Open letter to the BC government

It's Sharon Malone from Emerald Pig Theatrical Society in Maple Ridge. I don’t believe we’ve met, but you may have heard about Theatre BC's Mainstage 2009, which I co-chaired along with Kathleen Hatley. Our theme was “Go Green With Sharon and Kathleen” and we promoted a sustainable, “green”, arts festival from July 3 – 11 2009, which was a tremendous success and well received in our community. I also co-directed and produced Emerald Pig's annual Shakespeare festival, Bard on the Bandstand: Romeo and Juliet, July 23 – 26 and at the International Festival in Langley on August 9.


I'd just like to let you know how the cuts to the arts and the loss of our Direct Access Gaming grant has affected us this year. We were barely able to fund our fall production of Rumors, and will not be mounting a spring production due to lack of funds. The Tempest, scheduled for Bard on the Bandstand 2010 is in serious jeopardy, as it is a free event provided to the community and designed to support the Food Bank at a time of year when the stock on the shelves is low, but the demand is still high. The artists of BC are some of the most generous people I know and often the least financially able to continue to give their services away. And yet they do, again and again. Our volunteers put in close to 5000 hours in rehearsal and preparation time, not to mention the money they have raised through personal, corporate and mostly small business connections here in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

David Lam, at the 1990 BC Festival of the Arts, said, “The arts are the soul of the community and visitors as well as residents will be attracted to such a healthy community.” Unfortunately, our community is in poor health at the present. We have just heard that the Tourism office will be closing due to cuts to its funding agreement with Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. How will visitors be attracted to our “healthy community” without the very organization that promotes events to draw them here? As the President of Emerald Pig, I’m tempted to make a swine flu joke at this point, but the truth is that the loss of funding to the arts just isn’t funny. Drastically reducing funding to the arts hurts everyone. You may not see an open wound or uncontrolled bleeding, but the damage will be felt in small ways, in every community, for years to come.

Please lend your voice of support for the arts and share this message with your colleagues in government.

There are a few things that the government could do to help change the outcome. First, they could take the advice of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and restore the Direct Access Gaming grants and the BC Arts Council funding to their 2008/2009 levels. Secondly, all arts groups with three year funding agreements should see those agreements honoured. Lastly, the government should honour its commitment to use gaming funds to support BC charities and not-for-profit organizations.

Thank you for your time and your support. I know you care about the arts and its value to the communities of BC and that’s why I’m appealing to you to make your voices heard.

Sharon Malone, President
Emerald Pig Theatrical Society
Box 91
Maple Ridge, BC  
V2X 7E9

Home: 604-476-1984
Cell: 604-785-1405
Fax: 604-476-1985

emeraldpig@theatrebc.org
www.emeraldpig.ca

Sharon Malone, director
Sweet Sorrow Productions
and
Fine Whine Productions  

12046 234th St.
Maple Ridge, BC
V2X 9K6

Home: 604-476-1984
Cell: 604-785-1405
Fax: 604-476-1985

sharno@shaw.ca