The Nitty Gritty on Literary Arts Funding in B.C.

The Association of Book Publishers of B.C, /BC BookWorld/ and the B.C. Association of Magazine Publishers have all had their provincial support for operating funds completely eliminated ($45,000, $31,000 and $20,000 respectively).

This was done without consultation or warning. Funding was simultaneously rescinded, with phone calls, on October 6, 2009 from the director of the Arts & Culture sector of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts (Hon. Kevin Krueger).
The Arts & Culture budget was slashed from $19.5M in 08/09 to $3.6 in 09/10, and to $2.2 for 10/11. The budget of the B.C. Arts Council was also radically cut from $8.3M in 2008/09 to $3.4 in 09/10, and down to $1.5M for 10/11 and 2012. (In 2009 it was propped up by $7M supplemental monies left over from 2008 and Gaming money.)

It is looking like a wholesale attack on the arts community. The aforementioned trio of literary arts groups has formed the "Coalition for the Defence of Writing and Publishing in British Columbia" which has almost 600 members and counting, people from all over the province.

Visit the ABPBC website for details. The Coalition’s motto is Keep BC Reading. There are two key messages

1. Restore the funding to the three key organizations whose funding has been eliminated;
2. stabilize funding for the BC Arts Council at the 08/09 level of $19.5M.

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