Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, September 09, 2011

City arts grants at risk

A proposal drafted at Toronto City Hall to slash all funding to major arts organizations is sending shock waves through Toronto’s cultural world, the Star has learned.

The proposal, prepared by city manager Joe Pennachetti in response to a request from Mayor Rob Ford’s office, is intended to be presented at a meeting of the city’s executive committee on Sept. 19.

If passed by city council, the plan would eliminate more than $6 million of annual funding that goes directly to 10 of the city’s top arts organizations, including the Toronto International Film Festival, which opened Thursday.

The leaders of those organizations have scheduled a summit meeting on Friday morning at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, convened by the Toronto Arts Council. (The council hands out $10 million in arts grants from the city, but the $6 million for the major groups comes directly from city hall.)

“Nothing is official and I haven’t seen anything on paper, but the newest recommendation would most certainly affect major arts organizations in a dramatic way,” said Claire Hopkinson, executive director of the arts council. “It would involve alarming reductions to a number of arts organizations. . . . We feel it is important to let the people of Toronto know and appreciate the importance of funding for the arts from the city.”

For that reason, the art council, in collaboration with Business for the Arts, is organizing a news conference at Roy Thomson Hall next Thursday.

Representatives of TIFF, the National Ballet and the Canadian Opera Company said they would certainly feel the loss of the city money.

“We currently receive $800,000 from the city, and we have had a great working relationship with the city under current and past administrations,” said Jennifer Bell, TIFF’s vice-president in charge of communications.

“Our year-round activities bring in $170 million in independently measured economic impact. The city’s funding goes to great use supporting our year-round initiatives . . . with only a small portion going to the festival. A fair amount of our funding goes directly back to the city (through paid duty officers, permits, passes to the city, etc.)”

Kevin Garland, executive director of the National Ballet of Canada, said, “It would be a huge setback if the city pulled the rug out now.

“There was a tremendous commitment and investment to our cultural infrastructure from private donors as well as governments, and the result was we have built a cultural scene that we can be proud of, which makes this city a tourist destination and delivers major economic impact.”

“If we lost our grant from the city, we would have to become a different kind of company,” said Alexander Neef, general director of the Canadian Opera Company.

Hopkinson says there are other options under consideration and she hopes the city will be persuaded not to adopt the worst-case scenario, especially if the implications are made clear.

“I can’t imagine city council would approve drastic cuts,” says Jeff Melanson, who has been the mayor’s adviser on the arts since November 2010. “And if it did happen, I would feel betrayed.”

Ford agreed there would be no cuts to the arts to get Melanson to work as his adviser. And city council gave its blessing to a long-term culture plan calling for the city to increase its arts funding.

But these days Melanson has little contact with the mayor; at the end of this month he will leave Toronto and his job as co-CEO of the National Ballet School to take a job at the Banff Centre.

Calls to the mayor’s chief of staff and other city officials were not returned.

AT RISK: CITY GRANTS TO CULTURAL MAJORS

Canadian Opera Company: $1,317,015

National Ballet of Canada: $1,148,600

Toronto Symphony Orchestra: $1,134,036

TIFF: $800,000

AGO: $540,000

Caribana: $494,190

Luminato: $200,000

National Ballet School: $137,332

Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art: $135,980

Pride Toronto: $123,807

Origin
Source: Toronto Star 

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