{"id":942,"date":"2026-02-27T22:37:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.antigonishculturealive.ca\/?page_id=942"},"modified":"2026-03-02T14:49:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T18:49:35","slug":"save-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.antigonishculturealive.ca\/?page_id=942","title":{"rendered":"Save the Arts!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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More Than a Line Item: The True Value of Arts in Nova Scotia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


The Provincial Government has proposed a $130 million cut in arts grants and funding. Our creative community is facing a 30% funding cut. Learn how this affects you\u2014and how to help.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like so many other arts organizations across Nova Scotia, we at Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA) were deeply grieved last week to learn about the massive cuts to arts programming announced in the recent provincial budget. We believe, and have witnessed personally, that arts are essential to community building, intellectual and cognitive growth, mental wellness, physical health, spiritual wellbeing and relationship development, not to mention the immeasurable benefits to local economy, tourism and the recruitment and retention of professionals to our region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These kinds of austerity measures give the appearance of saving the taxpayer money, but they make a miniscule difference to the spreadsheets of the current fiscal operations, and create long-term damage to our province\u2019s economy. Nova Scotia is renowned across the country for its music scene, storytelling and artisan culture. It is known for small communities that support the arts. Arts organizations, museums and libraries do much of the heavy-lifting for tourism, one of Nova Scotia\u2019s primary industries. These cuts are short-term reactionary measures that will have a long-lasting impact on our education systems, sense of belonging, and cultural innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have ample evidence that engaging with the arts is important for health<\/a>, for social development<\/a>, and for STEM industries<\/a>. We know that creativity in the arts fosters creativity in the science and tech sectors<\/a>. We can see from the results of Ireland’s recent universal basic income for artists pilot project<\/a> that government investment in the arts is beneficial for the economy overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are still waiting to hear what these cuts will look like for ACA, but we know we are facing at least a 30% cut to our operating budget, which will mean a reduction in what we can offer at Antigonight, artists in schools programming, and the administrative, consulting, curating partnerships support we can offer the many organizations we support in town. We also fear that the development of our new regional Arts Centre facility may incur challenges from these cuts. We are gutted on behalf of the artistic and cultural partners and programs in the region, including but not limited to the museum, the library, Festival and Theatre Antigonish, Arts and Health Antigonish (AHA!), Antigonish Film Connection, ASAP Artist-Run Centre, Nova Spiritus Society, Teasdale Arts Society, Antigonish Improv, and funding for our local musicians, publishing houses. We are saddened for singers with the Nova Scotia Choral Federation, authors with the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia, Nimbus Publishing, and artists with Visual Arts Nova Scotia. These provincial federations provide education, promotion, teaching opportunities, residencies, equity and diversity grants, as well as grants to artists in all stages of their careers. We also recognize that cuts like this always affect marginalised populations most significantly. We stand alongside Mi\u2019kmaq, Black and African Nova Scotian communities and individuals who have been affected by these and other cuts to cultural development funds, including our neighbours in Paqtnkek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These drastic cuts will devastate our community, our tourism industry, our local economy and culture. We need our government to continue to invest in the arts. Supporting the arts means supporting community development, local industry, innovation, youth programming, mental health support, eldercare and more.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please contact our MLA, Michelle Thompson, to advocate for a reversal of budget cuts to the arts, and share the specific programs that have impacted you in our region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

michellethompsonmla@gmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

| 902-863-4266
Please also attend, if you are able, the rally at the Halifax legislator at noon on March 4th or the Antigonish Rally for Arts & Culture on March 4th from 4:00-5:30 outside the MLA\u2019s office. <\/strong>on 325 Main Street. We will be there and hope to see you there too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Financial Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This table highlights the most significant cuts to the arts and culture sector as detailed in the “Grant Reductions – Details by Department<\/a>” report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
Program \/ Grant Name<\/th>\n Reduction Amount<\/th>\n Reference<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
Anchor Organizations<\/strong> (CCTH)<\/td>\n $1,625,000<\/td>\n Ref. 85<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Locally Managed Museums<\/strong><\/td>\n $1,600,000<\/td>\n Ref. 93<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Arts NS – Operating Assistance<\/strong><\/td>\n $850,000<\/td>\n Ref. 82<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Creative Economy – Publishers Assistance<\/strong><\/td>\n $700,000<\/td>\n Ref. 31<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Creative Economy – Creative Industries Fund<\/strong><\/td>\n $748,000<\/td>\n Ref. 79<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Artists in Schools<\/strong> (Combined CCTH\/Education)<\/td>\n $355,000<\/td>\n Ref. 33 & 107<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n

\n *Figures are represented in actual dollars. Original data from document source.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Why These Cuts Hurt <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Impacted Ref #s are from the “Grant Reductions – Details by Department<\/a>” report<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Economic Prosperity & Jobs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Impacted:<\/strong> Ref 79 (Creative Industries), Ref 82 (Operating Assistance), Ref 31 (Publishers)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n