Dear Prime Minister Mark Carney
A couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t help but notice a picture of you on my social media feed. You were enjoying a concert by Lang Lang at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and you were posing with Music Director Alexander Shelley.
It seemed like you were enjoying the evening, which I’m sure was spectacular. Lang Lang, Alexander Shelley, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra are all wonderful artists.
You are described as a supporter of the arts, and your campaign promised renewed and bolstered investments in the cultural sector through a variety of agencies. Since then, we have all come to realize that Canada’s economy is facing new pressures, and in July, you told your cabinet ministers to look for specific areas where government spending could be reduced by 15% over the next three years.
There’s been much talk of austerity, and how the proposed cuts will “hurt everyone”.
Those of us who work in arts and culture can see the writing on the walls. Historically, arts and culture have always been among the first industries to see the chopping block. Music education has been decimated in this country over the last couple of decades, as one example alone.
But, cutting investment into culture is a foolhardy premise that stands on shaky logic. Allow me to explain why.
Economics
Since your background is in economics, let’s start there.
According to the recent Artworks report released by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the arts and culture sector contribute about $131 billion to the Canadian economy. That includes $65 billion in direct GDP to the economy.
In contrast, the steel industry contributes about $4 billion to the economy, and employs 24,000 people. Back in July, you announced a set of new measures to help support the steel industry in the wake of American tariffs.
You’ve also launched the Strategic Response Fund of $5 billion to help businesses adapt to the new world order, as well as an increase in the Regional Tariff Response Initiative to $1 billion to provide similar support to small and medium-sized businesses.
There’s help for the canola and agriculture sector, the beef and seafood industries, as well as training and reselling initiatives.
Arts and culture is a sector that is growing more quickly, and supporting more jobs per dollar, than any of the above.
- The arts and culture sector has grown about 8% over the last three years, outperforming the Canadian economy overall at just 4%.
- Cultural exports have doubled since 2011, outpacing oil and gas, wholesale trade, retail, construction, and manufacturing.
- The sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and more than $100 billion in GDP.
And yet, there is zero in terms of support, and only looming cuts to look forward to.
Social Cohesion
As the Canadian Chamber of Commerce report itself notes, the value of arts and culture extends way beyond its dollar value, however considerable.
Participating in culture, even as an audience member, supports social cohesion, something this country has never needed more.
It’s a notion that’s backed up by scientific research. Being an audience member at a musical or audio-visual performance is far from a passive experience, even in the world of Western classical music, where traditionally audiences sit in silence in a darkened hall. Heartbeats and even breathing rates tend to synchronize across the audience, and in conjunction with the performance.
The arts are an expression of who we are as a society, and while that sounds like an intangible concept, the results and consequences of a disunited population are becoming more and more apparent to everyone everyday.
Arts and culture pull us together, physically and mentally.
I’m sure you noticed the crowds of people who celebrated the Toronto Blue Jays’ wins during the playoffs. Did you take note of the fact that they were singing and dancing?
That’s just one example of the principle in action. Now, wouldn’t it be even better if what they were singing was Canadian in origin?
Music Education
Music education has long been neglected to the point of its virtual demise in many school systems. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it represents a failure of society to support and foster future generations.
Because, yet again, the benefits of learning to sing or play an instrument reach much farther than a student recital or mentoring future band or orchestra members.
There is a mountain of scientific research that has shown a very strong positive correlation between learning how to play an instrument and improved math, cognitive and reading skills.
Multiple research studies have documented the non-musical benefits of participation in youth orchestras, from emotional support during crucial adolescent years to social skills, group learning, cognitive skills and critical thinking, self motivation and resilience.
There is similar data available on the benefits (also similar) for students of visual arts, writing, and other artistic disciplines.
Combined with the element of social cohesion, how can we not make better use of this opportunity to help young people, and create a better society while we’re at it?
Final Thoughts
I’ll quote the Canadian Chamber of Commerce report in my conclusion.
“The arts and culture sector generates $29 in economic activity for every dollar in federal investment — that’s an extraordinary return in addition to the social benefits that the sector generates,” says Andrew DiCapua, Principal Economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“Yet we’re seeing concerning trends in both public and private funding. If we want to maintain Canada’s cultural competitiveness and harness this sector’s full economic potential, we need sustained, strategic investment.”
In asking you to invest in Canadian arts and culture, we are asking you to invest in our country as a whole.
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