The Arts and Election 2008

[Bruce Barton]

The Arts and Election 2008: A Call for Educator and Student Engagement

The upcoming federal election on October 14th will be an important  
one for many aspects of Canadian society.  Health care, the  
environment, and the economy are major areas of focus.  Another topic  
of considerable controversy -- if limited general public attention --  
is the range of changes the current government is making in terms of  
arts funding.  A variety of programs, primarily related to the  
touring and showcasing of Canadian artists abroad, are being cut or  
significantly reduced.  Both the nature of the cuts and the ways they  
are being implemented have proven to be the subjects of often heated  
debate.

It is not the place of educators or educational institutions to  
endorse specific political parties or politicians, nor to impose  
particular ideological positions on students.  It is entirely  
fitting, however, for educators to encourage their students to be  
informed and socially engaged.  The undersigned wish to encourage all  
citizens of voting age to explore the information available regarding  
these policy changes as they relate to the place and potential of the  
arts in Canadian society, to consider it carefully, to discuss the  
issues with others and ask related questions of their local  
candidates, and to express their position on this topic, among the  
full range of relevant issues, through their constitutional right to  
vote on October 14.

The short of it for Canadian arts educators: encourage your students  
to get the facts, think about them, talk them up, and vote.

Bruce Barton, Toronto
Pil Hansen, Toronto
Stephen Johnson, Toronto
Ric Knowles, Toronto
D.D. Kugler, Vancouver
Glen Nichols, Moncton
Shelley Scott, Lethbridge
Guillermo Verdecchia, Toronto
Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver

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