The B.C. government cut $77 million from arts funding last summer, cuts which have affected arts and culture workers all over B.C. Now the cuts are hitting home, right down to those enrolled in UVic’s Humanities, Fine Arts and Professional Writing Co-op Program.
With the funding cuts, many museums, galleries, publishing houses, musical venues, theatres and interpretive centres are struggling to stay open, let alone hire Co-op students.
In Bowen Island, B.C., the small Museum and Archives centre has lost funding. As a result, they have laid off their only paid employee and shut their doors until further notice.
“We can only hire students if we get the grants, but there are no grants,” said Beverly Underhill, the museum’s president. “We had a wonderful summer with our two students, but now we’re struggling to keep the doors open.”
Co-op students have been a part of summer at the museum for at least 10 years. Most of the students have come from the University of B.C. (UBC), but UVic students held both positions this past summer.
Losing jobs from these small employers may mean that opportunities for Co-op students to network, develop new skills and try out careers will be reduced.
“That’s a shame, because the experiential education offered by Co-op can’t be taught in the classroom,” said Don Bailey, the Co-op co-ordinator for Humanities, Fine Arts and Professional Writing. “Consequently, these lost opportunities represent a loss to post-secondary education overall.”
When the economy is in full swing, UVic Co-op students interested in working in an arts and culture-related profession can apply to a variety of jobs posted to the Humanities, Fine Arts and Professional Writing Co-op Program, including positions for curators, interpreters, administrative assistants, photographers, content writers and actors.
But without government funding, those jobs might not be available to Co-op students this coming summer, meaning students may have to submit more applications to more competitive jobs than in previous years.
Still, the Co-op office says that students have plenty of options.
“While the quantity of jobs may be decreasing, we haven’t noticed a decrease in the quality of positions,” said Executive Director of UVic’s Co-op and Career Services Norah McRae. “If a student’s ideal employer isn’t currently hiring, that student could approach the employer about volunteer opportunities. This type of networking could pay dividends when the employer has the funds to hire again.”
UVic’s Co-op program recommends that students keep searching for job opportunities and take advantage of the support offered by the Co-op office.
“We are doing everything we can to support students during this economic period by offering job search workshops and other on-campus events,” said McRae. “Economic fluctuations are a reality and, while the types or locations of Co-op positions may change, there are still many strong job options for students.”
Just to play devil's advocate: It was a good thing while it lasted but you must know that if the gov't is keeping an industry is business the industry is wholly dependent on the gov't.
What if more people actually donated or went to, or otherwise funded the arts? Why are we upset at the gov't here? Aren't the Canadian people as much to blame, if not more so?
The gov't doesn't do things masses of people disagree with, but if they do, they can vote with their wallets and fund the arts privately. This sword is cutting both ways (pardon the pun).
And I'm a liberal. Health care, education, welfare, etc... all deserve funding. Art??? I'm all for art and an arts student, but I don't need the gov't to decide what is and what is not art. This goes for the governor general's award as well. If I want to know what sort of art to consider the last group I will ask is the gov't.
I think the devil needs a better advocate, frankly, because the one who just posted can't be bothered to get acquainted with any facts, or even write a coherent sentence. Here are a few facts:
Let's be entirely clear. The 85% projected cuts to the BC Arts Council are not justified as a cost-cutting method, and are certainly not justified as adequate cultural policy.
As far as "government deciding what is and isn't art" -- please, again, acquaint yourself with some facts. Peer assessment ensures that merit is not being determined by politicians or bureaucrats, but by people who are experts in the field.
People who are experts in the field tell us what is and is not art? Really? I thought people could decide what is and is not art for themselves.
Access to culture is an internationally recognized right? That's a shame because while I'm concerned with water, food and shelter remaining rights, I am not too concerned about poor people not being able to go to the opera. That's just me though.
"The 85% projected cuts to the BC Arts Council are not justified as a cost-cutting method, and are certainly not justified as adequate cultural policy." Are you the justification police? I don't think the government has any responsibility to ensure that 'culture' is promoted or that people have access to it.
If artists are concerned with people having access to their art, put a video of their opera or play on youtube, perform in the park or put your paintings and sculptures up in public for all to see.
Oh, wait, I think I know what the problem is. Artists want to make good money AND have people who couldn't regularly afford to see their art see it through a government subsidy.
It is a shame that political parties like the NDP and the Greens have to look like dopes when they finally go into power promoting whatever pet projects a bunch of hippies - who may or may not get out of bed to vote - are interested in instead of doing what really matters.
"When you start a business, you generally start with financing from somewhere. However, the risk inherent in producing good art means that nobody is going to be able to plunk a business plan down in front of a loans manager in a bank and get a loan. Public funding provides seed money for cultural production, money that is more than matched by the private contributions that follow once things get going, including the underpaid and unpaid labour of artists and cultural workers."
If this were true than banks would be giving out those loans. If banks don't inherit that inherent risk than the government does.
Also, why does "good" art need so much darn money? Has the price of paint and paint brushes been skyrocketing since I took Art 12? I know there are other forms of art, but it's absurd to say that in order for art to be produced, artists need the sort of loans businesses usually receive.
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