Putting Arts On the Election Agenda – Questions

Suggested Questions for Your MLA Candidates

If support of the arts is one of your interests in the upcoming election, here are some suggested questions that may be of assistance when candidates approach you. The questions are about issues endorsed by the arts community at the 2003 Arts Congress. (See Arts Issues. For interesting statistics on the arts and culture sector see Quick Facts.) The questions are NOT intended as a blueprint. Wherever possible, try to relate the questions to your own experience or that of your community.

SAA would be very interested in hearing your candidates responses, so feel free to send them to us by email to info@artsalliance.sk.ca or regular post.

Suggested Questions

1. Status of the Artist

a) Do you support amending the Status of the Artist Act to allow professional artists access to economic and social programs, benefits and rights; for example, workers compensation, collective bargaining, training, pension and social assistance benefits?

b) Will your party support formation of a Status of the Artist Commission?

2. Saskatchewan Arts Board Funding

a) Do you support new funding to the Saskatchewan Arts Board as announced in spring 2003?

b) Will you support future increases to keep pace with needs of the arts community?

c) Will you preserve the Saskatchewan Arts Board arm?s length status?

3. SaskCulture Funding

a) Do you support continued funding to culture through proceeds from Saskatchewan Lotteries?

b) Do you support increasing investment in culture through the lottery license agreement to the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund?

4. Cultural Industries

Do you support advancement of key elements of the cultural industries development strategy, for example training, investment and market development?

5. Provincial Arts Policy

a) Do you support a pan-departmental arts policy that coordinates government policy to advance the arts in Saskatchewan?

b) What future do you see for the Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation? Do you believe that the arts and cultural sector deserves a dedicated government department?

6. Any other questions you may have.