Arts Advocacy
New funds present a great opportunity for the arts
Mayor Miller’s announcement this morning that new funds are available for the 2010 budget gives City Council a timely opportunity to address its priorities.
Until today, the 2010 City budget recommendation included $0 increase to Toronto Arts Council and other arts programs.
With today’s announcement, Budget Committee was presented with an incredible opportunity to let the city’s artists know they are being heard. Over the past few years, a large number of artists, particularly young artists, have worked in partnership with the city to help champion and deliver new revenue programs (including the billboard tax) while advocating increased funding for the arts.
At public deputations before Budget Committee last week, numerous artists and arts advocates made a strong case for arts increases recommending:
1) That Budget Committee honour its commitment to provide an annual 2% cost of living increase for the community partnership and investment program (including TAC) that was first instated in 2009;
2) That Budget Committee find a mechanism to ensure that the net billboard tax revenue be fully directed towards arts programming as soon as possible.
Click on links below for copies of deputations made by Claire Hopkinson, Ron Lalonde, Tracey Sandilands, Karen Tisch and others on behalf of the city’s arts community.
Please call or email members of Budget Committee before 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 11 requesting their support for the above arts recommendations:
Budget Chief: Shelley Carroll, 416-392-4038; councillor_carroll@toronto.ca
Councillor Paul Ainslie, 416-392-4008; councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca
Councillor Maria Augimeri; 416-392-4021; councillor_augimeri@toronto.ca
Councillor A.A. Heaps; 416-392-0213; councillor_heaps@toronto.ca
Councillor Joe Mihevc; 416-392-0208; councillor_mihevc@toronto.ca
Councillor Gord Perks, 416-392-7919; councillor_perks@toronto.ca
Councillor Kyle Rae; 416-392-7903; councillor_rae@toronto.ca
Watch our website for updates during the budget period. The final 2010 budget will be approved by City Council on April 15.
2010 City Budget
The City's 2010 proposed operating budget was presented by Budget Chief Shelley Carroll on February 16. As it stands right now, grants funding, including arts grants, have been flat lined. TAC amongst approximately 28 other deputants for the arts appealed for increases. The support for the arts was notable, with 22 of the 35 deputants advocating support for culture on March 1st.
While the city continues to operate under significant financial pressure, City Councillors are also aware of the importance of the arts community's intervention in the billboard tax debate resulting in new revenues of $10 million annually.
New money, strong community support for increased arts funding, clear and documented evidence that Toronto's artists and organizations are significantly under funded - will all these add up to increased funding? We'll keep you posted. The final budget goes to City Council for approval on April 15.
Thank you for counting yourself in for Toronto arts!
The Survey is now closed. Survey Results:
Today, city of Toronto spends $16 for each tax paying resident on arts, culture and heritage, including TAC. Other cities: Vancouver spends $26, Montreal $33, New York City, Chicago and San Francisco more than triple our investment in arts. Civic leaders, economists and politicians recommend that Toronto invest $25 per Torontonian per year to ensure that this city gains the economic and social advantage of a strong arts community. Survey results:
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New Sign Regulation and Revenue Strategy for the City of Toronto
After days of debate and discussion the 'Billboard Tax' finally passed at Toronto City Council on December 7. Revenues expected from the tax are estimated at $10.4 million per year. This is a major victory for the Beautiful City Billboard Fee Alliance, and for all those in the city dismayed at the preponderance of unattractive billboards.
The focus will now move to Budget Committee where decisions will be made regarding allocation of the new funds. Both Mayor Miller and Budget Chief Shelley Carroll spoke in Council in support of more funding for the arts. They noted that this new revenue could help the City meet its Culture Plan objectives.
Congratulations to all who supported the implementation of the by-law by contacting Councillors and coming to City Hall.
Toronto needs the arts - and the arts need your voice.
Toronto Arts Council is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Throughout the last 35 years, Toronto’s artists and civic leaders have volunteered thousands of hours with TAC to promote the incredible artistic growth and development in this city. Today, in the country’s largest community of artists, TAC supports over 450 arts organizations and another 200 individual artists every year. And yet...
Toronto spends $16 for each resident on arts, culture and heritage, including TAC.
In comparison, Vancouver spends $26 and Montreal $33. New York City, Chicago and San Francisco more than triple Toronto’s investment in arts and culture.
Experts in prosperity and economic competitiveness recommend $25 per Torontonian to ensure that Toronto gains the economic and social advantage of a strong arts community. To add your voice of support for $25 for the arts...
A Case for Municipal Funding
City support for Toronto’s artists and arts organizations increases investment from other levels of government, increases employment in the arts sector, creates more performances, festivals, screenings, readings and exhibitions produced in Toronto and ensures greater arts accessibility for all ages and incomes in all Toronto neighbourhoods.
In order to meet its Culture Plan ten-year spending target as well as to satisfy the matched growth recommendation in the Martin Prosperity Institute Report, Toronto Arts Council’s Board is requesting a city funding increase of 77% over five years.
Increased funding to TAC will result in five major outcomes:
- Increased employment of artists/arts workers
- Increased investment in Toronto from other funders & the private sector
- Increased innovation and creative output from Toronto’s arts community
- Increased access to space for artists to create and present work
- Increased access to arts programming for Torontonians of all ages and in all neighbourhoods as a result of more arts events, reduced ticket prices and more free programming
The Case for Municipal Arts Funding
Policy & Legislation Watch
Canadian Conference for the Arts:
Cultural Policy Workshops to be held in Ontario this fall
How to contact your elected representatives
Contacting Toronto City Councillors: Find Your Ward
Contacting Members of Provincial Parliament: Ontario Legislature
House of Commons: Find Your Member of Parliament
Advocacy Committee
Toronto Arts Council's Advocacy Committee was established in the spring of 2009 to advance the interests of Toronto's arts community to politicians and the public. Members of the committee are drawn from the Boards of Directors of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation and from Toronto arts and community organizations:
Nichole Anderson ●Curtis Barlow ● Rose Bellosillo ● Jack Blum ● Alejandra Bravo ● Martha Burns ● Bev Carret ● Alice Klein ● Jacoba Knaapen ●Sally Lee ● Shannon Litzenberger ● Micheline McKay ● Amy Mushinski ● Celia Smith ● Jini Stolk ● Dan Tisch ● John Van Burek ● Jessica Wyman