Make Your Voice Heard: Support City of Vancouver Draft Budget 2018
/
Spirit of the Realms by Jerry Whitehead. | Image: Holly Mackenzie-Sutter.
The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture is encouraging the arts, culture and heritage community to express thanks for the recommended increase to the City of Vancouver Cultural Services budget outline in the City's 2018 draft budget. It sent out a communication to that effect December 1, urging recipients to make their voices heard and append their names to a letter drafted by the Arts and Culture Policy Council and addressed to Mayor Gregor Robertson and City Council.
"Some good news," the message begins, "the recommended budget going before Vancouver City Council on Wednesday, December 6, has a recommended increase of $580,000 to the budget of City of Vancouver Cultural Services.
But it is still possible this recommended increase could be reduced or eliminated on December 6. Therefore, it is vital that the Vancouver arts community expresses to the Mayor and Councillors its strong support for this proposed increase."
For more information on arts funding in Vancouver, see the recent article on the letter by Charlie Smith, "B.C. Alliance for Arts + Culture gives thumbs up to proposed City of Vancouver budget."
The full text of the communication circulated December 1, including the letter to Mayor Robertson and Council, as well as directions on how to add your name in support, can be found below.
Dear Colleagues:
Some good news: the recommended budget going before Vancouver City Council on Wednesday, December 6, has a recommended increase of $580,000 to the budget of City of Vancouver Cultural Services.
But it is still possible this recommended increase could be reduced or eliminated on December 6. Therefore, it is vital that the Vancouver arts community expresses to the Mayor and Councillors its strong support for this proposed increase.
Please indicate your support by clicking on this link and adding your name to the list. We will add your name to the letter below, thanking the City for their support of arts and culture. This letter will be sent to the Mayor and Councillors on Tuesday, December 5.
You are also encouraged to write individual letters of support to the Mayor and Councillors.
While the increase is appreciated, it is crucial that the arts community continues to advocate for additional support during the upcoming Creative City cultural plan process.
To see the full 2018 draft budget, click here. The section pertaining to Cultural Services starts on page 305 of the document (page 315 using PDF pagination).
--
December 5, 2017
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
We, the undersigned Vancouver-based arts and culture organizations and individuals, are writing to express our appreciation and strong support for recommended increase of $580,000 to CoV Cultural Services in the recommended 2018 budget going to Council on Dec. 6, 2017.
This recommended increase is a step in the right direction, and a much needed additional investment that will support viability of the arts and culture sector in Vancouver and the CoV’s Healthy City Strategy.
Thank you for your continued support of Vancouver’s arts and culture sector. We look forward to the CoV’s Creative City consultation process to further advocate the future viability, sustainability and pressing concerns of the Vancouver arts and culture sector.
Sincerely,
[Names to come]
--
Click here to add your name as a signatory to this letter.
