PEI Council of the Arts > Our Work

Advocacy

The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts considers advocacy as one of its major tenants. It is integral to the Council's mission "To make the arts integral to the lives of all Islanders."

For the Council, advocacy means both advocating for the importance of "the Arts" in society and the important role played by artists in producing art and engaging the population.

The Council maintains close ties with the Provincial Government through regular meetings with elected officials, including, but not limited to, the Minister responsible for Culture.

As a partner with Province in the delivery of public funds to the arts, the Council takes seriously the need to provide a conduit between the Government and the arts community. The Council takes the position that the arts are underfunded - including the Council's allocation, and that, with a higher level of support, the arts in all disciplines would be far better served.

Along with the Council's Strategic Plan, the Council has developed an implementation plan with new and existing programs and an accompanying budget that takes the Council from our current allocation of approximately $1.72 per capita (the lowest in Canada) to approximately $3.00 per capita.

For more information on the implementation plan, please contact the Council.

The Council's membership and all arts supporters on Prince Edward Island can all take an active role in building the case for more support for the arts. To get involved, become a member, and contact the office - tell us that you're prepared to be an advocate for the arts.

Here are some things you can do right now:

Call or write your MLA. Tell them how important the arts are to you and your community. Tell them how arts funding helps to keep arts activity in your community and region.

Call or write the Minister responsible for Culture. Tell them about how the arts impact your life and the area you live. Explain how you support increasing public funds for the arts.

Call or write the Minister responsible for Education. Tell them you congratulate them for their support for ArtsSmarts, but you want to see more arts integrated right into the day-to-day lives of the Islands children.

Who is my MLA?

Don't know who your MLA is? Use this form to find your district using the Government of PEI web site.

Find your District

After you've found your district number, use this page from the Government web site to find your MLA's name, address, and other contact information:

List of MLA's (from Government of PEI)

Advocacy Resources

Canada Council for the Arts - Arts Promotion section

Canadian Arts Coalition

Canadian Conference for the Arts - Advocacy

Hill Strategies Research