"Rounding Error" My letter to Premier Campbell

July 8, 2009

Dear Mr. Premier,

I was a member of a small group of people who met with you in your Vancouver office just prior to you becoming Premier to speak about the role of the Arts in BC. We discussed levels of funding and in particular, support to the BC Arts Council and how critical it was to the life of so many organizations and individuals throughout the British Columbia.

I remember that you were very interested to learn that the budget for the BC Arts Council was about 13 million dollars. Your comment on that was, “in the overall budget, it’s a rounding error.” Though this was a relatively small amount, its importance to so many organizations could not be understated.

The funding to the BC Arts Council has increased since then, very thankfully, and anyone in the arts community is very grateful for it—not just those who are directly supported but the many more who are indirectly supported.

I understand that the plan is to greatly reduce the funding to the BC Arts Council in the coming year. I strongly urge you to reconsider this direction. The effect to the economy of the cultural sector in BC will be devastating. Equally as devastating will be the result to the quality of life in communities all around BC by reduced activity, laid off staff, fewer artists employed, less cultural “product” and myriad other adverse side-effects.

I am now a graphic designer who caters to the cultural sector and I’m a consultant who assists many arts organizations (I was once a touring artist working in schools and communities all over BC as well as an executive director of both a provincial and national non-profit). Now, I am one of the individuals who receives work from organizations supported by the BC Arts Council which means my livelihood will be affected financially should cuts be made. That’s my selfish reason for writing to you.

On a less “selfish” level, because I work with arts presenters from Terrace to Cranbrook, Golden to Port Hardy, I see first-hand how cuts would be so detrimental to the really meaningful and rich life these organizations provide in their communities.

With the financial crisis at hand, I know you and your government have a very difficult road in front of you but I also know from what you told us at our meeting that the arts is vitally important to you. I have on many occasions convinced colleagues that “Gordon Campbell really ‘gets it’” when it comes to the importance of the arts because of the passion with which you spoke.

I hope you will carry that same passion that you expressed into the budget planning process and continue the support to the BC Arts Council at current levels.

Sincerely,

John McLachlan