About 350 people rallied at the Max Bell Theatre in Calgary Wednesday night to save fine arts education from what one organizer described as “death by a thousand cuts.”
Alec Blair, executive member of Save Our Fine Arts (SOFA), said Alberta has been slowly chipping away at the foundation of fine arts for years but major cuts to post-secondary education in the March provincial budget have taken things to another level.
“Mount Royal University losing their (performing) arts programming is going to have a bigger impact to our overall city than anybody really realizes,” he said.
The mere mention of that decision – which came in the wake of a 7.3-per-cent reduction in post-secondary funding across the province – drew boos from the crowd at the theatre.
“A little bit over here and a little bit over here and it never seems to be enough to get any action,” Blair noted. “But then you get something like Mount Royal and suddenly everybody galvanizes again.”
“With reduced post-secondary options, Calgary students are now having to leave to continue their education – what a shame,” he said. “Look at what we’re losing. They may never come back here. Some of the brightest young minds that we’ve got are going to other provinces because we no longer provide what they need.”
Co-chair Murray Ord said art for art’s sake is important but fine arts education plays an important practical role in society, too.
“Leaders of major corporations in this country are saying it’s not just enough to have an M.B.A. – we need people that can think on their feet,” he said. “A fine arts education teaches you that.”
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