Dear Members of the Canadian Conference of the Arts,

It is with pleasure that I invite you to the Canadian Conference of the Arts’ Annual General Meeting which will take place in Ottawa on Monday, June 18, 2012 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Capital Hill Hotel, 88 Albert Street (between Elgin and Metcalfe).

Given the current challenges facing the CCA, this will give you an opportunity to meet the Board of Governors, and to be informed on the CCA’s activities, plans, priorities and progress so far. Here is the meeting agenda.

We ask that you arrive at 3:45 p.m. to check in and confirm your voting status. The meeting will start at 4:00 sharp and should take no longer than 45 minutes. A reception will follow during which you will have an opportunity to discuss informally with the Board and with the Secretariat Staff.

Please R.S.V.P. by June 8, 2012 by e-mail to louise.rochon@ccarts.ca. If you cannot attend, we strongly encourage you to fill out the proxy designation form.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Alain Pineau

National Director

Canadian Conference of the Arts

Yes, we’re still here, and it’s high time that I reported our recent weeks’ activities!

Just like Mark Twain (and many others since), the CCA would like to say that rumours of its death have been greatly exaggerated! Upon hearing the recent news, some may have jumped to the conclusion that the CCA was folding its tent. Neither the board nor the staff has thrown in the towel and we’re working at full steam ahead to implement our 2012-2017 business plan and to ensure the financial independence of the organization. We are motivated by the strong conviction that you should not lose this unique instrument in your common pursuit of a healthy cultural sector.

We have received confirmation from concerned parties that there is a real need for an umbrella organization, like the CCA, which plays a role unparalleled in the Canadian arts, cultural and heritage sector. You have told us your needs and priorities. We have a detailed business plan, which in three years at most, should guarantee the financial stability of the CCA. We have specific projects, and we have current and eventual partners.

There is no doubt that the transition funding granted to us by the federal government is not enough. We had received the support of officials for a reasonable request for funding over two years, but political authorities have decided otherwise. While we believe that eventually we can generate enough income through membership and our seven other sources, identified in the business plan, the organization cannot keep afloat in this transition period without the injection of new funds. The support received from Heritage provides us with a foundation on which to build. We have identified at least one possible funding source that, within the next six months, will help bridge the transition funding. But we need more and faster. These pressing realities keep us extremely busy, since I must admit that time is not in our favour

As indicated by our president in her message from April 23^rd, we need to be able to count on the support of everyone to succeed in our venture. The vote of confidence shown by your renewing your membership is one of the first conditions for success. We have already received many such expressions of support, backed up by a cheque. I have undertaken to contact all of our organizational members to confirm their commitment to the CCA. I am happy to report that so far I have received nothing but positive reactions.

We are working on the launch of a Together CCA! campaign. We have identified new initiatives and possible partners that we are busy validating. Today, we invite all our members, organizational as well as individual, to answer a short online questionnaire related to this initiative. I want to wholeheartedly thank the Canadian Dance Assembly for being the first one to commit to support our campaign.

Another major initiative:  the creation of a Founders Circle consisting of individuals, corporations, and unions sharing the convictions of the CCA Founders who, 67 years ago, believed in the necessity of a national organization to promote and develop the arts, cultural and heritage sector in our country. The Founders Circle will comprise all those who, between April 2012 and March 2015, will have made a major financial contribution to the transition plan

On another front, we are working on promising projects that generated great interest during our consultations, particularly in terms of arguments for the promotion of the cultural cause at all levels of government and with patrons. Last week I had the privilege of participating in a round table in Winnipeg organized by ACI Manitoba, to discuss cultural statistics and the reliable evidence needed to support arguments in favour of the arts, culture and heritage sector. Based on this template, we are developing a project of regional round tables leading up to a national round table on this subject of primary importance.

We are also working in partnership with our colleagues at the University of Ottawa on the publication of an annual report on the federal, provincial and territorial budgets from the perspective of the arts, cultural industries and heritage. Not to mention the national conference project that I will bring back to the front burner as soon as our immediate financial footing has been assured.

As you can see, we are not idle! Allow me to say it once again: we cannot succeed without you. Please respond to our short questionnaire  to tell us how you can help the CCA and thus contribute to shaping Canada’s vibrant future for arts and culture.

I thank you advance for your participation! CCA Together!

-Alain

1. pay by cheque $N
2. pay in monthly instalments $N/12*4%+0.30
3. pay your annual membership in one lump sum $N/12*3%+0.30

May 3, 201

The CCA continues to identify the cultural impacts of federal budget. On April 30th, several departments and agencies announced a third wave of cuts to the federal public service. Today, the statistics we need and impacts on collective memory.

Statistics Canada – Will the Cultural Sector be Deprived of Essential Data?

Additional cuts at Statistics Canada ($33.9 million between now and 2014-2015) will push many employees out the door. More than 2300 employees have received notice that their job is at risk with the final elimination of 270 positions. Over the last few years, successive budget cuts at Stats Can have seriously affected the organization. The reductions resulting from the 2008 cuts were for the most part absorbed through internal restructuring and increasing efficiencies. Last year the agency, like other agencies and departments, had to take measures to face three years of inflation on goods and services and salary increases. And to the loss of $33.9 million announced in the 2012-2013 budget, one must add the impact on Stats Can of the cuts imposed in other departments, which are its main clients (including Canadian Heritage) and which, through cost recovery, contribute 20% of the agency’s budget.

Although culture statistics at Stats Can have known a slow decline, particularly since the cuts of the mid-90s, the cultural sector hasn’t suffered too much of those of more recent years. Still, useful surveys like radio and television viewership were abandoned, depriving Canadians of an important tool for analysis. But, the sector is impacted  by other decisions by the government which have little to do with the budget. The decision to put an end to the long form census is bound to affect the information available to the cultural sector, to the government and to society in general when trying to assess and plan policies.

For now, it is too early to know precisely how the cuts announced on Monday will play out. One thing is certain however, Stats Can predicts that several economic indicators will disappear from the landscape and the agency has already warned that the country’s economic overview each month will be more limited. According to many economists and researchers these cuts cannot be applied without harming the collection of data.

On the good news side, Canadian Heritage confirms that the project for a satellite account for culture statistics continues on its merry way. The third phase of the feasibility study sponsored by the department has been successfully completed and the fourth and final phase is on its way. This means that by March 2013, we should have a completed template. It remains to be seen what future government decisions hold for this key project for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors. First question: will some of the key data for this account still be collected by the Service Industries Division of Stats Canada, which took over responsibility of the culture surveys further to the 2008 reorganization within the agency? For the moment, we don’t know the impact that the cuts announced this week will have on this part of Stats Can.

Heritage

The good news announced previously on national museums and the program in The Magazine from April 26th, does not mean that the heritage sector has been spared completely. The decisions that are emerging tend to show otherwise, even while the government focuses on the commemoration of historical events they have deemed important.

Parks Canada: Impacts on Local Tourism?

Our parks and historic sites are a key element of the tourism industry, it seems apparent that many of our national parks are not getting enough visitors. This helps to justify that 1689 positions at Parks Canada have been declared at risk. Changed from the jurisdiction of Heritage to Environment Canada a few years ago, the agency is responsible for national historical sites like the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. In order to save money, the agency is converting many of the remaining employees from full-time to part-time seasonal work.  Furthermore,  Some Parks such as the Forges de St-Maurice have already announced the elimination of guided tours and a shorter season. Even one of the jewels of Parks Canada, the Fortress of Louisbourg, will not be spared.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC): Consequences for our Collective History

There have been severe cuts at LAC which will obviously have an impact on the institution’s ability to preserve our heritage and serve as our continuing memory. After this third wave being sent out, 43% (234 employees) of  Public Service Alliance of Canada members who work at Library and Archives Canada have been given notices.  LAC  has confirmed that 20% of its workforce or 105 positions will be eliminated. The situation was already far from rosy at LAC and things have certainly not improved.

Department of Canadian Heritage

Of the 1777 employees at the Heritage Department, 190 have received their notices. Over the next three years 275 positions will be eliminated 111 of which are vacant positions.

Understanding Canada: Canadian Studies

Now, if foreign students want to study our country, they must do so entirely at their own expense. This thirty year-old program has been abolished. Last Monday, the embassies and high-commissioners called beneficiaries of the program to announce its elimination. One of our partners the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States will be deprived of $95,000 per year. A campaign to lobby the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs has already begun.

April 27, 2012

In the wake of the budget presented on March 29, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled yesterday a Bill that puts into place some the budget initiatives. Food inspection has attracted a great deal of attention but in the cultural sector there are two measures in particular that we would like to highlight.

Dissolution of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal (CAPPRT)

The dissolution of the CAPPRT was not a major surprise, although it had not been hinted at. It hadn’t been announced in the budget, but it had been expected to happen sooner or later. While the CAPPRT’s responsibilities will be transferred to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Status of the Artist Act will still be the basis of the decision. In fact, the only amendment to the Act consists in replacing the word Tribunal with the word Board. When asked about this issue, our members, agreed that the fact that the Status of the Artist Act remains the basis of the decision making mitigates concerns that the needs of the cultural sector may not be heard. It is worth noting that in Québec, the Commission for the recognition of artists’ associations and producers associations (CRAAAP) was transferred to the Labour Relations Commission in 2009 and it seems that stakeholders are reasonably satisfied with the results.

Nonetheless several of the players in the cultural sector would at least like to see some of the expertise on the Tribunal transferred to the Canada Industrial Relations Board. The Heritage Minister was the one who named the members of the Tribunal, and although they did not all have experience in the arts, and this fact alone provided some comfort to stakeholders. The cultural sector would be pleased to see the staff of the Tribunal transferred to the Board in order to ensure a smooth transition that would be consistent with the spirit of the Status of the Artist Act.

We are still not clear on when the Tribunal will be dissolved but transition measures have been put in place. Processes still in progress with the Tribunal will be transferred to the Board and considered as part of their portfolio.

In short, no fear for chaos at this point.

Charitable Organizations

The Bill also confirms the announcements made in the budget regarding changes to the regulations relating to charitable organizations. There are modifications to the rules on registering a foreign charity as a qualified donee; changes to rules used to determine the extent to which a charity has exercised political activities, and measures giving the Minister of Revenue the authority to suspend the privilege of issuing tax receipts for any registered charity that violates certain regulations.

The Bill expands the definition of political activity to include gifting to a donee to support political activities and provides some further regulations in regard to how funds may be dispersed to qualified donees. The CCA will be monitoring the changes and will keep you informed on the impacts for charitable organizations.

France and Germany

France and Germany are the only two countries that do not plan on cutting cultural funding. Surprisingly the budget for the Ministry in France has increased by 0.9% compared to 2011, for a total increase of €7.4 million. An example of their spending is the opening of the Palais de Tokyo that just took place on April 20^th in Paris, and the former 1937 World Expo Pavillion was reconstructed to become the biggest arts centre in Europe (it’s bigger than 3 soccer fields!) France is very fortunate when we compare their budget to the ones in the UK, where the arts council was cut nearly 30%, or the Netherlands where the cultural budget was cut by 25%. Germany increased their national cultural budget by 5.1% for 2012.

Netherlands

The centre-right coalition plans to cut the cultural budget by 25% (€200 million) by January 2013. Taxes on tickets for cultural events will rise from 6 to 19%, although sporting events, zoo and circuses are being exempted.

Denmark

Denmark is seeing their cultural budget cut by 5% this year.

Britain

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has seen their budget slashed by 24%, going from  £1.9 million to £1.1 million in 2014-15 as part of the wide-scale government cuts. Approximately 41% of the savings will be made in the department’s administration costs, including the abolition or substantial reform of a total of 19 of DCMS’s 55 existing quasi non-governmental organizations), including the UK Film Council and the Theatres Trust (which ill continue as an independent charity).

The end result to “front line” arts organizations will be limited to 15% cuts over the next four years. The biggest damage has been done to the Arts Council England, which was downsized by nearly 30% last year. Such a reduction in arts funding will force 1 in every 10 cultural organizations to close.

A positive step from the government has been a boost to the creative industries sector. By April 2013, tax breaks for TV and animation aim to reverse a trend of UK productions being made overseas and attract foreign companies to make their programs in the UK. Tax relief for video games could help increase the sector’s contribution to the UK economy by £280 million over the next five years.

 Greece

The burglaries in the national and municipal galleries in February, as well as the armed robbery at the museum Olympia on March 5^th, have exposed weaknesses in the protection of cultural heritage sites across the country. These weaknesses have been made worse by the so-called austerity program that is slashing all national public service budgets.

The Greek minister of culture has decided to cut funding for museum security by 20%. According to a new law, the Greek government is also planning personnel cuts of 30-50% at the Ministry of Culture.

Italy

A total budget of  €1.8 million for culture is not enough to preserve eroding historical sites like the Coliseum or the collapsing archeological sites in Pompeii (both of which are on the UNESCO world heritage sites list). The Coliseum seeks its salvation at the hands of shoe magnate Della Valle, who own Tod’s shoe brand, and promised to invest €25 million into its revitalization. The budgets of La Scala and the famous Piccolo Teatro have been cut €17 million. Although Italians claim the half of the world’s heritage can be found on the Apennine peninsula, the government earmarked only 0.21% of the national budget for culture, while an average of 1% is common for most the EU countries.

Spain

Spain is currently facing an unemployment rate of 23% (the highest in the EU) and is taking all measures along with its Portuguese neighbours to stay in the Eurozone. The cultural sector in Spain contributes nearly 4% of the GDP and employs 2.8$ of Spanish workers.

The Film Institute, which is responsible for aid to Spanish cinema, will have its budget reduced 35% from €106 million to €69 million according the new 2012 budget.  The second highest cut, which is by 17%, will be to the Performing Arts and Music and the National Library will suffer a 14% decrease. The overall cuts to the cultural budget add up to 15%.

Czech Republic

The right-wing coalition government is considering abolishing three departments – the Ministry of Culture not withstanding. The Czech Republic invests only around a mere 0.6% to culture. The government relies on EU programs that predominantly help the performing arts to survive. The country would be on the list of EU countries the have no ministry of culture along with Hungary, Austria, Finland, and recently Portugal. The Czech Republic competes with its Eastern European counterparts at attracting film crews from the West. The film industry incentives account for 800 million Crowns (€32.3 million).

Barbora Polachova  is a student in the Czech Republic who worked for the CCA in the context of an internship project with the European Union.

Sources

Creative industries boost

http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/8932.aspx

Budget

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2012_documents.htm

http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831287575074/Cuts%3A+DCMS+%A31.1bn+Leads+to+Arts+Council+Slash.html

Arts Council England Cuts:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/mar/29/dance-companies-stricken-by-cuts?newsfeed=true

FRANCE

French budget:

http://www.google.cz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediatheque.cite-musique.fr%2FMediaComposite%2Fcim%2F_Pdf%2F70_15_MCC_Budget2012.pdf&ei=l_yLT_WgGYvNsgbYl4n3Cw&usg=AFQjCNEX3ZHxkF373S6ReZxaiO2YWtm38A&sig2=qQ-sJ3Fpz9JTeYUvR9Ot1A

http://www.artmediaagency.com/en/28969/ministry-of-culture-2012-budget-revealed/

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120416/GJLIFESTYLES/120419757/-1/foslifestyles

DENMARK

Danish budget (in Danish)

http://www.oes-cs.dk/bevillingslove/doctopic?book=BEVPUBL.FL12T&topic=OVERSIGTER&searchtype=3

EU                                                                                                                                 

New York Times: In Europe, Where Art Is Life, Axe Falls on Public Financing

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/world/europe/the-euro-crisis-is-hurting-cultural-groups.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

GREECE                                                                                                                               

Thefts in Olympia museum

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hR-W-JfvTKIKHroLa9TqsZ43QV_w?docId=CNG.d72e93e3cfba7b2709847c896608ce74.461

Greece- austerity measures

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56318

SPAIN                                                                                                                          

Spanish film industry cut by 35% (in Spanish)

http://www.ecartelera.com/noticias/10441/pp-reduce-ayudas-cine-35-presupuestos-2012/