Arts called essential to Toronto's vitality
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"It may seem counterintuitive at a time of local belt-tightening in the midst of a worldwide recession, but when Toronto city councillors passed the city's annual budget this week, they actually increased spending on culture.
Specifically, the $45 million budget for the Community Partnership and Investment Program – which brings arts into neighbourhoods across the city and gives hope and opportunity to young people living hardscrabble lives – is up 2 per cent.
Culture spending in the $8.7 billion budget also continued to support a range of cultural institutions both large and small, from the National Ballet of Canada to Arts Scarborough.
Surprisingly, at a time of global uncertainty and local anxiety, no one on council raised any major objections to spending more than $64 million to ensure the city's cultural infrastructure remains alive and well.
Councillor Karen Stintz, considered a member of city council's small "c" conservative faction, summed up why, in her view, proposals for the culture portion of the budget were approved.
"When we talk about the National Ballet and TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), I actually see them as investments in the local economy because they have economic spinoffs that are beneficial for the community at large," she said."
Specifically, the $45 million budget for the Community Partnership and Investment Program – which brings arts into neighbourhoods across the city and gives hope and opportunity to young people living hardscrabble lives – is up 2 per cent.
Culture spending in the $8.7 billion budget also continued to support a range of cultural institutions both large and small, from the National Ballet of Canada to Arts Scarborough.
Surprisingly, at a time of global uncertainty and local anxiety, no one on council raised any major objections to spending more than $64 million to ensure the city's cultural infrastructure remains alive and well.
Councillor Karen Stintz, considered a member of city council's small "c" conservative faction, summed up why, in her view, proposals for the culture portion of the budget were approved.
"When we talk about the National Ballet and TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), I actually see them as investments in the local economy because they have economic spinoffs that are beneficial for the community at large," she said."
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- groups:
- Culture, Art and Style, Film
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- tags:
- Culture, Art and Style, Economy, Film, 9 more
