So apparently today is Faceless day, where arts supporters are supposed to remove their Facebook profile photo to protest the federal government's funding cuts. (On that note, a Telefilm representative at an AFF screening cleared up rumours that the New Media fund had been cut, but they haven't heard anything about this. Yet.)
Why you ask? Here's what I pulled off the incredibly annoying new Facebook interface:
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!
