CALL FOR MEMBERSHIP
The Department of Culture wants you as a member.
Anyone interested in organizing, doing research, writing, making graphics, videos, blitzing
ridings, attending all-candidates meetings, marching in the streets or
contributing funds should contact: membership@departmentofculture.ca
If an election is called, we will establish swing teams to unseat
Conservatives in every city across the country. If there is no election,
the same teams will be organized to criticize, challenge and creatively
pressure the government to change their policies.
This event is as much about funding cuts to women's groups, youth training
programs, harm reduction programs, food inspection, environmental
organizations and health policy, as it is about cuts to arts funding. It
should not be too much to expect a decent society to live in, one that
prioritizes the welfare of it citizens before the wealth of a few. We are
placing the issue of defunding arts and culture in relation to vast cuts to
Canada's social safety net made by a socially irresponsible Conservative
government. We are bringing artists together to:
* Lend our creative and organizational skills to the goal of
unseating Conservative MPs from government
* Ensure that the electorate is intelligently informed about the
policies and issues
* Hold other parties and candidates to task for their social and
cultural agendas;
* Make alliances with other like-minded communities and organizations.
What's the background?
The recent wave of cuts by the Conservative government has sent shockwaves
throughout an already resource-strapped arts community. Since taking power
in 2006, the Conservative Government has eliminated almost $60 Million from
Cultural and Heritage Granting Programs.
The most recent cuts:
* The PromArt Program, $4.7 million (administered by the Department
of Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
* Trade Routes, $9 million, Department of Canadian Heritage
* Stabilization Projects and Capacity Building, of the Canadian Arts
and Heritage Sustainability Program, $3.4 Million
* Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, $1.5 million
* National Training Program in the Film and Video Sector, $2.5 million
* $300,000 to the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, for
programs archiving important film, television and musical recordings.
* Canadian New Media Fund, $14.5 million
This event is brought to you by the DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE: Franco Boni,
Izida Zorde, Heather Haynes, Darren O'Donnell, Gregory Elgstrand, Sara
Graham, Graham F. Scott, Roy Mitchell, Naomi Campbell, Anthea Foyer,
Michael Wheeler, Brenda Goldstein.