The ED Report, June 2020

Dear friends and colleagues,

As I sit down to write this report, the recent protests around the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Regis Korchinski-Paquet and countless others have put into stark relief how deeply ingrained our systems of oppression are, and how desperately change is needed - on both individual and systemic levels. Although I’ve been trying to make a difference, I need to think long and hard about how I, as a white woman of privilege, can better support Black, Indigenous and racialized artists in ways that are meaningful, actionable and result in systemic change.

Growing up in small town Alberta until I was 13, my experience of racism was directed towards the only Indigenous family who lived down the street from us. I look back on those times and feel terribly ashamed for the way they were treated. I used to think it was because people were ignorant and didn’t know any better, but when I look forward sixty years, I see that things haven’t changed. It’s not ignorance, it’s a legacy of hatred. It needs to end and I need to do more.

For me, it begins by acknowledging that the values I was born into were entrenched in colonialism and inherent racism. I didn’t know the depth of my racist values until I formed relationships with BIPOC with cultural perspectives whom I admired, loved and respected – people who valued reciprocity, ancestral knowledge and equality above all.

The challenge for me now is to understand what I don’t know. I have much to learn about systemic discrimination but I know that in order for things to change, I need the support of my community working together to make a difference. I know we can do better to affirm that Black lives matter. We can make commitments and we can influence policy. We’ve prepared a list of resources on how you can work to combat anti-Black racism, which you can find here.

Strangely, I feel similarly about our current challenges with COVID-19 because I don’t have the answers. I still have a lot of questions. I know that if I keep asking those questions, and exercise patience, those answers will be revealed. I believe we will survive this crisis if our citizens believe that art, culture and creativity are essential to the well-being of our society and that artists contribute significantly to the quality of their lives. That’s what I’m focused on.

Here are some of the ways the BC Alliance is working on behalf of our sector.

Since April 7, we have been hosting virtual meetings with many of the two dozen arts service organizations in BC. We share resources, talk about opportunities for our sector and keep each other apprised of the latest developments in our discipline. We also ensure that the provincial government is informed about the impact of COVID-19 on our sector (thanks to Kenji Maeda at GVPTA for the surveys) and work collaboratively to strategize next steps so that we are ready to go when the restrictions are lifted.

We are also preparing a presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance for recommendations to the 2021 provincial budget. We’re working in collaboration with Vantage Point and the Vancouver Foundation to ensure that we are united in our message for a liveable and sustainable future.

The BC Alliance is also collaborating with Simon Fraser University on a two-part webinar series that will feature conversations between artists and professionals working in health care and climate action. Now, more than ever, we need to be relevant.

We are also reimagining the Artist Brigade project in collaboration with Kendra Fanconi (The Only Animal), Sue Biely (Story Money Impact), lolehawk (Stó:lō Nation), Sherry Janos (David Suzuki Foundation) and Marie Lopes (Vancouver Park Board). Originally designed as a one-day summit that brought artists together with scientists and climate activists, we are now planning to convene smaller groups of people on the land to give them the experience of places affected by climate change.

The second cohort of our Digital Ladders program, designed and delivered by Sue Biely and Robert Ouimet, is now open for applications and ready to launch in early July.

We have a lot going on.

I was reading the other day that COVID-19 has brought all of us back home. Home has become the epicentre of our lives after a century of being in the world. Maybe that’s a positive side effect. Maybe we can build a better society from the ground up knowing now, more than ever, what’s important to us – our families, our friends, our community. As we’ve experienced over the past few months, art begins at home. As Taylor said to me the other day, “home is where the art is!”

Always thinking about a better world.

Brenda Leadlay
Executive Director
BC Alliance for Arts + Culture