Molson and the arts

[Craig Walker]

Dear Friends,

Most of you will be familiar with the controversy from last spring about
Molson's funding of the arts that was raised by  Toronto actor and
director, Ross Manson.  A few weeks after reading Kate Taylor's piece in
the Globe, I received an e-mail containing what follows below: the original
exchange between Molson and Manson. I have deliberately hung on to it until
now.  As many of us prepare to return to classes in the next week or so,
where we will be seeing many of those who are in Molson's "target
demographic," I thought a reminder right about now would be timely.  I'm
not advocating any direct proselytization of our students, but I know that
discussions touching on issues of this kind are often raised in some of my
classes, and it seems to me that young people studying the arts should at
least know that they have a decision to make.

In case you would like to contact Molson yourself, here is their web
address: http://www.molson.com/home/main.ghtml

Yours,

Craig Walker
Associate Professor, Drama, Queen's University
Artistic Director, Theatre Kingston.

>On 26/06/01 10:14 am, jlmcclelland at molson.com at jlmcclelland at molson.com
>wrote:
>
>
>The Molson Donations Fund is currently undergoing a review of its policies
>to align our giving with our corporate strategies. It appears that moving
>forward we will be supporting the following: education >initiatives which
>include post-secondary student programs and working with charities which
>retrain disenfranchised young adults; and recreational facilities and
>programs for adults. As part of this review project, we determined that we
>will not be supporting many of the sectors that we have historically
>assisted. Unfortunately, the arts is one of those, so we must respectfully
>decline a contribution to your theatre company.
>
>I'm sorry for this disappointing news and we send good wishes for >ongoing
>success.
>
>Judy McClelland Donations Officer The Molson Donations Fund 175 Bloor
>Street East, North Tower Toronto, Ontario M4W 3S4 Telephone: 416-966-6168
>email: jlmcclelland at molson.com
_______________________________________

>Dear Ms McClelland,
>
>I am saddened to hear that Molson has decided to direct no more corporate
>donations to the arts in Canada. Can this be true? If so - and I can only
>assume it is so since you declined to answer my follow-
>up email asking for precisely this clarification - I can only encourage
>Molson to revoke such an exclusion of one of the most vibrant and
>essential communities in this country. The arts reflect Canada to
>Canadians, and receive more attention in the world press than any other
>sector of Canadian society (I know this from a meeting I had recently with
>a cultural staffer from Canada House in London - part of their job is to
>track any mention of "Canada" in international press, and something like
>90% of such references are linked to the arts).
>
>We are the art we make, and, as Ted Hughes pointed out while he was poet
>laureate in England, of any past civilization, art is the one thing we
>seek to preserve and remember. It is an essentially human activity.
>
>Internationally, it is what defines us to the peoples of other countries -
>think of Ireland and writers, think of Australia and film. The USA knows
>this. So does Quebec. Both are aggressive in the support and promotion of
>their cultural industries.
>
>Yet a Canadian corporation such as Molson chooses to no longer associate
>itself with art. Why not? It's not as if we don't need help. The arts are
>suffering in this country. Governments and artists alike have looked to
>the corporate sector to take up the slack from years of public cuts. There
>are more Canadian artists working for less than ever before. Senior
>artists can expect grants smaller than when they started out. Especially
>in English Canada, we should be embarrassed by our facilities and funding
>when compared to European countries (where a single major opera house has
>the budget of the entire Canada Council), or the USA, where corporate arts
>philanthropy is part of the fabric of life. Until now, in Canada, Molson
>has been a welcome ally of the arts community. Why the change? Why abandon us?
>
>Molson is a leader in the Canadian corporate sector. And what kind of
>signal is being sent out by your corporation's decision? The arts in
>Canada are not worth supporting. I find that a terrible commentary on our
>society as a whole. Needless to say, I will no longer support Molson on a
>personal level, nor carry Molson products at my company's events, because,
>well, I am Canadian.
>
>Respectfully, Ross Manson Artistic Director VOLCANO 7 Wyndham Street
>Toronto Canada M6K 1R6 Phone 416-535-1932 Fax 416-535-0587
>
>-- PS: I have copied this email to a selection of the arts and arts
>journalism communities in Canada.