PACE (the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton) and ArtsVote are active arts advocacy groups in Edmonton and Calgary respectively.
Recently, ArtsVote collected responses from the various provincial party representatives, querying them about their vision for the arts in Alberta. They asked the following questions:
- What is your arts platform?
- What do you believe is the province’s role in fostering the arts?
- What do you believe is the role of the arts in education?
- What plans do you have to provide provincial funding and/or encourage private funding for the arts?
- Any other comments?
You can find the reposes here.
PACE is also conducting a survey, and has sent party representatives the following:
We would also appreciate it if you would review the following material and respond to the two questions below by Friday, April 13.
- 91% of Albertans feel art activities are important in contributing to the overall quality of life in their community. Source: Annual Survey of Albertans, Resinnova Research & Consulting Inc. 2010
- Albertans receive a 12:1 return on every dollar spent on the arts. Source: Summary of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Alberta, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 2005.
- 88% of Albertans feel it is important that the Government of Alberta continues to fund and support the arts. Source: Culture and Community Services Annual Survey of Albertans on Culture, Leger Marketing, 2011
- All three levels of government receive tax revenue through the arts sector. A total of 67.9 million in taxes is collected (in Alberta) through taxation systems each year. Source Culture and Community Spirit Department Fact and Figures 2010
Please give us your position on the following:
1. Do you support a restoration of the 2010 16 per cent cut to the AFA?
2. If elected to serve the people of Alberta in the next Legislature, will you work towards immediately increasing lottery money investment to arts, culture and heritage by 25%?
Stay tuned for results of this survey—we’ll link to them as soon as PACE has them up on the website.
