members of Parliament a copy of the book The Art of Development and the Development of Art: A Powerful Partnership - Business, Community and the Arts , by Silver Donald Cameron.  We urge MPs to take the time to read this small book and learn just how valuable a role the arts play in Canadian communities."

The time to advocate is now. tomorrow may be too late!

For more information:

Kevin Desjardins

Communications and Public Relations Manager

(613) 238 3561 ext.11

Fax (613) 238 4849

info@ccarts.ca

www.ccarts.ca

56/04

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