Dear DanceNL Members,
As we face major changes in our provincial budget, please consider speaking up for the cultural industries, where budgets are already extremely lean. The more voices we have on this message, the more influential we can be!
I’m asking that you write a letter to include in the Government Renewal Initiative. A template is available below for your use, to be edited as you see fit or simply signed and sent in, or you can write your own.
Send your comments to OurFiscalFuture@gov.nl.ca.
Thanks so much,
Sharon
Sharon King-Campbell
Executive Director
DanceNL
dancenl.ca
[Date]
Premier Ball and Minister Bennett,
In response to the Government Renewal Initiative, I recommend that the government consider reinvesting in the cultural industries.
Like many industries in the province, cultural work in Newfoundland and Labrador is suffering. An industry that relies heavily on public investment in order to generate substantial direct and indirect returns, arts organizations have, over the past decade, been forced to cut programming, reduce staff hours, and put off major actions that would stabilize and grow the industry.
Culture is the hallmark of Newfoundland and Labrador. Beautiful television ads celebrate it. Visitors revel in it. New residents are attracted by it. Culture is – and reflects – our identity as a province, an identity based in our rich history, our pride of place, and our hopes for the future. It brings in skilled workers. It brings in tourism. It is a positive step towards a healthy, diverse, resilient economy, and one that can be made with confidence.
Given the profound social and economic value of the cultural industries, now is the time to renew a commitment made in The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture in 2006. Now is the time to invest in the industries that make Newfoundland and Labrador the target destination for Canadian and international tourists. Now is the time to invest in the workers who bring beauty, entertainment, and culture to the residents of this spectacular province.
Sincerely yours,
[Your Name]