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DAILY NEWS
Aug 25, 2008 9:23 AM
Reconsider Budget Cuts Say Interactive Media Reps, Culture Ministers
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Canada's national interactive media association is joining a chorus of commentators, both from industry, government and the cultural sector, to urge the federal government to reconsider.
The Canadian Interactive Alliance / l'Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC) says it is shocked by the Conservative government's recent decision to discontinue production funds, trade support and media industry education initiatives.
As well, two provincial ministers responsible for arts and culture industry, have conveyed their "deep disappointment about the recent cuts to federal arts and culture programs".
Aileen Carroll is Ontario's minister of culture and minister responsible for seniors.
Christine St-Pierre is Quebec's minister of culture, communications and women's issues.
In August, the federal government announced cuts to $18 million worth of programs sponsored by the Department of Canadian Heritage that provide assistance for producers working with film, video and Interactive Media.
Among those funds to be eliminated as of March 31, 2009 are Trade Routes ($9 million), the A-V Preservation Trust ($300,000 in funding), the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund ($1.5 million), the National Training Schools Program ($2.5 million) and PromArt ($4.7 million).
Of these program cuts, CIAIC says is most concerned by the dismantling of Trade Routes, since it was one of the few export development tools available to Interactive Media producers and trade bodies. The National Training Schools Program also benefited educational institutions featuring Interactive Media as part of their curricula, including the Banff Centre for the Arts, Institute National d'Image et du Son, and the Canadian Film Centre.
Trade Routes is a vital component of many of the activities the CIAIC participates in," says CIAIC president Ian Kelso. "Without it, the ability to get Canadian talent and expertise in front of foreign buyers is in jeopardy."
Additionally, Canada's Interactive Media industry is facing the expiration of the $14-million Telefilm Canada New Media Fund on March 31, 2009. The Telefilm Canada New Media Fund is the only federal product development fund which has spurred the growth and emergence of many of Canada's internationally successful Interactive Media firms.
In a statement, Aileen Carroll, Ontario's minister of culture and minister responsible for seniors, and Christine St-Pierre, Quebec's minister of culture, communications and women's issues, say they "are joining countless Canadian artists and arts organizations who have publicly expressed their grave concern.
"We understand that at least seven programs that provide crucial support to Canada's cultural sector have already been cut. We have now learned that the federal government intends to continue this ill-advised course of action, abolishing or severely reducing the budgets of essential initiatives.
"Our artists make unique, important and necessary contributions to the cultural, social, economic and political development of our vibrant society. They act as ambassadors for our culture abroad and here at home. The excellence and the originality of their work witness and mirror to the world the modernity, dynamism and vitality of our country. They are the creative engines of our knowledge-based economy.
"The culture sector plays a vital role in the Canadian economy. In Quebec and Ontario, the sector contributes close to $30 billion to both provinces' GDP, which represents 68 per cent of the national cultural sector. The sector also employs roughly 616,000 people across the country of whom 68 per cent call Quebec and Ontario home.
"Culture is one of Canada's fastest growing economic sectors. It's spin-off benefits include growth and diversification in tourism and local economies, and skills development for the knowledge economy. Investing in our home-grown talent on the international stage encourages foreign investment, opens new markets for export and promotes our country as a cultural tourism destination.
"Equally vital, culture helps us define who we are, describes where we have been and signals where we are going. Culture is an essential ingredient to the cohesiveness of our society and to the promotion of our identity.
"This is not the time for the federal government to reduce support for culture. Governments need to invest in the people and businesses that make up our cultural industries so that Canada's economy will reap the benefits. The governments of Quebec and Ontario understand this and have targeted the cultural sector for investment to generate future growth in our economy. Given the context of globalization, now is the time for each province to promote Canadian culture. Our governments recognize the power of culture in the conduct of international affairs, which is essential for a country like Canada.
"By cutting these federal programs, without any notice or consultation, the federal government has put the future of organizations and initiatives across the country at serious risk.
These programs, primarily for international development, film, video and new media, have complemented Quebec and Ontario programs in priority areas. They promote our artists touring abroad and support the work of such prestigious institutions as the Society for Arts and Technology and the Institut national de l'image et du son, Hot Docs and the Canadian Film Centre. These cuts will compromise years of work on the part of organizations, artists and governments to make culture a sector of excellence recognized throughout the world.
"To grow a stronger economy and put Canada on the international stage, we will need to work together. Quebec and Ontario will be raising this issue at the Sept. 25-26 meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for culture and heritage in Quebec City. We hope that our colleagues from across Canada will join us in urging the federal government to reinstate these programs and reinvigorate federal funding in arts and culture. We both have asked federal Heritage Minister Josée Verner to meet with us and to work together to ensure that Canadian arts and culture remains a powerful contributor to the development of our creative society, our economic diversity and future prosperity.
"It is one thing to review programs to make sure funding is there for those who need it; it is quite another to scrap an entire program because of an ideological aversion to a handful of ideas."
