A CRISIS IN ARTS FUNDING: THE PERFORMING ARTS IN HAMILTON—A CASE STUDY

Abstract

In Canada, funding for the performing has historically been supported in part by government grants and in part by the market-place (private donors, corporate support and box-office revenues). Governments formerly promoted growth in the arts sector by providing moderate, but consistent, levels of funding. In recent years, however, the balance between those two forces has begun to shift. Governments on all levels have dramatically reduced their levels of funding to the arts. The severity of the cuts and a general decline in audience numbers has taken a huge toll on the arts community. A Crisis in Arts Funding: The Performing Arts in Hamilton —A Case Study is a three-part radio documentary focused on examining the most pressing issues facing the performing arts. The series examines the funding viability of the arts from the vantage-point of a specific community (Hamilton), as well as examining the broader implications of the funding dilemma. The specific organizations investigated are Theatre Aquarius, Opera Hamilton, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Hamilton Orchestra. Canada’s arts community is being crushed between the drive for a market-driven model of arts funding and a market-place that is not yet ready to take on a greater funding responsibility. How is the arts sector coping? Are there any solutions to the funding crisis? Without a timely solution, municipalities like Hamilton may lose many of their aids organizations.