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Cultural Emergency Mission Statement

Cultural Emergency is a newly-formed, nation-wide
coalition of arts organizations, artists, and sup­
porters, organizing around federal, provincial and
municipal arts cutbacks. Initiated by the Independ­
ent Film & Video Alliance, Cultural Emergency is
dedicated to the preservation of an independent
Canadian cultural sector through activism and
public education.

. Non-corporate culture is under attack in Canada.
Federal arts funding, hovering at 1.3% of the
federal budget, has been cut by over 40% in the
past decade. Gone: the NFB Lab, Studio D Wom­
en's Film Program, Coach House Press, programs
for emerging artists, funding for arts service
organizations... Threatened: small presses, inde­
pendent film/video production, public broadcast­
ing, arms length funding for artists. Yet deep cuts
to CBC, Canada Council, the Book Publishing
Program, and provincial transfer payments con­
tinue. In 1998, the BC government plans to cut
arts funding by 25% , and has made major cuts in
transfers·to municipalities.
Like health, welfare, and education, arts funding
has never contributed to a national deficit. Cana­
da's per capita arts spending is among the lowest
in the developed world. These cuts are unjustifi­
able.

It's tim1:! for Canadians to speak up for arts fund­
ing. We want a thriving and diverse cultural sector
to be part of a thriving, diversified Canadian
economy. We want to see Canadian independent
film, video, dance, theatre, music, and visual art
on our movie screens and televisions, and in our
galleries. We want artists to be renumerated for
their work. We demand that governments actively
support the arts and restore adequate funding to
the ·cultural sector.
Otherwise, the damage done to Canadian Culture
may be terminal. It's a cultural emergency.

Rt. Hon. Jean
Prime Minister of '-a,,:H1\:1�:
1
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario

Gariid�;� �t c:�ii1 spending on the

arts is among the lowest in the devel­
oped world.

KIA 0A6

Dear Prime !j:inist�r,..

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I am writing �l!e1�����
��tJ�i,�;��
to ongoing, dey��pitirig9ytb�9�stp : / /
Canada' s arts arid cutJflif sed!6rfr ?
<

In particular, I wish to urge that funding
to Canasli•½9Yf1cil
imr,ediatelyt
·
restor,g�Fto ·19ij;1,si ie�eis.

Ju�

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Cuts to the NFB have forced the clo-

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by more than 40 per cent since 1984Since 1994-95, your government has
cut $339 million fro.dMtultur�J:fuHditjg.
The magnitude of �¢�i:cu�f/�eriously .:
threatens indeperyi@ot.Iiw1t•tj. r�1 expis�/f
.,
sion in this coun,t,ijy.

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Ch mb'ers

Please 1sten to the voices
•
of Canad'1ans
who want adequate, stable fund/.n& for
t'"'i''"�· ' {''''.""'
arts and culture. Thank you fo�itl
r
to this ma e .

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.

Jane Q. Joe, voter
address

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Cineworks
Wayde Compton
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Ved a Hille
Lea nne Johnson

Norman Na wrock i
NOW Orchestra
Judy Radul
Jeannette
Reinh a rdt
C a rolyn Reitzel
M a rgaret
Reynolds
Randy Rotheisler
Peter Sandma rk
Glen S a nford
S a wagi Taiko
Al a n Sism a n
Andrea· T hompson
Vancouver Public

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"The collective creative

drive we call culture is our
identity. Nothing else

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next generation."

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Susan Crean, author
"The Canada Council is the
most important source of fund­
ing for innovative film and
videomaking in this country.
t
Withou it Canadian film/video
,
projects will languish fo want
r
of star t -up funding."
John Greyson , Genie awar d­
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winning filmmaker

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cit culpr t, they might be less

willing to accept the drastic

spending cuts."

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Mavis Gallant

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Cultural Emer gen c

Artsp e

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