BC Government “Invests” in the Arts
Dear faithful reader,
As you know, I have taken it upon myself to keep you informed about what your government has been doing with your money. Here’s an update. But first, here’s a recap.
Over the past year the BC Liberals have:
- cut the BC Arts Council budget by 50% (reduction of over $7M)
- pretended that the budget for the BC Arts Council had been restored to its previous funding levels by moving the $12.2 M allocation for the Royal BC Museum into the BC Arts Council budget
- changed the eligibility of activities for BC Gaming to exclude adult arts
- denied funding to professional arts festivals applicants to the BC Gaming Fairs and Festivals category, saying that festivals (like the Victoria Fringe Festival) “do not reflect the community, regional or cultural characteristics of a community.” (Click here or here for more info)
- And finally, they earmarked $10M in the budget and didn’t say what it will be used for.
 The Georgia Straight used this image of Kevin Krueger when they reported that he walked out of an interview with them when asked about the massive cuts to the arts in October, 2009. |
Kevin Krueger, BC’s Minister of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts, recently announced that this $10M (curiously similar to the amount missing from the BC Arts Council operating budget) will be allocated to 2010 Sports and Arts Legacy Fund and the creation of “Spirit Festivals.” There are still no details regarding these festivals. Minister Krueger says “[The Spirit Festivals] are intended to build on the phenomenal success of the Cultural Olympiad.” (Read the coverage here or here.)
You know what would be a perfect way to build on the success of the Cultural Olympiad? Not cutting core funding to the professional arts organizations that actually made it happen. Call me crazy.
“I don’t know how they can call something new money when they have cut the same amount from existing programs,” Amir Ali Alibhai, executive director of the Alliance for Arts and Culture, recently said.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about writing a letter to your MLA about some of the above items. Now would be a good time to let your MLA and Minister Krueger know how you feel about how they are spending your money.
For more coverage on how the arts community feels about these Spirit Festivals, read this.
Yours in Fringe,
David Jordan
Volunteer Centre Open House!
 The 2010 Volunteer Staff and Interns: (l-r) Charlotte Cattier, Leah Harris, Joannie Bouffard, chicken, Shellbie Wilson, Katrina Darychuk. |
Join us in warming our new volunteer centre! We’re holding an open house on Sunday, July 25 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.! There’ll be snacks! And it’s great way to meet your Volunteer Coordinators, Shellbie Wilson and Joannie Bouffard, as well as all the other volunteers before the beautiful chaos of the Festival! Be sure to stop in and say hello!
1592 Johnston Street (on Granville Island, kitty-corner from the Public Market’s main entrance)
1-3:00 p.m.
We Need Hosts!
 Any old bed will do for a Fringe artist. |
The Vancouver Fringe Festival is looking for homes for our touring performers who are visiting Vancouver for this year’s Fringe! If you have a bed, we’d love to hear from you!
The Festival is full to the brim with a fantastic lineup of groups coming in from all over the world. Opening up your home to a real live artist is an amazing way to be involved in the Festival. If you decide to host an artist (or two) you will receive a Superpass, which means unlimited Fringe performances for you!
Download this form and return it to our Artist Services Coordinator, Vanessa Griffiths!
You Too Can Be a Plank Magazine Reviewer
Do you love to write? Do you have strong opinions? Are you ready for a theatre-based challenge you’ll never forget? Then Plank Magazine is looking for you!
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For the third year in a row Plank Magazine will be covering the Vancouver International Fringe Festival in all its diverse glory. Our kamikaze team of reviewers will once again swarm the Festival and attempt to review every single show by the end of the first weekend. Each reviewer will take on a commitment to see six shows and write their reviews in “real time” so that they are up on the Plank website within 24 hours. With an even bigger Festival this year, we’re going to need a bigger team! So come and join us. It’s a total blast and a fantastic way to engage with the Festival-and you get a cool badge to hang around your neck.
What are you waiting for? Get in touch with us at info@plankmagazine.com.
Tasty Treats
Continuing with the Fringe’s “All You Can Eat Theatre” theme, Gemma Wilcox of Shadows in Bloom and 52 Pick Up, both of which will be performed at the Waterfront Theatre, shared some food related thoughts with us.
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I am a total “foodie.” I love food. My dad’s a chef and I grew up playing in, working in, and socializing in the restaurant where my dad works in London, which is called “Food for Thought.” I can eat more than pretty much anyone I know. My ex-husband used to say I had a “hollow leg” where all the food must go. My world revolves around food–but it must be good food! There is nothing worse than a restaurant meal that is bad. That can ruin my whole day or evening–seriously!
Fellow Fringe performer, Jimmy Hogg, calls me “Burger Wilcox” because he has seen me wolf down huge burgers within seconds after performing at numerous different Fringe Festivals around the U.S.A. and Canada. I cannot deny it. I am always on the hunt for a really good burger. So if you are reading this and think you know where the best burger in Vancouver is served, let me know. You’ll either see me wandering around the Fringe site like a starving artist or stuffing my face in the restaurant next to the box office.
P.S ironically, I also love raw food yumminess, and love going to Gorilla Food downtown when I’m in Vancouver!
Of Theatre and Brews…and Apricot Chicken
The Fringe Festival offers a wide range of theatre flavours, from family friendly comedies to deep, dark dramas. And just like the Fringe, St. Ambroise McAuslan brewery also offers a wide range of beers, from its seasonal selection of fruit brews, to its award-winning Griffon brand beers.
In this, the second year that St. Ambroise is sponsoring the Vancouver Fringe, theatregoers can enjoy a selection of their beers from Quebec, such as their flagship St. Ambroise Pale Ale and their Apricot Wheat Ale at select venues and the St. Ambroise Fringe Bar at the Agro Café!
And for more deliciousness, check out the recipes on their website using their beers!
Here’s a nice summer entree using their Apricot Wheat Ale:
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Apricot Chicken Pilaf With Almonds
1 pound (500 g) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) paprika
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cardamom
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 package (6.25 oz./185 mL) chicken-flavoured rice pilaf mix
2 cups (500 mL) McAuslan’s Apricot Wheat ale
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped dried apricots
Zest of one orange
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) slivered almonds, toasted
1. Mix the chicken with the spices. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook the chicken until no longer pink, about seven minutes. Remove from heat. With a slotted spoon set chicken aside.
2. In the remaining liquid, cook the onion until the liquid has evaporated and onion is translucent. Add pilaf mix with seasoning, beer, apricots, and orange zest. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 12 minutes.
3. Add the coriander, almonds, and chicken, cover and simmer for another 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
