Proposed Budget Cuts to Arts and Culture.

This is Serious!

Please be assured that the current proposal for cuts to Arts and Culture in the next Ottawa budget is something to be very concerned about. Many of you survived the 2004 budget where we campaigned, rallied, wrote and made ourselves heard. You may have been under the impression that this “once in a lifetime” mobilization for local arts and culture would have lasting value. This was reinforced with additional investment from the City through the Arts Investment Strategy.

First and foremost everyone must contact their Councillors and make sure that your friends, families and colleagues do the same. Tell your stories, make it real and make yourself heard. The following sample letter can be cut and pasted in an e-mail to your Councillor and please c.c. Mayor O'Brien. You are also encouraged to add your own thoughts. Why are the arts important to you? What affect will these cuts have on you and your community? Feel free to use some of the thoughts that are provided, but it is always best to speak from your own experience.

Allot some time to contribute to upcoming initiatives of arts support. My Ottawa STILL includes Culture!

Sample letter

November 2008

Councillor - Ward – City of Ottawa, 110 Laurier Avenue W. Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

Dear Councillor _________,

As your constituent and a voter, I am writing to express my dismay with the current cuts to cultural funding proposed in the City of Ottawa's 2009 Draft Budget. To have targeted cuts ranging from 10% to 100% to one of our city's most vulnerable sectors, demonstrates a complete lack of vision and respect for the work that has been accomplished by our local arts, heritage and festival communities in cooperation with Ottawa City Council.

With a City Budget of $2.5 billion, it is incomprehensible that solutions are being sought through such destructive measures. This is the second time in five years that the city staff who prepared this draft budget, have attacked the arts disproportionately. To be looking at slashing the cultural sector to make a difference of one-fifth of one per-cent of the total budget defies logic.

In 2004, the local cultural community faced a similar crisis as the City of Ottawa presented the 2004 Draft Budget. The residents of this city responded to members of City Council in overwhelming numbers and the final decision was to reinstate the proposed 80% to 100% cut to cultural programs on a vote of 20 to 2.

Since that time the arts, heritage and festival stakeholders have worked together to establish investment and sustainability programs that have helped to build increased stability. Ottawa City Council has been involved in that process and approved every step over the past five years.

It is shortsighted to cut the current investment to 286 cultural organizations and projects, cancel the next phase of cultural investment, cancel cultural achievement awards and halt cultural facilities funding. If these options are accepted we will experience profound changes that will affect the quality of life in Ottawa. We stand to lose some of our most creative talent as artists and cultural workers move to other cities in search of employment and opportunity. The message that these cuts send locally, nationally and internationally is that of a desperate city, lacking in local identity and unwilling to support a creative sector that generates economic and social returns.

The vast majority of Ottawa's local cultural activity is delivered by the resident artists and cultural groups in the community who use their municipal investments to leverage additional support. Ottawa's local arts, festival and fair sector directly generates and spends $41.3 million in Ottawa collectively on an annual basis. Cultural activities produced by local arts, heritage, festival and fair programs, annually attracts 2.8 million participants.

As your constituent, I want you to represent my concerns. I will be following the outcome of the City of Ottawa 2009 Budget and trust that the work and value of our cultural community will be respected in your vote.

Sincerely,

Name
Address