Stage Door News
Stage Door News
What has happened so far?:
•20,000 people have signed the Friends of the Arts petition (16,000 online, the remainder in hard copy)
•Friends of the Arts and TAPA hosted the 2nd Annual Arts Day at the City on November 14, meeting with 25 Councillors and providing information about the importance of the City's arts funding. City Councillors were very receptive and many made commitments to maintain the City's support for the arts.
What is next?:
•The City Manager will present the 2012 Operating Budget at City Hall on November 28. This budget may or may not recommend cuts to arts grants, to museums and to culture programs at City Hall; City Council makes the final decision on the budget at its meeting January 17.
•November 29: The Friends of the Arts petitions will be presented to City Council.
•December 8: The public's only opportunity to make deputations to the City's Budget Committee.
What you can do?
•Encourage any one you know who has not yet signed the petition to do so. All signatures collected before November 28 will be presented at City Council.
•Watch your emails for next steps. On November 30, Friends of the Arts will send out recommended actions in response to the budget recommendations.
•Call or email your Councillor and let them know that you are counting on them to support the arts.
Toronto Arts Sector's Shared Message for City Council: The following recommendations were developed jointly by TAPA's Advocacy Committee, Friends of the Arts, and Toronto Arts Foundation's Advocacy Committee. Toronto’s Arts Sector supports the following position:
1.To achieve economic vitality and quality of life, it is essential that the City of Toronto maintain or increase its current funding levels for arts and culture as approved in the Creative Capital Gains report.
2.To enhance Toronto’s global position as a cultural capital, the Mayor and City Councillors must play a leadership role in promoting our City’s rich cultural assets to its citizens and visitors.
3.To attract talent and business investment, the City must ensure a supply of affordable, sustainable cultural spaces in neighbourhoods across Toronto.
Questions or more information? Contact friendsoftheartsto@gmail.com.
*Friends of the Arts is a network of arts supporters including the following organizations: Arts Vote Toronto, Arts Etobicoke, BeautifulCity.ca, Business for the Arts, Creative Trust, Lakeshore Arts, Scarborough Arts, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, Toronto Arts Foundation, Urban Arts.
Toronto’s cultural economy contributes more than $9 billion annually to Toronto’s GDP and employs more than 130,000 people.Keep pace with international competitors by making a firm commitment to sustain Toronto’s cultural sector and position Toronto as a leading, globally competitive Creative Capital.
We have an opportunity to capitalize on our strong economic position relative to many of our competitors by recognizing that culture is the fundamental driver of Toronto’s future prosperity.
2011-11-18
Toronto: An update from Friends of the Arts about Toronto arts funding