Outrage deepens over arts grants restrictions in B.C.
The backlash continues to grow against the B.C. government’s recent decision to restrict which arts and culture groups are eligible for $11.5 million in provincial gaming-grant support this year.
According to the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, which doles out the gambling revenue, only programs and festivals “that involve active youth participation” can qualify.
Sandy Garossino, chair of the advocacy task force with the Alliance for Arts and Culture, said the sudden shift in policy will affect hundreds of groups in B.C. that have applied for the grants.
“I really feel that there’s a disconnect between what the government’s policy is and its appreciation of just how much public service is really at risk here,” Garossino told theStraight.
The Ministry of Housing and Social Development has been criticized for revealing little to the public about the details and rationale of the decision to cut off access to the gaming grants. But Minister Rich Coleman has been reported as wondering why arts festivals that charge admission, for example, need to rely on government funds.
Such comments, Garossino argues, show that the government considers the arts and culture sector to be operating on a “free-enterprise” model. She describes this as a mistake, explaining that throughout North America and Europe, the importance of public funding for the arts is well-established.
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