Make Art History, a new group dedicated to fostering discussion around art and culture, is putting on Now What?—the first public symposium to tackle provincial arts funding cuts.

“We want to stimulate discourse,” said curator Victor Wang, executive director of Make Art History. Wang composed four questions for the six panellists—who include Vancouver International Fringe Festival executive director David Jordan, Contemporary Art Gallery board president Bruce Haden, and artist, writer, and curator Kate Armstrong—to be asked by the moderator, Spencer Chandra Herbert, the NDP’s critic for tourism, culture, and the arts. The discussion will examine long-term strategies to create a more sustainable art system.

“We need to create movement in this unexpected situation,” Wang said, referring to provincial funding cutbacks. “We shouldn’t wait for—or rely on—the government to act in support of the arts.” The panellists will also set an action plan.

The symposium takes place on June 25 at 151 West Cordova Street from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.