Re: [microsound] Canada Council Changes - Petition (fwd)

[Chris <mcnafong@xxxxxxxx>]

HI all,

Two of the most objectionable aspects of the proposed changes are to do with
definition of practice and eligibility.

In terms of practice, the Canada Council appears to want to shift away from
supporting research and development and actually use the marketability of an
artist's work as a major criteria.

As for eligibility, folks who teach in Universities could be locked out as
well. Now, some might be under the impression that if you're in the
University community you'd have access to grants, make a sack of loot and
have sabbaticals. This is simply an outmoded notion. These days, the
majority of people who teach in colleges and universities are adjunct or
fall into categories that prevent them from applying for the big University
research grants. Wages are also much lower than in the days that Dad taught
at the U. Plus, sabatticals are reserved for the most tenured folks.

If these two criteria are really going to be a factor than I have to wonder
who, in the end will be eligible for the grants. It would seem that
dilettantes that know how to paint and artists that are lucky enough to have
a dealer will be the only ones in the fold, so to speak.

I too have served on a number of juries. There is a glut of stuff. Just like
there is for most festival screeners and galleries. It's called a process
and there is a way to quickly divide the wheat from the chaff. The model
they are proposing will actually close the door on people who actually have
made a life of working in a creative field and could keep the doors open for
hobbyists and hacks. Seriously. The impact this will have on the artist run
centers is yet another dimension to consider.

It's bad news and ill-advised.

Cheers all

Chris Mc

Julian Knowles wrote:

> Hi Phil
>
> I am wondering what aspects of the proposed changes are most
> objectionable to the community? The proposed changes seem to be a
> result of insufficient funding pools and lower success rates. This, it
> seems to me, is a global phenomenon in arts communities where
> government funding is provided. I'm actually a peer member of the Music
> Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, which is a similar
> institution to the Canada Council. Similar issues prevail, ie that
> competition is fierce and success rates are low. (typically 20%-30%).
> You can't expect to get grants, indeed you are quite lucky if you are
> successful. This means that even highly established artists cannot
> survive from grants. In the filed of music, we reached that point more
> than a decade ago, when the policy turned from being limited to the
> support of senior artists.composers of contemporary chamber/orchestral
> tradition to being more inclusive. The CC seems to be attributing the
> rise in applications to universites/art schools.... I wonder is this
> really the case??
>
> In any arts funding organisation. there is constant tension between the
> need to support more establish artists whilst giving young/emerging
> artists a look in. If I have read it correctly, the CC seem to have
> provided support at either end with a 5 year waiting period between 5
> and 12 years where you fend for yourself... (from first exhibition
> until you become formally 'established'). I personally don't think
> these kind of criteria are particularly helpful when it comes down to
> handing out grants and in many cases they seem to be a blunt strategy
> to limit the number of applications coming in (which can be truly
> staggering - i just read a few thousand pages of text and listened to a
> few hundred CDs in the last round... tends to make your eyes glaze
> over!!!).
>
> At the end of the day you are seeking to reward the most meritorious
> applications (which may not be from the most senior artists) and
> provide some kind of development path for artists both new and
> established This is a very tough gig when you only have a small budget
> to work with. In my view, artists energies are better spent trying to
> help increase the funding pool rather than arguing over how it is
> handed out... Of the funding pool is too small, then that is by far and
> above your most major problem. Tweaks to the rules will achieve little.
> Right here, the issue is that major organisations with a turnover of
> more than AUD2,000.000  (around 1.5M USD) pa have cordoned off funding
> arrangements secured for a number of years and reviewed, whilst huge
> numbers of individual artists compete for the small pool outside this.
> To give you an idea. the major orchestras nationally receive 10 X the
> total funding pool available to individual music practitioners and
> music orgs with a less than $2M turnover...   Essentially European art
> music (mainly confined to a 200 year period) receives 10x the support
> of all other music making put together... This is a David and Goliath
> situation... The importance of non-heritage practices needs to be
> championed by all so that governments are not allowed to be myopic in
> their view of the arts....
>
> Anyway, just some thoughts!!!
>
> On Wednesday, November 24, 2004, at 07:28  AM, Phil Thomson wrote:
>
> > I know not all of you are from Canada, and most of you probably do
> > without funding from bodies like the Canada Council, but I thought I
> > would forward this petition nonetheless, as it is an issue that
> > relates to the social context of cultural production generally, and an
> > issue like this may eventually come to effect a greater number of us,
> > so it would be good for some of us to speak up now.
> >
> > P
> >
> >
> >
> > +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
> > { Phil Thomson
> > { home: http://www.sfu.ca/~pthomson
> > { label: http://centibel.org/
> > { group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/databenders/
> > +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
> >
> > SDF Public Access UNIX System
> > http://www.freeshell.org/
> > Geekier than you since 1987.
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 01:00:19 -0400
> > From: michael - <breakingtension@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Reply-To: microvan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > To: evolve@xxxxx, bhc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, microvan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> >     vancouver_em@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [microvan] Canada Council Changes - Petition
> >
> >
> > PETITION
> >
> > Changes to art funding at the Canada Council for the Arts
> > will cripple art practices in Canada
> >
> > Many of you have heard about the proposed changes to Visual Arts
> > funding
> > at the Canada Council for the Arts. These changes, which are due to
> > come
> > into effect in January 2005, will dramatically reduce the number of
> > artists who will receive grants, and will set in place an inadequate
> > process of grant assessment, as well as bring corporate focus on
> > artistic production, seeing it as a product-oriented activity rather
> > than
> > a process of innovation and continuous inquiry of the artists'
> > relationship to society.
> > Please read the letter from PAARC (Pacific Association of Artist Run
> > Centres)  in Vancouver responding to the proposed changes. It is
> > attached
> > to this email in pdf format.
> >
> > Also, take your time and visit the Canada Council website for detailed
> > information about the new proposed program:
> > http://www.canadacouncil.ca/visualarts/va_consultations.htm
> >
> >
> > It is extremely important to act immediately and let the Canada Council
> > know how
> > you feel about these changes.
> >
> >
> > The deadline for feedback is December 1st, 2004.
> >
> >
> >
> > Petition:
> >
> >
> > Please COPY (rather than Forward) this e-mail into a new message,
> > sign at the end of the list, and send it to all the people whom you
> > know.
> > If you receive this list with more than 100 names signed, send a copy
> > of
> > the petition to:
> >
> >
> >
> > Francois Lachapelle
> > at>http://www.canadacouncil.ca/contactus/emfrm.htm?contactID=107
> > and
> > Shayla Morreau at
> > http://www.canadacouncil.ca/contactus/emfrm.htm?contactID=213
> >
> >
> > Individual response:
> > You can also respond to these proposed changes by writing the Canada
> > Council individually.
> > The form is available at:
> > http://www.canadacouncil.ca/contactus/emfrm.htm?contactID=213
> > You can use the letter below and paste it into the message box on the
> > form
> > provided by the Canada Council or write your own email voicing your
> > concerns.
> >
> > Even if you decide not to sign, please consider forwarding the
> > petition on
> > instead of deleting it.
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> >
> >
> > As a professional visual artist (or supporter of the arts) in Canada,
> > I am
> > deeply concerned about the proposed changes to visual arts funding at
> > the
> > Canada Council.
> > The funding provided by the Canada Council for the Arts is extremely
> > important
> > to the vitality of the art community in Canada and has successfully
> > supported
> > a broad range of art practices.
> >
> > As an artist, I rely on this funding and feel the proposed changes will
> > dramatically effect support for all artists in Canada.
> >
> > I petition that these changes should be revised in better consultation
> > with art communities in Canada, to reflect a more equitable system
> > that is
> > closer to the model of funding currently in place.
> >
> > I disagree with the proposed changes and do NOT support them.
> > (Signed)
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> >
> >
> > 1. Lorraine Oades (Montreal)
> > 2. Catherine Bodmer (Montreal)
> > 3. Jessica MacCormack (Montreal)
> > 4. Liz Garlicki (Winnipeg, MB)
> > 5. Theo Sims (Winnipeg, MB)
> > 6. Garth Hardy (Winnipeg, MB)
> > 7. Heather Emery (Vancouver, BC)
> > 8. Marianne Bos (Vancouver, BC)
> > 9. Michael Red (Vancouver, BC)
> >
> >
> >
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