On the Eve of an Election

I have been quite silent throughout the election campaign, which is odd, since I usually have strong opinions about the necessity of participation in the democratic process. With that said, I write today with the simple message that it's important not only to vote, but to cast a thoughtful, informed vote. As Artists and stewards of the Art (which is what we as administrators essentially are) it's important for us to say what we think, not only about the Arts, but about our society as a whole. This is, after all, the purpose of artistic expression in many ways.

Some of my colleagues have been asked why Artists have been less vocal this election. I believe there are two main factors:

1)  Current federal funding levels are not openly threatened and for the Arts to lobby for increases in a time of restraint among governments will very likely make us look like whiners. Nevertheless, many groups, including PACE and the Canadian Arts Coalition, among others, continue to pursue an ongoing dialogue with politicians at all levels of government. This helps not only to raise awareness and educate them about the intrinsic value of what we do, but also serves to remind politicians that their constituents care about the Arts.

2)  This year there has been a greater need to focus on survival. Many Artists and Arts organizations across North America (and beyond) have faced severe revenue challenges from several quarters. It seems that no one is immune. Many have faced declines in donations, sponsorships, grants, and earned revenue as the economy remains tight, despite the optimism from time to time in much of the media. With expenses already cut to the bone, there have already been hard decisions to make. After such a dramatic economic downturn, recovery is slow and cautious. The world - and audiences - are changing in ways we couldn't have predicted even 5 years ago, and it is taking time and vast amounts of energy to adapt. I, for one, am tired as I near the end of a long season, and I'm sure I'm not alone. All of this has left little room to focus on anything but the task at hand, despite the need.

Of course, this probably sounds overly dramatic and indeed things aren't completely hopeless. Adaptation isn't, after all, a bad thing. However, realities remain and the one way we can all effect change is to get out and cast a thoughtful vote. Thankfully, there are organizations such as the Canadian Arts Coalition (see link above), who have put together good information to make sure we can head to the polls with the right information. Along with the websites, don't hesitate to check out each organization on facebook, and/or follow them on Twitter. There's also this lively political debate on Arts from Thursday's edition of Q, on CBC.

This Man Will Rock Your World

I don't know what rock I've living been under, but I'm really glad I just crawled out from under it, because Ben Cameron has just rocked my world with this Ted talk.

He's speaking in Edmonton next Monday night, March 14. Details are here.

If you're in Edmonton that night, you should go.

Advocacy and Some New Websites to Check Out

I have long been a proponent of initiating an open, frank, constructive and positive dialogue with our communities and politicians about the importance of the Arts to our society. I've also spoken with colleagues about the importance of this becoming part of the training of new Arts Administrators, so that they become aware of the issues and can engage constructively.

There are currently two advocacy organizations in Alberta who have undertaken what I believe are constructive, positive campaigns to let politicians know that the Arts really matters to Albertans. If you're interested in supporting these campaigns (and I sincerely hope you are, particularly if you live and work in Alberta), check out the I Love Alberta Arts campaign by the Professional Arts Coalition of Edmonton and the work underway at Save Our Fine Arts.

Thanks to Wolf Brown's bi-weekly On Our Minds newsletter - you can sign up via their site to receive your own copy - I also discovered an amazing American Arts blog, Createquity. It's a fascinating read and a great resource for the latest in US policy and research. It's a truly inspiring model that one day I hope I can emulate through this blog - if I ever have time...

On Speaking The Truth

A colleague said in a meeting last week that we must be able to speak the truth to each other and to those we enter into dialogue with. In this climate of hard times, where we are constantly trying to maintain good relationships, survive and ensure sustainability into the future, it's something all of us can and should carry with us.

But what does speaking the truth mean? To me, the truth:

• is what the speaker believes to be the honest, clear reality at the time he or she speaks it;
• is frank, open and honest;
• is not always easy to hear or to speak;
• is not spoken in a mean or mean-spirited way;
• can change during a dialogue, if the discourse is open-minded and ego-free;
• is not taken personally by the listener, although it can be challenged providing the listener is also frank, open and honest, and willing to be open-minded and ego-free.

We work with and for Artists, who speak their own truths through their work all the time. We want them to do this. It is what Art is for. As a society, we rely on them to do exactly this, illuminating both the pleasant and unpleasant truths. Now, more than ever, we need to not be afraid to follow their example and speak our own truths - have our own dialogues with those who need to hear our message, be they other Artists, Organizations, Patrons, Sponsors, Funders or Colleagues. This is the only way we will progress and the only way we can survive.

Happy New Year!

When it seems as though things will never go well, disaster is all around me, and those around me are also down, I am often fond of saying, "It's only theatre/a festival/ballet! It's not world peace." And this is true. Nobody will die or lose a limb because of what I do or don't do that day - things are rarely that urgent. HOWEVER, what we do in the Arts is vital for our society and I feel truly fortunate to be able to work towards this every day and be a part of the transcendent, joyous, profound and beautiful process that is ART.

Wising everyone the very best for 2011. May better times be ahead.

Wading In...

Although there are so many voices in the whole debate about ballet dancers and body image issues right now, as a former dancer, I feel compelled to weigh in and say my piece. Over the past several days, I have read the National Post article on Alastair Macaulay's comments in the New York Times about one of the Sugar Plum Fairies in New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker, I have read several comments on-line and from colleagues and friends, I have read and heard the hype about the new film, Black Swan, and this morning, I listened to the interview CBC's Jian Gomeshi did with Suzanne Gordon (author of the 1984 book Off Balance) on his show, Q. Following are my comments.

On Mr. Macaulay's view:
In my opinion, the comments made in that review about Jennifer Ringer were just wrong. The dancers in the photo that accompanied the National Post piece showed beautiful artists with healthy, athletic bodies. I cannot fathom what could be wrong with that. They are gorgeous people and in no way anywhere close to overweight.

On the interview with Ms. Gordon on Q:
I cannot deny that eating disorders still exist among some dancers. As a former dancer who currently works in the arts and has a close relationship with dance, I can say that things are different. Where I work, I see healthy dancers who are very careful about maintaining that health and I see Artistic Directors and dance companies who support that. Things are changing.

Ms. Gordon's statements that many dancers (especially young girls) are coerced into staying in ballet by their parents and do not feel they can quit absolutely do not reflect my experience and that of my friends. I trained in Toronto and Montreal with young men and women from across North America. By the time we were training seriously, almost all of us had to fight for our passion. Instead of coercion, we faced opposition from our parents, our schools, and our friends and neighbours. Becoming an artist was not considered a viable career and we had to work very hard to convince those around us that this was the right thing for us to do. Ms. Gordon should not sell dancers short. They are intelligent, passionate people and to imply that they are in dance for anything but the love of it is almost insulting to these artists.

On the Black Swan film:
I need to be clear that I have yet to see the movie, or even the trailer. However, I do know that it is a fictional story, so I believe it is important to remember that whatever is or is not portrayed on screen may or may not be a true reflection of reality. Like any film, it is a director's interpretation of a story, so perspective is important.

And on the subject of perspective, I will only say in closing that it is important for anyone who really wants to know about ballet and dance to take the time to form their own opinions. So ultimately, my recommendation would be to go and see a ballet - or any dance - and form your own opinions about the art form. For me, it is an art form that transcends all boundaries of language and can convey the deepest, most profound emotions in the simplest of gestures, allowing dancers and choreographers to communicate in the universal language that is human movement.

Some Good Information

An analysis of the latest reports on Canadian consumer and government spending on Arts and Culture was recently released by Hill Strategies. If you haven't already seen it, you can find it here. the figures, from 2008, create some very interesting comparisons and highlight some even more interesting trends from just before the economy started to rapidly decline. Despite the size of such an undertaking, I hope that a similar survey can be done for 2010. Some of the figures and trends are likely to be very different in the current environment and the comparison would be very revealing.

Also, for those who completed the Business for the Arts annual Performing Arts Survey last spring, you will probably have received your personalized reports via e-mail. I have to say, I LOVE this aspect, as well as the tools available to survey participants for further analysis and comparison. I know we all get deluged with surveys and requests for information, but I definitely recommend taking the time to do this one. Because so many organizations participate, the results are very comprehensive and quite representative. Using this as well as the data which is available in the CADAC (Canadian Arts Data/Donnees sur les arts au canada) we have some very solid numbers to use in a variety of ways: to make us better within our own organizations, to back up any arguments on the positive influences we have on society as a sector, and so on.