OK, so there’s been a day of frantic emails, texts, Twitter and Facebook activity over news that the HRM cultural awards had been axed. I just spoke to Andrew Whittemore, HRM’s manager of cultural affairs, who has the official word.
The news that the 2011 awards are cancelled is incorrect—according to Whittemore, this was a misunderstanding between a HRM staffer and Theatre NS. The theatre and book awards will go on as planned this year, but all future cultural award programs are under review, as is everything right now, for the following:
-what is the award program; what does it look like; and should be the money be placed there, or somewhere else such as calls for proposals.
-where does the money come from? “Who should pay?” asks Whittemore, suggesting that the private sector may be called upon to contribute. “We want to create a sense beyond art for art’s sake, that culture has a real economic importance.”
While I’m pleased to see the awards happening this year (bet there will be some excellent acceptance speeches), I still think that what this situation really reveals is that HRM still has a lot of work to do in terms of gaining the trust of its cultural community. These small awards, while important gestures, don’t make up for the lack of other programs such as an independent arts council, grants for individuals, etc. Whittemore says that emerging artist studio program, a great pilot project from 2009 that gives recently graduated students a place to work, will be announced soon. Personally, I’d like to see more of these types of long-term sustainable projects that assist artists in creation all year around, not just for at an few minutes of clapping on stage.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2011.
Personally, what I’d like to see is an apology for the inflammatory headline “Mayor kills HRM arts awards.” You jumped from a conversation between two other people (Theatre NS and HRM staffer) about a cancellation that never even happened, straight to “blame the mayor.” Then you stumble around to find something else to complain about, without even so much as a “sorry Pete, our bad.” Great reporting.
And personally, I would like the conversation to keep its high beams on whether this is a city, a council and a mayor that values, or even understands the value of culture and art as more than a showcase for opening ceremonies.
I have two reading recommendations for anyone on city council who requires economic justification for supporting the arts: Richard Florida books like THE RISE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS or WHO’S YOUR CITY?, or for shorter bathroom visits 2007 Business Week article “Bohemian Today, High-Rent Tomorrow”.
“Openness to experience is the only personality type that plays a consistent role in regional economic development. It is highly correlated with jobs in computing, science, arts, design, and entertainment; with overall human capital levels, high-tech industry, income, and housing values.” Quote from WHO’S YOUR CITY? by Florida.
Since Florida made the leap over the border and moved from the US to head the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, I was thinking of buying several copies of his book and distributing them to city council…but then, the financial snag:
I’m an artist!
Maybe that’s what our city needs. A creative leader with a vision!! I hear the pay’s better than the average artist salary. Any takers?!
Dina
I’m glad that there’s been a backpedal and a reprieve for the awards for one year. And I appreciate the recogition of talented, dedicated artists by the city over the years of these awards, and know the impact that both the recognition and the cash prize can have for those two people each year.
But let’s not lose sight of the much more important issue of municipal support for art in Halifax (and in the other municipalities throughout the province, but I’ll leave that for another day). Over the last couple of years there has been some movement in positive directions from the city, and especailly from the municipal staff involved in art and cultural programs. A debacle like this tends to undermine that spirit of that progress.
There should indeed be grant based programs at the municipal level, IN ADDITTION to the small but impactful Mayor’s Awards. We sell ourselves short as a city when we allow the discussion to be pulled into false arguments that insist we choose one or the other. The art – including theatre, dance, music, visual art, literature, and on and on that is created in this city now is amazing. Think what could happen is the ecology that it’s trying to grow in was a little warmer, a little more supportive.
In defence of The Coast, Annoyed, my assistant also phoned the Mayor’s office a week prior to the Coast’s report of the cancelled awards, and we were told directly by the city staff that the awards were cancelled. There was NO misunderstanding with my office, so I don’t believe there was a misunderstanding with Theatre NS. It is clear the Mayor’s office actually back-pedalled. Whether Mayor Kelly himself knew his staff was repeatedly announcing the cancellation of the awards is unknown, but they were indeed cancelled.