Presentation to the

Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

15 September 2010



"Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts?"

Canadian poet Gabrielle Roy (1909 – 1983)

as quoted on the Canadian $20 bill

Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to
enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights



The right to access arts and culture for British Columbians is at the heart of the principle
of public funding for the non-profit arts and cultural sector. There are many other
reasons as well, that are economic, social, health, and education-related. The
fundamental and historical reason, however, for supporting arts and culture has been
about democracy and identity. The arms-length principle that has guided many western
democratic liberal societies in their support of arts and culture was largely a response,
after the Second World War, to the use of arts and culture to further the political agendas
of oppressive regimes. Values of freedom of expression, equal access, distinct identity,
cultural diversity and community development are all invoked in the public interest
argument for public support for the arts and culture. Simon Brault has referred to this as
the ―democratization of culture‖.1

INTRODUCTION

1
If you have 12 minutes to share you are urged to listen to a talk by Ben Cameron,
available at : http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_cameron_tedxyyc.html
The reader is also referred to Simon Brault’s recent book/essay No Culture No Future,
translated by Jonathan Kaplansky, Cormorant Books, 2010
Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 1 of 16
Since 2001, the BC Liberal government, without doubt, has invested in the arts and
cultural sector in significant ways. For most of its mandate, it has prioritized arts and
culture to a greater degree than other governments in BC’s history. That investment has
yielded a great deal; BC artists were proudly showcased at the National Arts Centre in
Ottawa in 2009 and in 2010 we impressed the world and surprised ourselves with the
Cultural Olympiad that led up to and was integrated into the Winter Games. Additional
provincial support for artists and for creation in the years leading to the Games resulted in
world-class innovation and recognition, think of Vancouver Opera’s groundbreaking and
original Nixon in China. Our visual artists, including Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham, Stan
Douglas, Bill Reid, and Robert Davidson are internationally recognized and celebrated.
Can we ever forget that moment of pride when BC artist Shane Koyczan recited his now-
famous poem, We Are More, at the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter
Games?

The current economic challenges facing the globe, however, seem to have dramatically
changed the direction of the provincial government regarding funding for arts and
culture. Recent, deep cuts have had huge impact on many arts and cultural organizations
and artists in this province, which endangers public access to arts and culture, local
economies, quality of life and creativity. We are missing opportunities to invest in an
emerging world, where original content, innovation, knowledge and creativity are
increasingly valued.

CONTEXT

The Alliance for Arts and Culture would like to gratefully acknowledge the
recommendation of last year’s Standing Committee to restore arts funding to previous
levels, including an appropriation directly to the BC Arts Council (BCAC). The 2010/11
Budget indeed included an allocation to the BCAC, albeit much less than what was
recommended.

The recent allocation of $7 Million to the BCAC helps tremendously; we urge this
committee to recommend that the Arts and Culture Legacy Fund continue to be
allocated to the BCAC over the next two years. Better yet, we suggest that the Legacy
fund be used to actually enhance a restored and stable appropriation for the Arts Council,
rather than merely replacing its significantly eroded resources, as was done this year.

The restoration of funds to the Arts Council is only part of the story. Even after restoring
those funds this year, the considerable loss of arts and cultural investment (60%) that was
previously available through the BC Gaming Commission has still meant an overall cut
of over 30% to direct investment in arts and cultural activity in this province.

A significant portion of gaming funds was originally meant for the purpose of community
development, providing support to civil agencies such as arts organizations, museums,
and sports groups. This promise to support non-profit and charitable organizations was
one of the ways that the government initially convinced British Columbians to ―go along‖
with government-sponsored gaming. The social contract with British Columbians
regarding the expansion of gambling in this province should not be disregarded at the
expense of civil society.

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 2 of 16

The current criteria and priorities for Direct Access grants have been rewritten to exclude
most arts and cultural organizations, community-based and professional, which
previously were able to access these funds. The impact of the recent Gaming cuts has
had the most profound impact on access to arts and culture around this province. Many
community-based organizations and volunteer-run organizations as well as emerging and
culturally diverse organizations are left without any support for their work as a result.
Hundreds of museums across this province have been supported solely through Gaming
funds.

All of the uncertainty and cuts has left the arts community reeling over the past number
of months. What our province needs is stable funding and a renewed vision and plan for
arts and culture, including heritage. For the past two years, for instance, BC Arts Council
funding through a committed appropriation has been cut significantly and then ―restored‖
later in the year, first through supplementary funds, then through reallocated Gaming
funds (robbing Peter to pay Paul). The uncertainty and instability caused for the BC Arts
Council and the arts community has made it almost impossible for either to plan forward
or fulfill their mandates. We recommend that a stable and sufficient appropriation be
allocated to the BCAC in the upcoming provincial budget that is at least $16 Million.
This would provide the BCAC with resources that are equivalent to those provided this
year, including the $7 Million in Legacy funds.

The Arts and Cultural Community seeks to contribute to a vision that addresses the fact
that we want British Columbia to be a creative centre, not just for Canada, but for the
world. Given that we spend the least per capita (compared to other provinces in Canada)
on operating funds for arts and culture organizations, certainly we have some work ahead
of us.

We strongly believe that arts and culture have a crucial part to play in the economic,
social, environmental, healthcare, and educational future of a British Columbia that is
indeed among the best places on Earth.

The Arts and Cultural community is eager to be part of the articulation of such a vision
and plan, as we are certain the government of this province is as well.

Any government which says it has a plan for economic recovery and doesn’t have a
plan in place for arts and culture doesn’t have a plan for economic recovery.

Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage2

2
Read more:
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Federal+minister+praises+arts+groups+lambaste
s+provincial+cuts/3451618/story.html?cid=megadrop_story#ixzz0zB8fHgEN

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 3 of 16

In the current situation, however, there are more and more examples of organizations
shutting their doors, job losses and drastic reductions in programming. In the end it is
British Columbians that lose out as their access to arts and culture is severely affected.

Even though the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services unanimously
recommended restoring the funds to 2008-09 levels in the lead-up to last March’s budget:

 In the budget, the BC Arts Council appropriation was cut 53 per cent from the
amount in 2008/09. (This is arms-length funding.)
 A $10 million annual supplementary fund was created, of which $3 million was
earmarked for ―Spirit Festivals‖, and, in late August, $7 million was given to the
BC Arts Council, in an attempt to restore most of its funding.
 BC Gaming Commission funds for the arts were cut 58 per cent from 2008/09.
These programs are also now being defined more narrowly. Most arts and
culture organizations are now ineligible for gaming funds.
 Total government investment in culture, (including the newly announced $10
million annual supplementary Legacy fund) was reduced by 32.4 per cent from
the 2008/09 budget.

As the table below shows, British Columbia is last when it comes to contributions to
operating grants to arts and culture organizations. And these figures were before
the cuts.

Operating Grants 2007-08 – before the most recent cuts3

Amount Per Capita Rank

Yukon $8,915,000 $268.52 1

Nunavut $4,292,000 $135.82 2
Northwest Territories $4,209,000 $96.98 3
Prince Edward Island $6,161,000 $44.16 4
Newfoundland and Labrador $21,976,000 $43.40 5
Quebec $322,965,000 $41.65 6
Saskatchewan $39,696,000 $39.16 7
Manitoba $44,504,000 $36.90 8
New Brunswick $24,174,000 $32.36 9
Nova Scotia $26,127,000 $27.90 10
Ontario $270,445,000 $20.91 11
Alberta $74,814,000 $20.81 12
British Columbia $42,406,000 $9.67* 13

Totals $890,684,000 $26.73

3
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/87f0001x/2010001/part-partie4-eng.htm

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 4 of 16

Investment to Bring BC to the National Average: $74,753,675.91

*note that this is before the recent cuts. If you include the $10m supplementary fund, you
can assume that this number has been reduced by 32.4 percent, bringing it down to $6.54
per capita. Alberta is the only province besides BC to have also cut it funding for arts
and culture, but even so has a higher per capita (approx $10 based on a 50% cut) than
BC’s (approx $6.54)

This is a time of crisis for the arts and culture sector in British Columbia and that action
must be taken to correct the situation.

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 Our provincial government needs to step up to the plate and make its commitment to
public funding for the arts very clear, and we urge MLAs on this committee to reaffirm
that public funding for the arts is critical to the future of our province: to economic
growth and the cultural health and well-being of our communities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Our key recommendations are as follows:

• “Support public funding for the not-for-profit arts and cultural sector”

• “Arts and Cultural organizations, including heritage and community-based

organizations and individual artists, must be supported with arms-length public
investment through the BC Arts Council, that is stable and sufficient to support the
Council’s strategic plan, and which is more in line with the per capita expenditures
found in other provinces and regions of Canada ”

• “ Continue to allocate the Arts Legacy fund ($7 Million) to the BCAC in the next
two fiscal years to supplement the Council’s base appropriation”

• “Restore the amount of funding for arts and cultural organizations supported
through Gaming revenues and honour the social contract with British Columbians
regarding the expansion of gaming”

CONCLUSION
Currently, total arts and cultural funding in BC, represents 0.1% of the Province’s total
$40 billion budget.

We have heard that the reason why the arts and culture need to be so drastically cut is
because the government wants to ―devote scarce financial resources primarily to
healthcare, education, and social services for the most vulnerable British Columbians‖.

Cutting arts and culture funding has no visible effect on the overall budget, but does have
a catastrophic impact on the arts community and our society.

We call on the government of BC to stabilize arts funding and improve the delivery of
arts programs in the service of the public good. The Olympic legacy should be
celebrated, but in a way that makes economic and cultural sense. We have such a
wealth of talent and business expertise in the province, let’s really live up to the fact
that we are the most literate place in North America; let’s honour the aboriginal
peoples of this land and their artistic and cultural contributions; let us harness the
potential innovation and creativity of our rich cultural diversity; and let’s make sure
our symphonies, artists, writers, theatres and cultural industries in all communities will
thrive and contribute, in the best of all possible ways, to the lives of all British
Columbians.

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 6 of 16

We are very grateful for our opportunity to present to this committee, and hope that the
government will include the Non-profit Arts and Cultural communities in policy
consultations that affect arts and culture, and to achieve a more comprehensive vision for
the future and value of arts and culture in our society.

Respectfully Submitted:
Amir Ali Alibhai
Executive Director
Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture

The Alliance for Arts and Culture represents over 350 member arts and cultural
organizations and individuals active throughout the Lower Mainland. This membership
has an incredible scope and reach. All the arts disciplines are represented and their
combined audience numbers are substantial. The Jazz Festival alone has an audience of
over half a million people! These members employ artists and cultural workers in the
thousands; they have many hundreds of volunteers that put in hundreds of thousands of
hours; they have volunteer boards comprised of citizens from all walks of life, including
many influential community and business leaders. Their combined budgets represent
tens of millions of dollars, leveraged from the small yet critical investments traditionally
made by the provincial government through the BC Arts Council (BCAC) and through
Gaming grants.

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 7 of 16

 APPENDIX A

Arts and Culture are Essential to Civil Society

The case for public investment in arts and culture

Why should we fund the arts? How does this link to our economic health and vitality?

From an Economic perspective, the best way to frame the answer is to say that public
investment in the arts is the ―R&D‖ of cultural spending -- the seed money that stimulates
the creative sector.

Many of the skills, attitudes, abilities of people who work in the creative industries
depend on this seed money – which has an effect on industries not normally associated
directly with arts and culture, such as architecture, design, new media, etc. The Creative
sector is a complex one with many interconnections and interdependencies. Theatre
artists also provide skills and talent for the commercial film industry, visual artists also
work as graphic designers and in digital media. We are witnessing a new type of artist
that is a part-time hybrid professional, travelling between the non-profit, mission-based
world of arts and culture and the creative industries.

Public investment in the arts allows community-based arts organizations to leverage

money from other sectors, and also leverages the social capital of thousands of volunteer
hours of activity - resulting in healthier, happier, economically competitive, and livable
communities.

Creative communities are leading the growth of the knowledge-based economy, and local
cultural amenities attract tourists who spend more and stay longer in the communities
they visit.

Public investment in the arts has a social impact as well. The arts represent diversity,
education, thoughtfulness, creativity, enrichment, dialogue and debate – these are all
public goods.

Public investment allows everyone – not just the rich -- to have exposure to first-rate art,
ensuring that the arts touch the lives of as many people as possible.

Public investment in arts and culture also offers the potential to tap into the incredible
cultural diversity of our province. This is an area of investment that is under-resourced
and without a clear plan, but also represents an important opportunity. We have a
growing number of taxpayers who are ―paying into the system‖ based on certain
promises made by the government i.e. access to arts and culture and the opportunity to
contribute to our evolving identity. Yet, many ethnic communities aren't informed well
enough to reap the rewards of the taxes they are paying. The South Asian community for
example, is incredibly active, constantly engaged in cultural activity, but few groups
apply for available grants (largely Gaming grants). There is this whole parallel arts and
cultural activity that remains "off the books". This parallel ―cultural industry‖ has

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 8 of 16

investment and economic activity of it's own, but there is currently no way to map it at
the moment because many groups are not on government radars. Right now, most don't
even realize it's their democratic right to have access to arts and culture.

Public investment in the arts and culture can support a more creative and innovative
society. Learning through the Arts, a three year national research study conducted by
Queen’s University concluded that involvement in the arts contributed to student
achievement as much as 11 percentile points higher in math than their peers. Ninety per
cent of parents reported that the arts motivated their children to learn. Teachers, parents,
artists, and administrators talked about how the arts motivated children, referring to the
emotional, physical, cognitive, and social benefits of learning in and through the arts.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, many educators also believe that creative
activities provide positive learning experiences, such as:

 Helping to improve communication skills and promoting creative thinking

 Contributing to improved literacy and language development through libraries
and reading programs
 Helping to develop information technology skills critical for employment in the
knowledge economy as creative activities often involve information and
communications technologies

Art programs for youth and seniors measurably improve the lives of participants, visibly
fostering healthier communities and innovatively addressing issues of youth at risk and
eldercare.

A popular misconception circulates that arts funding supports obscure programs that
otherwise would have no audience.

In truth most presenters and companies here have large audiences and a great number of
sellout performances.

The challenge that a market economy presents is not insufficient demand, but rather that
live performances and high quality artwork by respected professional artists cannot be
offered at affordable prices.

So government’s role in this scenario is to keep excellent live professional arts

performance and the work of artists and cultural workers within reach for the public.

BCAC funding is not a subsidy of the arts, but of the public, which demonstrates its
desire and demand for arts and culture by coming out in the hundreds and hundreds of
thousands to performances in communities large and small across British Columbia.

In addition, arts and culture reinforce and serve, in measurable and meaningful ways, the
core values of British Columbians as evidenced in our government’s Strategic Plan,
prioritizing education, literacy, healthy living, support systems, and employment and
economic health.

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 9 of 16

Education and Literacy

We do an excellent job with our mainstream kids. But many kids—too many—are at
risk. For one reason or another they are unreachable in the usual ways. So often it is the
arts that reach them. I am going to read a quote from a letter written by a young person
who was in a school audience for a performance by Judith Marcuse’s DanceArts that
addressed violence. She said:

―I don’t know if anyone will get this, or even take the time to read this, but I really mean
every single word I write here. You saved me. I never thought I could be saved, but you
did. Who knew that a play could do so much for someone like me?‖

Art reaches kids and restores futures.

Healthy Living and Support Systems

Cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s affects 25% of Canadians over 65. By 2015, more of
us will be over 65 than under 15, and we have one of the highest life expectancies in the
world. A Netherlands study indicates that the cost of elder care is a primary determinant
of health care costs, exceeding the cost of treating life threatening illnesses like heart
disease and cancer by a wide margin4.

Keeping our elders vibrant, engaged, sparkling, and living independently impacts their
quality of life, but also the public purse. Arts and culture play a vital role here. Studies
indicate clear and measurable social and health benefits of cultural engagement for
elders, positively affecting their independence5. Cutting arts programming will adversely
affect the elderly, especially women, who are the majority and great lovers of arts and
culture.

Jobs and the Economy

Cultural spending is the ultimate economic stimulant—because you get so much for so
little. Truly, every dollar goes so far.

―There is an understanding now that you must have an ability to build a cultural
component into development to retain talented and mobile workers. [Culture] is the key
to economic development now. Look at any trend analysis and data. Investment follows
human capital…and human capital, to a surprisingly large extent, follows the arts.‖6

4
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/pmc/articles/PMC28601/
5
http://www.artshealthnetworkcanada.com/resources/Creativity-and-Aging-Study-Final-
Report.pdf
6
Phil Psilos, Director, Economic and Technology Policy, US National Governors
Association:http://www.nycfuture.org/content/articles/article_view.cfm?article_id=1060
Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 10 of 16
When a dancer, musician, or actor takes the stage, it triggers a cascade of seen and
unseen dominoes. That million or so people who come to see live performances in
Vancouver every year buy meals and drinks, take taxis or buy parking, get manicures, see
their hairdressers, use the dry cleaner and pay babysitters. The presenter pays sound
technicians, set designers and builders, stage-hands, caterers, ushers, box-office, stage
door staff, and janitors. Together the arts organizations keep a small army of contractors
employed.

Sponsors purchase marketing and promotion opportunities, and entertain clients.

Has this government measured the loss of jobs, of tax revenue and economic activity
occasioned by these cuts? What about the broken leases and vacancies in commercial
real estate? Has this government factored in the value lost to corporate sponsors when
programs are scaled back?

Values for Public Funding for the Arts

Intrinsic Value

◦ Governments around the world invest money in this area because the arts
represent cultural diversity, education, thoughtfulness, creativity,
enrichment, dialogue, cross-cultural exchange and debate, all of which are
intrinsic public goods for a civilized society.

◦ Arts and culture allows a society to express its spirit, allowing us to know
one another better, reflecting ourselves to others and the world.
Instrumental Value (Economic & Social)

◦ Public investment in the arts is the ―R&D‖ of cultural spending. When

operating properly, this allows artists and their organizations to begin their
work and leverage additional private and public support, allowing the
work to grow. Event tickets, books, art works and other products made
available at accessible prices complete the picture as the audience
engages.

◦ The arts and culture sector represents $5 billion of BC’s GDP and over
80,000 jobs. It is a significant economic driver connected to the creative
economy.

◦ Thriving arts and cultural centres draw creative workforces and tourists

◦ Public investment in the arts allows community-based arts organizations

to leverage money from other sectors, and also leverages the social capital
of thousands of volunteer hours of activity.

◦ According to the BC government’s own studies, every dollar invested by

the province in arts and culture organizations returns between $1.05 and
$1.36 directly into provincial treasury.
Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 11 of 16
 ◦ Public investment in the arts results in healthier, happier, economically
competitive, ―livable‖ communities.

◦ The arts, like education health and social security, are universal goods that
ought to be generally available regardless of ability to pay.

◦ Tough economic times are exactly the times when we should be

supporting our communities and investing wisely

◦ Public investment in the arts supports cultural activities that reflect our
diversity.

◦ Public investment in the arts also supports capacity building in First

Nations communities and helps to reclaim and express identity.
Institutional Value

◦ Public investment keeps cultural institutions, such as symphonies, operas

and museums, open. These institutions provide a global face, projecting
Canadian values to the world.

BC in context
◦ BC Provincial governments of every stripe have not made arts and culture
a huge priority. This current government did, however, do some very
positive things in the first parts of its mandate, including increasing
funding and setting up the BC150 Cultural fund. This $150 million
endowment was supposed to provide more stable funding for arts and
culture activities. Unfortunately, given the current world economic
situation, the return on that investment has been much smaller than
expected, and has not been as fruitful for arts and culture organizations.
Combined with the additional cuts of the past few years, arts and cultural
organizations are in their worst shape in memory in terms of government
support.

◦ Provincial government funding in BC from all sources, even before the

2009/2010 cuts, made up an average of seven per cent of the operating
budgets of performing arts organizations. This is the lowest in Canada.
The national average is 13 per cent. In Quebec, provincial funding
accounts for 26 per cent of a performing arts organization’s budget

Arts and culture do matter to British Columbians

◦ 3.5 million British Columbians attend arts and culture events, including
300,000 schoolchildren who attend non-profit performances and
exhibitions annually.

◦ When the world turned its eyes to British Columbia at the Vancouver 2010
Olympic Games, our artists stood with our athletes to put Canada’s heart

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 12 of 16

 on its sleeve. The Cultural Olympiad showed all British Columbians the
priceless value of investment in our own talent.

◦ Our arts and culture sector has:

91,000 volunteers who contribute 9,555,000 volunteer hours, which is
the equivalent of 4,950 full-time jobs valued at $143 Million in annual
contribution.
The primary reason we volunteer in the arts and culture sector is to
contribute to our community. 7

The Cultural Sector Helps Small Business

◦ When artists take the stage, they put British Columbians to work -- be
they ticket sellers, dry cleaners, caterers, printers, waiters and
waitresses, lighting suppliers, ushers, stage hands, sound engineers,
taxi drivers, parking attendants, delivery drivers, florists, hair dressers,
or babysitters. This buzz of economic activity not only keeps British
Columbians employed, it generates sufficient tax revenue to cover
taxpayer investment in the arts, with more left over for schools and
hospitals.

◦ Small business is the backbone of British Columbia’s economy, and

the arts sector is proud to support and partner with small businesses in
communities across our province.

◦ Arts organizations are small business. Publishers, filmmakers,

recording artists, new media firms, and other cultural industries ensure
that Canadian and BC artists are known throughout the world.

Gaming Revenues

The wholesale cuts in gaming revenues to arts organizations represents a breach of the
social contract made to those communities that accepted casinos or slot machines based
on the promise that the funds from these organizations would then be funneled back into
the arts and their communities.

In 1999, the province of BC entered into a ―Memorandum of Understanding‖ with the

BC Association of for Charitable Gaming to commit 1/3 of the annual BC Lottery
Corporation revenues for the purpose of supporting licensed charities.

Although gambling profits are steadily rising, the BC government is failing to honour its
1999 promise to distribute 1/3 of the revenues received to non-profit groups and charities.

7
Volunteers in Arts and Culture Organizations in Canada in 2007 - Research for the arts - Hill
Strategies Research | Recherche Inc.
<http://www.hillstrategies.com/resources_details.php?resUID=1000356>

Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 13 of 16

In fact, the distribution to charities fell last year to 19%, and now, in 2010, almost no arts
and culture organizations are eligible for gaming revenues.

Gaming funds must be used appropriately and in accordance with the social and moral
contract under which British Columbians gave their government the mandate to generate
revenues through gambling.

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History of the relationship between the gaming industry, the citizens of BC and the
government of BC:

Over the last hundred years, gambling as become generally accepted in Canada as long
as the revenues are dedicated to charitable purposes that benefit communities.

 1974 - the lottery program is established in this province with the stated purpose
to support amateur sports, heritage activities and culture in BC;

 1997 – the province’s NDP government tries to take money from the charities to
pay for its own tax-revenue funded health and education services; the BC
Supreme Court tells them to give the money back to the charities;

 1999 - the province of BC enters into a ―Memorandum of Understanding‖ with

the BC Association for Charitable Gaming to commit 1/3 of the annual BC
Lottery Corporation revenues for the purposes of supporting licensed charities;

 2001 -Although the BC Liberals promise during the 2001 election campaign not
to expand gambling, they reverse their promise and allow a massive increase in
slot machines in casinos, horse tracks and bingo parlours transformed into
―community gaming centres‖;

 2003-2009 -The BC Liberal government receives billions of dollars in gambling

revenue, and expands gaming to increase profits, earning record profits – while
BC has the highest rates of child poverty in the country due to chronic
underfunding and cuts to social programs;

 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 - The BC Lottery Corporation earns a gross of $2.5

billion and net revenue of $1.1 billion; The BC government’s shrinks its
distribution to charities of gaming profits from 30% (2003/04) to 19%;

 2009 – the BC Lottery Corporation raises its weekly spending limit for on-line
bets from $120 to $10,000 per week – an increase of 8000%;

Although gambling profits are steadily rising, the BC government is failing to honour its
1999 promise to distribute 1/3 of the revenues received to non-profit groups and
charities in order to benefit local economies and community health.

Despite steadily increasing revenues from gaming – and a recent dramatic expansion of
internet gaming – the province is breaking the social contract that it assumed with the
people of BC when it got into the gaming business; The charities and non-profit
organizations that paved the way for wide-spread acceptance of gambling are being
squeezed out of the gaming revenues by the provincial government, the biggest
beneficiary of gaming revenue.

The investment made through gaming grants in our sector was often leveraged many
times over to attract additional resources from other levels of government and the private
Alliance for Arts Presentation – Page 15 of 16
sector. There is also ample evidence that arts and cultural organizations, like in other
social profit sectors, leverage human social capital in the form of volunteers, social
networking, and community engagement.

Gaming funds available to the arts and cultural community have been reduced from a
high of almost $20 Million in 2007/8 to about $11 Million in 2010/11. Of that $11
Million $3.5 Million is allocated to multi-year clients.

It must be noted that the arts and cultural groups in this province are funded by these two
sources for fundamentally different types of activity. The gaming funds were provided to
support activities that engage the public and our communities, and that often make arts
and culture accessible to those who would otherwise not have that access, including those
with low incomes, at-risk youth and seniors, and those who may not see themselves
reflected in mainstream culture.

We are concerned that the provincial government is overlooking the fact that having a
strong and healthy civil society, that is, non-profit social and charitable sectors, is
especially important during difficult times. It makes our communities healthy, engaged,
livable and visit-able. All of which are stated priorities for our government.

alliance for arts and culture

Since 1986, a unified voice for the arts and culture in Metro Vancouver
Suite 100 - 938 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC
V6Z 1N9
p. 604.681.3535
f. 604.681.7848
www.allianceforarts.com

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