SOLUTIONS: JIM GARRARD,
PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TAC/F, DISCUSSES THE TORONTO
ARTS COALITION ON THE EVE OF HIS RETIREMENT
Nearly three years have gone by since we launched Toronto
Arts Coalition and, my, what
a lot we have accomplished together! Still, given the
Coaltion's huge potential for raising awareness of the value
of Toronto arts--to all Canadians--there's a great deal
more that we can do--if we put our minds to it.
Right now, the Coalition has 4000 registered members. Together
we have helped boost annual City of Toronto funding for
the arts by nearly $1.4 million. By communicating face-to-face,
and by phone, fax and e-mail with elected officials at all
levels, Coalition members have helped persuade those officials
that it's in their own and society's best interests to increase
operational funding for our artists. We're getting somewhere.
In 2003, the Coalition produced the Great Toronto Arts Debate.
For the first time in history, all leading candidates for
Mayor of Toronto debated arts issues, exclusively, and on
the same stage. Candidate David Miller, trailing badly in
the polls, distinguished himself in the Debate in front
of a very large, arts-friendly audience. Without doubt,
the support he earned that day helped him come from behind
to win the election.
In 2004, the Coalition produced the Mayor's Giant Arts Week
KickOff at Nathan Phillips Square. Thousands attended. The
arts community was out in full force--the famous and not
so famous. Local and regional media took notice (including
front page coverage in Toronto Star). Now-Mayor Miller was
handed another opportunity to demonstrate his leadership
interest in the arts.
At the 2003 and 2004 Fringe Festivals, the Coalition organized
important panel discussions about how to get the message
across to politicians and how to bring pressure to bear
on media to develop more and better arts coverage.
Throughout its brief history the Coalition has published
this Newsletter. Because we know that people are swamped
with information, we publish only when there are important
issues to be dealt with. Editors keep the articles brief.
We print only what seems essential. This Newsletter helps
bind us together in common cause.
In 2003 and again now in 2005, the George
Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation saw fit to underwrite
Coalition recruitment, Newsletter and arts awareness activities.
This is extremely important support. We owe it to the visionaries
at Metcalf Foundation to get as much mileage out of their
investment as we possibly can.
To me, the best way to do that is to make the voice of the
Coalition louder. We may have 4000 members, but I believe
there are 10 times that number who care about the health
of the arts in Toronto. We need to recruit them. The voice
of the Coalition has already been heard by many. If we really
want to see change for the better in the arts, we need to
make sure our voice is heard by everyone. Let's make sure
the people we know, who care about the arts in Toronto,
know about the Coalition and its work.
We need to do some recruiting. If we all find one new member,
we'll double our volume. Look at what we've done so far.
Imagine what we can do in the future.
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