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November 14, 2008
My Ottawa STILL Includes Culture!
This is Serious!
City of Ottawa to Slash Cultural Funding in Upcoming Budget.
Up to 100% Cuts to Culture Proposed!
Please be assured that the current proposal for cuts to Arts and Culture in the next Ottawa budget is something to be very concerned about.
This time around the cuts are deeper for some but all will come under the knife. It is imperative, regardless of personal fatigue from the memory of the 2004 budget and the recent Federal arts cuts, to continue to speak out in support for the valuable work that we all do.
First and foremost everyone must contact their Councillors and make sure that their friends, families and colleagues do the same.
What you NEED to do.
- Contact your Councillor (click here for coordinates)
- Attend Draft Budget Public Consultations (click here for dates)
- Book your time to speak to the Committee of the Whole (click here for details)
- Council for the Arts in Ottawa has developed a sample letter that you can send to your Councillor
- Attend the press conference on November 18 at 10 am, Council Chambers, City of Ottawa
- Help us to pack the Council Chambers on December 1st at 10 am as the first delegations present to City Council
How are you affected? (Click here to see the list of cuts)
November 17, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I am not an Ottawa voter, but an artist living outside the city, so do not have a councillor to write to, but here are a couple of self-evident suggestions that I hope are already being worked on:
1)What about someone organizing a petition, by email and at willing cultural venues (GCTC?, Bytowne?, Zaphod’s?, Black Sheep? concert spaces and places of worship? arts schools?… catch all those holiday concerts!)for the next few weeks. All it would take is some photocopies and volunteers with clipboards at the door every evening! Hell, cultural workers, your livelihood may depend on it!Don’t expect most Ottawans to write a letter, but many more will agree if you just ask for a signature!
2) And while you are at it, there should be a sample press release as a template for every single tiny little Ottawa cultural organization or event committee that is going to fold, so they can put out release after release, saying just that: We are probably (or definitely) going to have to fold! Gone are the festivals, no more music/dance/drama classes, no more multicultural events! All so O’Brien can save every citizen the price of two coffees or bus tickets a year!