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Friday, September 5, 2008

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm?

First there is this Cultural Olympiad plans unveiled

and then there is this Art VIPs plot election strategy

3 comments:

Ian Mackenzie said...

Thanks for these great links. Hey, and did you read the comment at the end of that Star article – the "learn how to lobby" rant? Pretty interesting.

It's amazing how many arts workers are expressing disappointment over the community's lack of political and corporate organization.

I feel it, too. I keep thinking that the arts in this country seems to have a victim complex. But I know there's more to it than that. I just wish we'd stop collectively complaining about what other people are doing to us and start doing our own thing on our terms.

I don't know. Maybe I'm jaded. I have heard some great arguments recently about exactly why the arts should be publicly funded.

So maybe this is that start of something.

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Ian Mackenzie

Obsidian Theatre said...

I did read that rant and I got caught a bit in the middle of a few thoughts. One was ...indeed yeah right on let's all get adept at lobbying. The next was the side of me that remembers how as charities we are constrained to not be "political" as it can impact our status with the CRA. Then the third part was ...sheeesh how much do I have for advocacy in my years budget and how much time can I spend on it.

Ian, I am still pimping for specialists here...smiling

Philip

Ian Mackenzie said...

True. CRA's charities-can't-be-political hitch is a huge obstacle to the ongoing growth and success of our theatre industry.

And I'm with you on the specialists. Scott Walters has a great model – the tribal model – but to make it work would require an entire group of people coming together to pretty much abandon any connection to the status quo. Revolution style. I just don't see it happening in my circles. We'd say it's too risky. He'd say it's too risky not to.

The whole thing makes me want to wallow on the muddied floodplains of a deep depression.

Luckily there's beer!

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Ian Mackenzie