Music BC Calls on Performers, fans to Protest Arts Funding Cuts

Music B.C. is calling on it's members to take action to protest severe cuts to the arts planned by the province. In terms of music the organization says that the cuts could mean a 100% cut to MusicBC and a $100,000 travel assistance program and $40,000 in support for the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMAs).

There are two ways we are asking for your support:

1.If you are a performer - On Saturday August 29th, as a show of solidarity, we are asking all artists to perform 50% of a piece, and tell the audience why you stopped.

2.You can also send a letter, and keep sending letters, talking about the impact of proposed funding cuts on your community by writing to pertinent elected officials. Office addresses on each elected official’s web pages (emails below). Make sure these arrive by August 26th at the latest to have an impact on this decision.

Arts - Minister Kevin Krueger - Kevin.kruegermla@leg.bc.ca
Premier Gordon Campbell - premier@gov.bc.ca
Minister of Finance Colin Hansen colin.hansen.mla@leg.bc.ca

We ask your support in taking the message to your local MLA - if at all possible, in a face-to-face meeting. Clearly these funding issues affect many arts organizations in the province. To get more information on your local MLA, you can go to http://www.leg.bc.ca/MLA.

You can read the full Call to Action and other suggested steps at http://www.musicbc.org/?p=1342.

As a side note I understand that there is a deep and ongoing recession, however the province seems to have no trouble in continually finding additional funds for the Olympics so certainly the province can find the funds to maintain its other existing programs and services - right? I mean it would be especially irresponsible to cut the arts because "for every dollar invested in the arts, the province gets back $1.38 in taxes" (source).