BC Election 2020: Where do the leading political parties stand on arts and culture?
The BC Alliance for Arts and Culture along with the BC Arts Service Organizations have made a request to the BC NDP, the BC Liberal Party, and the BC Green Party
Photo by Noah Pederson on Unsplash
THE COUNTDOWN TO the October 24 BC election is on, and local artists want to know what the major political parties are promising in terms of support for arts and culture if elected.
With artists facing unprecedented loss of income because of the pandemic, many being unable to keep their studios because of redevelopment or rising rents, and the future of live performances being uncertain for the foreseeable future, there’s perhaps never been a more critical time for government support.
Stir reached out to the BC NDP, the BC Liberal Party, and the BC Green Party for comment.
Neither the BC Liberals nor the BC Green Party responded to interview requests.
Lisa Beare, former NDP minister of tourism, arts, and culture, is a candidate in Maple-Ridge Pitt Meadows. In a phone interview with Stir, Beare said that the party’s commitment to the province’s arts sector is reflected in steps it has taken during its previous term and in what it has planned should the NDP end up in power anew.
Among the party’s initiatives to date include an increase in funding to the BC Arts Council to a record high budget of $34 million; a spend of $7.5 million on Amplify BC to support musicians; and $21 million for arts and culture in its Resiliency Plan to help organizations survive the effects of COVID-19.
It has also announced a revitalization plan for the Royal BC Museum.
“There has been no major infrastructure investment in the Royal BC Museum in 60 years,” Beare said. “This is our provincial gem, our cultural hub of the province where our shared history is stored. Pieces by Emily Carr—the largest collection in the world—are all being stored in the basement which is below sea level and at risk if we have a seismic incident. There are pumps running 24 hours a day to make sure there’s no water damage.
“We recently announced the first phase of this revitalization project, on the Collections and Research Building in Colwood,” she said. “Those are just some of the examples of our dedication to arts and cultures over past three and a half years.”
Former NDP minister of tourism, arts, and culture Lisa Beare is running for the party in the riding of Maple-Ridge Pitt Meadows.
Looking ahead, Beare noted that the NDP’s Recovery Investment Fund, which consists of $9 billion in infrastructure funding, had earmarked $2 million for the arts community. The money allows for upgrades along the lines of the installation of an HVAC system to safely store collections, for example, or the addition of accessibility features like elevators. This amount will be doubled, to $4 million.
The NDP has announced it will re-establish its government film task force, which will recommend the size and term of new visual effects tax credits based on production costs.
As part of its Precarious Work and Gig Economy Strategy, the party plans on developing a government-backed collective benefit fund for independent contractors and a voluntary pooled capital pension plan for workers who don’t otherwise have access to that kind of coverage.
“We want to make sure we’re taking care of all workers, particularly our precarious workers who may be struggling under COVID,” Beare said.
A province-wide initiative that would help many artists, she added, is one-time $1,000 benefit to families whose household income is under $125,000 (sliding scale up to $175,000) annually and a one-time $500 benefit to single people earning less than $62,000 annually (sliding scale up to $87,000).
“We’re definitely a government that cares about the arts, and I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with the arts community if I should be so fortunate,” Beare said.
The BC Alliance for Arts and Culture along with the BC Arts Service Organizations is asking the three leading parties to double the BC Arts Council budget, from $24 million to $48 million, to achieve sector equity and sustainability. The groups also note that, while the community is grateful for the aforementioned Resiliency Plan investment of $21 million in arts and culture, they want to reiterate that “the need for those funds is critical to ensure increased access to grants for Indigenous, racialized and marginalized artists; critical support for cultural spaces; digital equity for sustained and dynamic collaboration across diverse communities; and the preservation and resilience of the art, cultural and heritage sector across the province”.
Even before COVID-19 hit, many artists were struggling. Vancouver has the highest concentration of artists per capita among Canada’s largest cities, but the majority live below the poverty line, according to Hill Strategies.
Arts and culture contribute approximately $7.1 billion to the B.C. economy — the third highest in the country, after Ontario and Quebec.
As for what voters can do to make an informed decision on October 24, the BC Alliance for Arts and Culture has some suggestions. The organization runs ArtsVote BC, a non-partisan, grassroots effort that keeps arts on the radar of B.C. political parties, candidates, and voters.
It recommends attending an all-candidates meeting in your area or online; checking out the research and resources in its Voting and Advocacy Toolkit; and supporting arts and culture on social media using the hashtags #ArtsVoteBC and #NowIsTheTimeBC.
The BC Greens and the BC Liberals have yet to release positions on arts and culture.
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