Advocacy

The Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton > Advocacy

PACE’s number one priority is to advocate for professional artists and arts organizations as a whole within greater Edmonton.  We are active during every election – municipal, provincial and federal – impressing upon candidates the importance of the arts to their constituencies, and informing the arts community on where candidates stand on the arts.  In between elections, PACE maintains open communications with elected officials and takes actions to mitigate potential threats to the greater Edmonton’s arts community.

2012 Provincial Election – ArtsVote In Action!

Want to know where the different parties stand on arts and culture issues in the province of Alberta?  PACE recently sent the following information and questions to the leaders of every party running candidates in the current election.  We will be posting their responses as we receive them.

In the meantime, we encourage members of the arts community and all their supporters to pose these same questions to candidates at forums and on the doorstep.  We need to impress upon them that the Alberta arts sector is vital to our province and we are taking an active role in the outcome of this election.

What you need to know about arts and culture in Alberta before you answer our questions:

  • 91% of Albertans feel art activities are important in contributing to the overall quality of life in their community. Source:  Annual Survey of Albertans, Resinnova Research & Consulting Inc. 2010
  • Albertans receive a 12:1 return on every dollar spent on the arts. Source: Summary of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Alberta,Alberta Foundation for the Arts, 2005.
  • 88% of Albertans feel it is important that the Government of Alberta continues to fund and support the arts. Source: Culture and Community Services Annual Survey of Albertans on Culture, Leger Marketing, 2011
  • All three levels of government receive tax revenue through the arts sector.  A total of 67.9 million in taxes is collected (in Alberta) through taxation systems each year.  Source Culture and Community Spirit Department Fact and Figures 2010

Please give us your position on the following:

1.  Do you support a restoration of the 2010 16 per cent cut to the AFA?

2.  If elected to serve the people of Alberta in the next Legislature, will you work towards immediately increasing lottery money investment to arts, culture and heritage by 25%?

 

Here are the arts and culture platforms put out so far.  We will post more as they become available.  Check out what these parties have to say on our future:

Also, check out the great campaign ArtsVote Calgary has been doing!  Click here to view coverage on the arts forum they hosted in Calgary.

General provincial advocacy information is available at the Public Interest Alberta website.

Provincial Advocacy Steering Committee

PACE’s Advocacy Steering Committee is preparing a multilayered approach to informing our provincially elected officials about the importance of the arts and culture sector in Alberta.

Our first step, in league with a number of arts organizations around the province, is a postcard campaign. PACE is collecting postcards to deliver en masse to the Alberta Legislature. Keep in touch to learn when this will take place. Click here to download PACE’s postcard.

You can also select from the following postcards to mail to the premier, minister or MLA of your choice on behalf of other arts organizations from around Alberta:

Alternatively you can elect to create your own postcard to send on behalf of your own arts organization. Be sure to send us an electronic version of your postcard so we can add it to our growing collection. E-mail us at admin@pacedmonton.com