On Oct. 6, the Fredericton Arts Alliance (FAA) election forum took place at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre.
The forum featured Fredericton area candidates Arthur Taylor from the New Democratic Party (NDP), Anthea Plummer from the Green Party and Luke Randall from the Liberal Party. The candidates discussed their views on arts integration and the recent decline in arts program funding.
The representative of the conservative party did not attend the forum.
“We are in crisis in healthcare, we are in crisis in education, but we are certainly in crisis in the arts,” said liberal candidate Luke Randall.
Giving newcomer and immigrant artists a voice
Anthea Plummer, representative of the Green Party, opened the debate by discussing how her party would integrate immigrant artists into the Fredericton art scene. She said the party is looking to promote cross-cultural dialogue by funding mentorship opportunities for newcomers.
“Creating a cultural exchange program and festivals that highlight the diversity and artistic expression in the province will help foster mutual understanding between immigrant populations and local communities,” said Plummer.
Randall also shared his party’s initiative to give newcomers a seat at the table in arts groups such as the FAA.
The FAA has held a forum on arts issues for every municipal, provincial and federal election for the last 25 years.
Concerns on artists’ mental health
Randall shared his perspective as the owner of an art supply store. He said locals are not buying enough art materials and has seen loyal customers mentally affected by the province’s lack of primary care.
NDP candidate Arthur Taylor responded with what his party would like to see to improve mental health.
“More involvement in preventative mental health care at the high school levels so that people don’t find themselves in these situations,” said Taylor.
All parties agreed on the importance of the intersectionality of art and healthcare in terms of wellness initiatives and therapy.
Lack of workspaces for emerging artists
Taylor, also a member of the N.B. Film Co-op, shared how gaps exist between the arts community and the federal government, leading to insufficient funding and education.
“[Artists] had to leave the province because the funding they depended on to create their art was almost entirely cut,” said Taylor.
Plummer then responded with a personal experience as an alumna of the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design.
“I got two seed grants to try to build my small business and I quickly and unfortunately learned that that probably wasn’t going to be the way that I could sustain myself,” said Plummer.
She then said the Green Party would reduce small business taxes and support them with further grants, non-profits and funding.
Randall closed with the demand for more ‘white spaces’ for artists to create.
A white space is any area for artists to create their art from the ground up.
“We need inexpensive spaces for artists to work … I mean, how many Jeremy Dutchers would we have in this province if there was that space?”
Prioritizing Indigenous visibility
Plummer first discussed that building positive relationships with Indigenous communities and promoting Indigenous arts was one of her utmost priorities. She further emphasized the importance of including Indigenous voices in decision-making.
Randall then responded by criticizing the current government’s handling of the tax agreement with Indigenous communities and calling for renegotiation.
All three parties agreed that there should be space for government to give Indigenous communities better support.
What to look forward to
For final remarks, the candidates agreed their parties would explore ways to increase the maximum grant amount and create more funding opportunities for emerging artists.
The NDP representative said he would focus on increasing partnerships with organizations that advocate for marginalized groups like the Imprint Youth Association. He also shared his goal of contributing to a ‘rainbow’ representation across the legislature.
“All voices represented, all perspectives, all values and me being here and my colleague being at the other event represents us trying to take a strategic approach to building that future along with everyone else”.
