Why do artists get funding when many respectable charities have to rely totally on private funding? So I googled arts funding government of Canada, this is what I got:
Yup, the government of Canada definitely funds the arts. How about, let's say guide dog organizations, which are closest to my heart? So I googled guide dog funding government of Canada, and this is what I got:
Do you see the difference? I see the difference.
Nope, no funding for guide dogs who help the blind, autistic children, hearing impaired, epileptic, and handicapped. Think about how these dogs help improve the physical and mental health of those people they help. This is only one example of charities that go begging while artists have the Canada Council of the Arts who hand out grants for even foreign artists to be brought to Canada. Yes you heard that right, Canadian taxpayers pay for foreign artists to visit Canada.
All invited artists must be recognized as professionals in their discipline. The Canada Council defines a professional artist as someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in an academic institution), who is recognized as such by her or his peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and who has a history of public presentation or publication.
Grant Amount
Grants are available in fixed amounts of $500, $750, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, $2,500 or $3,000.
Application Form
Visiting Foreign Artists (Pilot Program) (PDF Acrobat format).
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.
How about for each guide dog who graduates, the organization gets a $5,000 grant? If all guide dog organizations in Canada graduate 200 dogs a year, that's only $1,000,000? Artists are complaining about 48 million in cuts to a 3+ BILLION budget, kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it?
The problem is that the arts have a huge vocal lobby group, the disabled are voiceless. I want a Canada Council for the Disabled, that can give out grants to charitable organizations who at the grassroots are actually improving people's lives. I want to see a parade of guide dogs on Parliament Hill, I want to see MP's from all parties explain why they do not deserve funding. Unfortunately, the disabled do not have the money to fly to Ottawa to make their case.
