Provincial budget skips increases to B.C. Arts Council

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      In the case of this week's 2017-18 provincial budget, it was more about what they didn't say than what they did.

      When finance minister Michael de Jong presented the B.C. government's February 21, he made no mention of increases to the B.C. Arts Council.

      The B.C. Alliance for Arts and Culture had called for an immediate investment of $8.1 million in the arts council and a doubling of its budget over the next three years.

      The standing committee on finance had backed up those increases in its budget recommendations to the government last fall. Among its suggestions:

      • Increase provincial per capita funding to support the growing number of artists in BC and the vibrant creative economy, and provide increased, stable, multi-year funding for arts, culture and heritage organizations to promote, educate and support BC’s arts community;
      • Ensure local communities can access provincial and federal funding to celebrate and promote Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation celebrations in 2017;
      • Restore gaming grants to 2008 levels ($156 million from the current $134 million) and provide incremental increases as gaming revenues increase.

      The government has now given a $5 million boost to Community Gaming Grants.

      "The Alliance is disappointed that the 2017 provincial budget did not include an increase to the BC Arts Council despite a two billion dollar surplus and the highest provincial GDP in the country," said Brenda Leadlay, Alliance executive director, in a statement posted today on the Alliance's site. "Culture GDP represents 3% of the BC economy and the arts and culture sector employs over 81,000 cultural workers across the province. Despite these facts and three years of recommendations by the Standing Committee on Finance for increases to the BC Arts Council, the BC government is either not listening or the cultural sector is not doing enough to make our voices heard."

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