The Fredericton Forum

December 5, 2008


Tim has found a car and it is under a crisp and sunny day that we take the scenic route to Fredericton, where the last Regional Forum for 2008 will take place at the Fredericton Arts Centre.

Some 26 people have gathered in the room, with a handful saying at the outset that they will unfortunately not be able to stay to the end. Here again, I take some liberties with the general order of the day and the set up favouring sustained exchanges, my introductory presentation is punctuated by questions and comments, which makes for a livelier atmosphere... I guess I have gained some skills at moderating a session over the past two months!

The conversation here focuses mostly on strategies to develop in order to position the cultural sector’s issues on the public agenda. In order to address the image problem, participants suggest that we really must focus on the vocabulary we use – this theme was also developed in yesterday’s forum in Charlottetown. We must use a language which is as inclusive as possible, but we must be concrete in our examples. We must clearly demonstrate how artists, creators and cultural workers are involved in various structures of society, whether it be the economy, the education system, the health sector, the various volunteer groups, etc. and point to the fact that they are citizens like others even if they make a special contribution to our collective identity and quality of life. This may help eliminate the perception that we all are outsiders, a classy type of panhandlers.

It is also recommended that in our repositioning strategy, we deal with federal politicians in Ottawa last of all. The sector must advocate and build its image at the municipal and provincial levels first, deal locally MPs and MPPs, so that this grass root work can eventually percolate to the highest levels of national government. This is the long term strategy which calls for coordination at all levels, but of course in the short term, people expect the various National Art Service Organizations and the CCA to continue their current advocacy or lobby representations, which are more needed than ever in the current economic and political environment.

On the issue of building solidarity within the cultural sector at large around common interest, one participant insists on the crucial role of communication amongst parties and on the need for give and take. These are skills which obviously need to be developed between us!

Finally, there are some good suggestions made as to how the CCA can broaden its legitimacy base – and eventually increase its revenue, suggestions which I will take to our Membership Committee.