From the desk of the National Director: New Year and Renewal
First things first: there is still time to wish all of you health, fortitude and serenity for 2012. I’m afraid we will all need that and then some!
Everyone knows that the beginning of a new year is a time for renewal. This is especially true for the CCA this year: 2012 will go down in its long history as the year we recreated the CCA to ensure that it continue its unique contribution to the welfare of the Canadian arts, culture and heritage communities. Faced with the expected decision of the federal government to put an end to 45 years of funding to the CCA, we decided to embrace the opportunity to reinvent the business model of the organization to make it financially self-sufficient.
We all know the numerous and important contributions the arts make to Canada’s communities, our economy and our international reputation. Since World War II, we have collectively established a diverse and thriving art and cultural sector across this vast and under populated country. At the beginning of the millennium, the Canadian cultural sector is facing considerable changes: the ever evolving technology, the globalization of the economy, communications that bring the world to your home, the socio-demographic transformation of our country, the cross-fertilisation of cultures and significant changes in political winds. Now more than ever before, there is a need for greater cohesion in the Canadian arts, culture and heritage sector.
It is based on this conviction that our Board of Governors and all of us at the Secretariat have been working hard over the past seven months to ensure that now, more than ever, the CCA meets the needs of its membership and plays its unique role for the Canadian arts, culture and heritage communities. After November and December’s consultations in Montréal, Toronto and Ottawa, I start a country-wide tour on Monday, January 9 which will take me from Victoria, B.C. to St-John’s, Newfoundland by the middle of February. After each stop, I will post an account of the conversations with members and stakeholders. You will find my full itinerary here. Further details will be made available as they are firmed up.
Still under the banner of renewal, welcome to the soft launch of the revamped CCA website. It’s obvious: our website has a new look. But the real change is in the approach, not only in the appearance. While we’ve modernized the design, we’ve also enhanced the user experience. As time goes by, more content and features will be added. This launch also marks the inaugural issue of the CCA’s monthly webzine, The Magazine, yet another milestone in our journey on the electronic highway and in the rebirth of the CCA. The launch of The Magazine is the culmination of a process that began nine months ago to modernize a website which, let’s face it, had become quite antiquated and not very user-friendly! The CCA is taking advantage of technological advances to enhance delivery of our message as well as delivery of services to our members… and to offer a fresher face to the world!
We want to hear your thoughts on this website, on cultural policy issues and on prospects for the arts, culture and heritage sector. Keep talking to us and we will continue to work for your interests. You can get messages to me by phone, e-mail, Twitter and over the coming weeks, even, in person, as I tour our wintry country!
Before moving on, allow me to express my deep gratitude to the tremendous efforts of the CCA staff but most especially, Jessica Litwin and Mathangi Raman. Without their help, this project would not have got off the ground or even advanced as rapidly as it did. Jessica and Mathangi are pursuing opportunities in other parts of the world now. We hope they are reading this message from their new homes!
While we strive to re-launch the CCA, life goes on! For the past several months, the CCA has been involved in the reform of the Copyright Act. We have been successful in coordinating efforts to come up with a joint set of proposed amendments to Bill C-11 which should be communicated to the government and to parliamentarians in the coming weeks. This is an unprecedented initiative which illustrates perfectly what the unique contribution of the CCA as convener and consensus builder. So far, over 70 organizations across Canada have added their signatures to the proposal.
Also, these past weeks, we have been involved in coordinating responses to the consultation launched by Revenue Canada on its proposed Guidelines for arts organizations and charitable registration under the Income Tax Act. This guidance reflects an updated interpretation of the applicable law and clarifies the position and practice of the Charities Directorate on matters related to the eligibility of arts organizations for charitable registration. We have been able to secure a prolongation of the consultation period to February 10, 2012. This was initially scheduled to end January 17. We will publish more information on this file, so keep an eye on your e-mail and on our website!
My next blog will come to you the week of January 9th from British Columbia!