[e-drive][EQUIFLASH: URGENT NOTICE RE: NS ARTS COUNCIL]

[Patricia Joyce]

~~~~~~~~~~ equiflash ~~~~~~~~~~

The following information pertains to the recent and shocking closure of
Nova Scotia Arts Council. The Nova Scotia Cultural Network has sent the
urgent notice below calling for immediate action and support to save the
arts council.

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NOVA SCOTIA ARTS COMMUNITY IN SHOCK
- excerpted from Canadian Conference of the Arts Bulletin 08/02

The March 28th Chronicle Herald in Halifax ran the following headline:
"Tories kill provincial arts council Minister says $270,000 saved means more
money for culture; artists cry foul".

In a precipitous and ill-advised move, the Minister of Tourism and Culture,
Rodney MacDonald, swept aside Canada's youngest arts council. The Nova
Scotia Arts Council, legislated into being during the tenure of Premier John
Savage in 1996, was the result of a long and careful process of deliberation
and consultation by both the arts community and officials.

....shocked staff of the arts council were escorted from their offices and
the locks were changed. The Nova Scotia Cultural Network has issued a press
release and organized a campaign called "Save our Arts Council". The Network
’s release states: "What is perfectly clear is that the decimation of the
Arts Council moves Nova Scotia backwards in time to an era when political
considerations and political connections took precedence over artistic merit
in the allocation of arts funding."

-- For full bulleting contact: info at ccarts.ca

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NOVA SCOTIA CULTURAL NETWORK
CyberBulletin - 2 April 2002

URGENT!  PLEASE READ AND RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!

WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT!
As part of the rising tide of support for the Nova Scotia Arts Council, the
SAVE OUR ARTS COUNCIL Campaign is taking out a FULL PAGE AD in the Friday
edition of the Chronicle Herald and Mail Star.  The text of the ad is
appended below.  Your support, your name, and your donations are extremely
important as we set out to save the Arts Council that so many of us worked
so hard to create.

WE WANT YOUR NAME!
The ad is like a petition.  We want as many names on it as possible, from
ALL parts of the province.  Names of organizations and institutions and
businesses carry weight, but individual names are important too.  Let us
know exactly how you want to be identified, and please keep it brief … we're
expecting hundreds of names!

WE WANT YOUR MONEY!
We need donations to pay for the ad.  PLEASE SEND WHAT YOU CAN!  Make your
cheque payable to "Nova Scotia Cultural Network" and send it to the Network
at Suite 511, 1657 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS  B3J 2A1.  We cannot issue
charitable receipts, but individuals and businesses can claim this as a
business expense.

THE DEADLINE
The absolute deadline for adding your name to the ad is Wednesday
3 April at 5:00 PM.  Please email your name, exactly as you want it to
appear, to pamela at culture.ns.ca.  You don't have to donate money to have
your name on the ad, but it sure would be nice if you did.  If you have
questions or problems getting through, please call Pamela Wetzel at (902)
423-7149.

THE AD
It took twenty years of open, public, grass-roots organizing by the artists
of Nova Scotia, but their united vision was finally recognized in 1995.
Bill 36, “An Act to Establish the Nova Scotia Arts Council” received the
unanimous endorsement of all parties in the Legislature.  The Arts Council
was built on a solid legal foundation.  Or so it seemed.

Last month, the Department of Tourism and Culture held a series of eight
community consultations.  At every one of these meetings, there was
passionate and outspoken support for the Arts Council.  Opposition voices
were virtually nonexistent.

Despite this, on March 27, without any warning, the Tory Government
terminated the Nova Scotia Arts Council in a carefully planned operation
that was carried out with military precision.  Within one hour, the Council
office was occupied, the doors were locked, staff was confined, the
Executive Director was summarily dismissed, the Directors were suspended,
and a press release was issued outlining a new ‘Arts and Culture Council’
controlled directly by the Minister of Tourism and Culture.

There was no public discussion.  There was no debate in the legislature.
There was no deliberation in the Tory caucus.  The Nova Scotia Arts Council
was abolished in the most secretive manner possible … by 12 elected
officials meeting behind closed doors.  The Minister of Tourism and Culture
requested an order-in-council, the Executive Council (the Premier and his
Cabinet) approved it, and the Nova Scotia Arts Council was dead.

All Nova Scotians should be profoundly disturbed by the authoritarian manner
in which their Government demolished the Arts Council.  Arm's-length arts
councils are common in civilized democracies because enlightened governments
realize they are, by far, the best way to protect freedom of artistic
expression.  It's authoritarian regimes that prefer direct political control
of their artists.

This should be a matter of deep concern for all Nova Scotians.  This is not
just about the Nova Scotia Arts Council.  It’s about abuse of power.  It’s
about trampling basic rights.  It's about undermining democratic
institutions.  It’s about freedom of expression and the right to criticize
those in power.  It’s about the rule of law.

Today, they kill the Arts Council.  Tomorrow, ...?

[The ad ends with suggestions for what to do and who to contact].

THE SIGNATORIES
There were 150 people at the emergency meeting that recommended this ad.  At
least that many organizations and individuals have already signed on.  If
you sign this ad, you will definitely not be alone.  We have to stand
together on this, or we'll be picked off one by one!

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For more information about the Cultural Network, please contact:
Andrew David Terris
Executive Director
P: (902) 423-4456
F: (902) 423-4248
E: network at culture.ns.ca

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE NETWORK FORUM AT www.culture.ns.ca.