by Lisa Mackay
It is the beginning of February and already the year has been full of politics. We can’t expect much of a break from this, as a federal election will inevitably be called at some point this year and Alberta municipal elections will take place in the fall. Although that tiny voice inside my head that wants to run away and forge a life in the wilderness somewhere is getting louder by the day, I will ignore it and channel that energy into advocating for the arts in these elections – and I encourage you to do the same.
Locally, this means reviving the arts advocacy coalition that has been so effective in past elections, Creative Calgary. Created in 2017 ahead of the municipal election, the collective advocated for increased municipal investment in the local arts sector and launched a campaign to raise awareness about the economic contributions and intrinsic value that artists and arts organizations bring to the City of Calgary. The overall efforts resulted in Calgary Arts Development (CADA)’s funding increasing from $6.4M to $12.4M in 2019 and up to $15.5M by 2022.
Early in January, a group of Calgary arts leaders gathered at cSPACE Marda Loop to discuss the upcoming election and convey their interest in joining together once more in coalition to remind candidates that Calgarians care about the arts and of the important contributions the arts and culture sector makes to the city. A Steering Committee was formed and has been meeting weekly to develop an action plan for the coming months.
The first order of business was to clarify the mission and identity of the group. What is the purpose of Creative Calgary and what messages are of primary importance for 2025? It was decided that while we don’t have a specific financial or budgetary recommendation at this time, it is important for the arts sector to have a strong and unified voice throughout the campaign period. Creative Calgary will work to ensure that every candidate knows the value and importance of a thriving arts community to a prosperous city and to request that commitment to strong arts funding be a part of individual and party platforms. The statement of purpose that was determined is as follows:
Calgarians want a dynamic and thriving arts scene. This is what Creative Calgary fights for.
We are a non-partisan group of artists, arts workers, and arts champions who advocate for the economic, cultural, and social benefits that the arts contribute to a vibrant and resilient city.
We are now working on a one-page information sheet to send and/or present in person to all municipal candidates. It will include the social and economic benefits of a strong arts sector and underline the vital necessity of including the arts in building the Calgary of tomorrow. We will also be reaching out to the arts community for basic supporter data, namely, the postal codes of patrons and donors. This will enable us to draw a picture for candidates of the arts activities and arts enthusiasts (i.e. voters) in their wards, without sharing any personal or identifiable information. [1]
We will be approaching the new municipal political parties to communicate the importance of including a statement regarding the importance of the arts and arts funding in their platforms. We will also bring this request to all the candidates individually as they will be creating their own platforms as well.
We intend to be a loud and visible group at campaign events, town halls, and debates, pushing for candidates to articulate their stand on municipal support for the arts. Creative Calgary will also spend time and energy on a public-facing campaign, gathering support from arts audiences and attendees and providing them with avenues to advocate on behalf of the arts community they love. We will develop resources for arts lovers such as letter-writing campaigns and sample questions to ask their candidates when and if they come knocking. This city has an amazingly strong arts scene and is full of Calgarians who love their arts - candidates should not forget this!
Get Involved
If you are interested in being involved in Creative Calgary and municipal advocacy, please send me an email indicating your desired level of support. We have room for one or two more voices on the Steering Committee, which meets weekly and will be counting on a broader membership to lend their voices to the message we are advocating. Members will be called on to attend campaign-related events, spread our message to their patrons, and connect with members of Calgary’s business community to champion municipal support for the arts. If these sound like activities you would be interested in, I hope you will get in touch and join our membership!
The arts matter to Calgarians and are a part of our identity as a forward-thinking, innovative city. With Creative Calgary, we are proud to represent artists, arts workers, and arts lovers alike to the people running for City Council. I will update our readers on this project in the coming months!
[1] Our friends at Calgary Arts Development are helping us with this, and have assured us that legal privacy agreements will be signed before any data is shared and that nothing will contravene privacy legislation.
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