Arts groups lobby for continued funding
Francophone and Anglophone arts groups in New Brunswick are lobbying and educating the provincial government in Fredericton on Dec. 7 and 8 to continue funding for art education.
One of the groups is ArtsLink NB, which represents Anglophone artists, organizations, institutes and supporters of the arts in the province in the fields of performing arts, visual arts, film, literature, craft and multidisciplinary arts.
The groups will meet with Progressive Conservative and Liberal caucuses during those two days as part of "Arts Day" at the legislature.
Sara Griffin, the executive director of ArtsLink NB, said Sunday that the arts sector is a major employer.
"In Canada, 35 per cent of people working are actually working in the … creative sector, and innovation and creativity is only going to increase, and the skills that we need in our future workforce really are going to require creativity and innovation," she said.
Griffin is concerned that it will be difficult to argue for more funding in a time of government cutbacks and restraint, but she said she is hopeful art education will survive.
"We really want the government to realize how important it is and that we need funding and we certainly are hoping to — the best we can — survive cutbacks," she said.
Griffin told Information Morning on Wednesday that her organization has learned much from New Brunswick Francophone artists about working together as a sector.
"They've certainly been very successful in making sure that in their school systems they have facilitators and really strong art education programs … They put out a very strategic, interesting book on incorporating arts into their community."
She also said Arts Day is an example of how New Brunswick artists need to work together as a sector.
"ArtsLink certainly has the wish that everyone can come together and all organizations and people working will have a network and community to belong to," she said.
