The arts community faces a huge challenge in British Columbia and its relationship to public funding. How do we change our situation from the mess we are in where the Minister feels we are “vicious” and the public doesn’t even know there’s an issue at stake.

The traditional view of where economic value comes from in this province needs to be updated. The population is still stuck thinking it’s only from resources, tourism, and good public sector jobs. Though it’s true, this accounts for a huge amount, the general public just doesn’t really get how much cultural economic activity exists and how much it adds to our economy.

Money is just one half the battle. In fact, it’s often said that making the economic argument is the weakest approach. The other half is that we need to show the value of supporting arts and how it filters through to making the lives of people better in so many ways. The general public (voters) don’t see this now.

The public’s worldview just doesn’t include the value of arts either economically or socially. Until that changes, we are stuck in our ghetto.

We have our work cut out for us. And it will be hard because we are a varied group of people working in many different areas of the arts.

We don’t have a natural way to be united as one and that is what works against us. The BC Arts Council could be the way, but in its current state, it can’t be because it has no power or authority.

Somehow, we need an organization with a strong leader to come forward and do two things: Lead and Organize. I don’t know who that is. It is not the Assembly of BC Arts Councils as its mandate is too closed and it’s now dealing with giving out grants. It could be the Alliance for Arts and Culture, but its mandate is strictly Metro Vancouver and if its mandate were to change it would make those “not in Vancouver” nervous.

We need an organization and a person who wants to lead.

We need someone who we can rally around who has the guts to stand up and be noticed and who can take the message to the people in an effective and clear way. If a person or organization showed this in any way, I’d donate time and money to help.

We need to put forward the reason for arts funding support like a marketer would by understanding who we are selling to and moving the needle of support where it’s possible to be moved and ignoring it where it’s not.

It would be a huge undertaking.

Who? Where? What? When? How?

Am I completely off-base or dreaming? What are you thoughts?