Julianna Yau’s blog

I’m feeling like I’m all over the place recently (probably because I am).

I heard back from Andrew Telegdi’s office this week and we’re trying to arrange for a meeting soon. I’ve also contacted Cathy MacLellan for a meeting, but haven’t heard back yet. Along with Cindy Jacobsen (whom I’ve already met), they’re really the only candidates in my riding I’ll be trying to meet. I have no interest in wasting my time with the Conservative party, and I’m too busy to try to meet with the candidates for the other parties (which I doubt have a realistic chance at being elected).

You’ll probably mostly be seeing mini posts like this and bookmarks of other sources for the next week or so. I’m going to be very busy creating new sculptures, coordinating the upcoming events for Globe Studios and jump-starting an exciting new venture.

Other stuff happening:

The Writers Guild of Canada is organizing a pro-arts rally in front of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre at Front & John Street in Toronto on Wednesday, October 8 from 11:30am to 12:30pm. A PDF of the flyer can be found here.

The Department of Culture has also extended their Gone in 30 Seconds video contest deadline to 6pm on Oct 5th.

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On September 15, Facebook was dotted with profiles, sans profile pictures. This was done in protest of the recent arts funding cuts which were discovered, without warning, consultation or announcement, to show how the loss of arts & culture would mean a loss of cultural identity for Canadians.

I participated in this protest, and will join those who are remaining faceless until the election, such as Chris Foley. Being faceless for a day was very difficult for me, because I use the profile to showcase my recent sculptures, and my sculptures are part of who I am. Instead of seeing one of my creations, having to look at the ghostly silhouette of a nameless person was more than unsettling.

What was most telling of how intimitately connected our identity is with art & culture is the variety of Facless For the Arts profile pictures created by users so they can show they are faceless specificially in support of art & culture.

So as part of my work to raise awareness about the impacts and implications of the arts funding cuts, I will be faceless not merely in Facebook, but in all my online social networks.

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So much for not being in the thick of political drama. What was that about getting pulled back in?

Somehow, I find myself contacting members of parliament and being strangely excited by the possibility of an election. Although I don’t like the drama which sometimes comes from being involved, I’ve always firmly believed that complaining without action is valueless to the point of being dispicible. I’m sure that many think I’m overdoing it, but things need to get done somehow, right?

The office of my MP, Andrew Telegdi, responded to me on Wednesday, stating that “Mr. Telegdi is very concerned about the effect that this will have on our economy, the arts and culture scene and our appeal abroad.” and that “[they] will update [me] with any news we receive regarding this issue. And please keep [them] posted as well as [they] appreciate hearing concerns and/or receiving advice from an affected member of the Arts community.” I’m now looking forward to meeting with him sometime soon to discuss the impacts of C-10, the copyright legislation and the budget cuts on the arts community.

Bill Siksay has also been the first member of the Heritage committee to respond, although presumably with a form letter:

Dear Julianna,

Thank you for getting in touch with me regarding the Conservative government’s plans to cut key arts and culture programmes that assist Canadian artists, including “PromArt”. The cancellation of this important program will severely limit Canada’s international cultural presence. My New Democrat colleagues and I certainly share your concern on this issue.

The Harper Conservatives are quite simply wrong to cancel important cultural diplomacy programs that help Canadian artistic groups market and promote their work overseas. I believe that government should play a role in promoting Canadian culture overseas. The selection process for participation should not be a political decision based on the personal tastes or ideology of an individual minister. These programmes represent Canada as a whole and must have clear, transparent guidelines that ensure the best of Canadian culture – and the diversity of Canadian culture – is internationally represented.

This move comes on the heels of Bill C-10 and the Harper government’s plans to censor film in Canada that it finds “offensive”. I agree with many Canadians who feel that the Conservatives’ continued attempts to force their tastes on Canadian artists and arts organizations is deplorable. The Conservative government’s attempts to impose their ideological and moral values on Canadians and to censor artistic expression in Canada is unacceptable. My New Democrat colleagues and I have demanded that they back-off from this plan immediately.

Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. Please be assured that I will continue to follow it closely and that New Democrats will remain actively involved in the campaign to protect artistic expression in Canada.

Sincerely yours,

Bill Siksay, MP
Burnaby-Douglas

With the possible election, the coming weeks are probably the best for getting responses from your MP and from members of committees regarding these and other issues. Get out there and show them we mean business!

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Reposting from the Canadian Conference of the Arts (PDF):

The Standing Committee on Heritage has decided to start holding hearings on the impact of the budget cuts to arts and culture programs. The first session is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, September 2 in Ottawa. There will likely be another session on Thursday, September 4, but that may be the only two if the persistent rumours of an upcoming election are correct.

Each party has until Friday noon to provide the Committee’s Clerk with a list of witnesses whom they would like to call. You can express your interest to be called as witness to any of the following contacts, MAKING SURE TO INDICATE IF YOU WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR EITHER SITTING AND IN PARTICULAR THE SEPTEMBER 2 ONE. Also indicate where you can be reached, the Clerk having only Friday afternoon to confirm the list of witness for Tuesday!

Liberal Party: please contact Benoït Bouvier tel. 613 286 9899 or email coderd0@parl.gc.ca
NDP: please contact Andrea Emond tel. (613) 9965597 or email siksab@parl.gc.ca
Bloc Québécois: please contact Daniel Dicaire, tel. 6139460644 tlx : 6139413300 email debelc@parl.gc.ca

Don’t forget to specify if your organization would be ready to appear as early as Tuesday!

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Update: My open letter to the Heritage Committee

Four members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage have called an emergency meeting of the committee to discuss the recent cuts to arts programs. The meeting is on August 26 at 1:00pm.

This is call to flood inboxes of Heritage Committee members BEFORE their emergency meeting Aug. 26 at 1:00 pm. Remember to keep it calm and rational though passionate. State what riding you’re from, whether you’re an artist, cultural worker or supporter of the arts, and any thoughts you have. Please update yourself with recent developments on Recent News on the page if you haven’t already.

Heritage Committee Members
Denis Coderre Coderre.D@parl.gc.ca
Gary Schellenberger schelg1@parl.gc.ca
Andy Scott Scott.A@parl.gc.ca
Jim Abbott Abbott.J@parl.gc.ca
Ed Fast faste@parl.gc.ca
Luc Malo Malo.L@parl.gc.ca
Bill Siksay Siksay.B@parl.gc.ca
Michael D.Chong Chong.M@parl.gc.ca
Dean Del Mastro delmad@parl.gc.ca
Hedy Fry fry.h@parl.gc.ca
Francis Scarpaleggia scarpf@parl.gc.ca
Jim Prentice Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

Sample letter: The Documentary Organization of Canada

Other resources:
My original post regarding a letter-writing campaign
Collection of relevant articles & websites
Canadian Conference of the Arts resource page
Against cuts to foreign touring and Trade Routes programs Facebook group
Status of the Artist legislation

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I wonder when we’ll be able to start acting on improving things rather than reacting to bad decisions.

I started a Ma.gnolia group to keep track of all the literature on the recent arts budget cuts. It’s an open group, so please feel free to join and add relivant links. I’m hoping to keep it as a resource for people not only to stay informed about the issue, but for anyone doing research for a letter they’re writting to their MP.

If you’re on Facebook, please join or visit the Against cuts to foreign touring and Trade Routes programs, Save the CIFVF and Faceless groups for information on what the issues are and what you can do.

For those who aren’t on Facebook, here is some information from those groups. And remember that The Documentary Organization of Canada has a form letter you can use as a starting point (or use as-is). Margaret Dinsdale has graciously offered to accept feedback and questions directly.

Letters, especially “snail mail” letters, are logged and responded to, it is an obligation of elected members to do so. The more, the more clout we will have. Start by writing to The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper and cc it to your MP and any or all of the list below. If you don’t know the name of your MP, go here, type in your postal code and it will tell you.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

TIPS on writing to Parliament
You do NOT need postage. However, to make sure your letter doesn’t get held up, write “No postage required” where the stamp would normally go. Write the name of the person you are writing to with the following address:
[Name]
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Remember to keep cool, keep on topic and keep it to one page. Don’t get personal, we have to give respect in order to receive it. And if you are writing on behalf of a group of people, state how many people you are representing. That is very important.

Who to contact:

Leaders
The Rt. Hon Stephen Harper
Hon. Stephan Dion (Lib)
Hon. Gilles Duceppe (Bloc)
Hon. Jack Layton (NDP)
Elizabeth May (Green) leader@greenparty.ca

Foreign Affairs – Minister and Critics
Hon. David Emerson
Hon. Bob Rae (Lib)
Guy Andre (Bloc)
Paul Dewar (NDP)
Eric Walton (Green) eric.walton@greenparty.ca

Canadian Heritage – Minister and Critics
Hon. Josee Verner
Hon. Denis Coderre (Lib)
Marike Finlay (Green) marikefinlay@greenparty.ca

Consider also cc-ing your correspondence to the Standing Committee on Heritage. Denis Coderre, listed above, is on this committee.
Gary Schellenberger schelg1@parl.gc.ca
Andy Scott Scott.A@parl.gc.ca
Jim Abbott Abbott.J@parl.gc.ca
Ed Fast faste@parl.gc.ca
Luc Malo Malo.L@parl.gc.ca
Bill Siksay Siksay.B@parl.gc.ca
Michael D. Chong Chong.M@parl.gc.ca
Dean Del Mastro delmad@parl.gc.ca
Hedy Fry fry.h@parl.gc.ca
Francis Scarpaleggia scarpf@parl.gc.ca
Jim Prentice Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

Take time to write to your provincial cultural ministers. There is a federal/provincial/territorial conference with the cultural ministers being held in Quebec City at the end of September and the cultural cuts are on the agenda.

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In response to the recent arts funding cuts, a Facebook group and event is being organized to stage a one-day online protest on September 15 (the first day of Parliament). This has been initiated by Keith Barker in association with Native Earth Performing Arts.

From the Facebook group:

This is a roll call to all people who believe that Arts and Culture is a part of their lives and is important outside of the political spectrum. This is for artists, families, parents, friends, co-workers, relatives, enemies, neighbors, acquaintances, to all people who enjoy the arts and culture of this country and feel that it must be nurtured and cultivated. We need to send out a message to our politicians to let them know that there are more of us than they think and congruently that we are not going to vote for any person or party that plans to cut funding to arts and culture in the impending election. This is for all of us; people from all sides of the political landscape. This is not about what party you belong to, but how you feel about arts and culture in this country.

So on Monday September 15th (the first day of Parliament) we want you to do one thing. It’s very simple. It will only take a small amount of your time. About the same amount of time it will take to cast your vote for the candidate you feel best represents what you want.

This is it: We would like you to leave your profile picture blank for the day. Use your faceless profile picture as a symbol of the loss of identity Canadians will experience if funding to the arts is cut.

Be a catalyst for change and put your best face forward on election day, but on Monday September 15th leave it blank and send a message so that we can count how many people have joined the fight.

I encourage netizens to not only leave their Facebook profile blank, but any other social networking site. It’s only one day, and you can exercise your creativity afterwards with a new profile picture!

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