Questions for Candidates

As the Calgary 2021 General Election approaches on October 18, it’s important to find out where Mayoral candidates and City Council candidates in your Ward stand on the arts.

 

Arm yourself with arts-related questions for when candidates come knocking on your door. Or, don’t wait for them to come to you. Write to Mayoral candidates and City Council candidates in your Ward to let them know the arts are important to you. Here are some key questions you can ask candidates about their positions on the arts:

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1. Name one thing the City should start doing, stop doing and continue doing when it comes to the City’s role in supporting and investing in the arts sector.

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2. Do you support the City’s other current arts-related policies, including but not limited to, the Public Art Policy and the Festivals and Events Policy? What could be improved?

3. What, if any, capital contributions should the City be made to the arts sector over the next four years?

4. Do you have a clearly articulated arts platform within your campaign platform, and if so, what are the core planks of your arts platform?

5. If elected, what will you do to foster a vibrant, healthy and prosperous Calgary through the arts?

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6. If elected, how will you ensure investment in the downtown arts sector benefits Calgarians city-wide?

 

7. Given that Calgary has the second-lowest support of the arts among major Canadian cities and sees artists and creative workers are leaving Calgary for other opportunities. What do you see as the role of the arts in attracting, retaining, and investing in talent?

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8. Given what you know about the importance of the arts in building a competitive, prosperous city, please choose which of the following statements best aligns with your stance on the issue.

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a. I believe a thriving, prosperous city must have a vibrant arts scene in order to succeed. The municipal government should prioritize finding strategic ways to increase investment in the arts sector.

 

b. I believe Calgary currently has many important civic priorities, including the arts. Current municipal investment in the arts is sufficient and should be maintained at its current level.

 

c. I believe the arts are a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have for Calgary. As Calgary recovers from low oil prices and the effects of the pandemic, cuts should be made to municipal arts funding.

 

9. In the previous question, if you selected a., please tell me how you would go about advocating City Council for an increase in investment in the arts sector. If you selected b. or c., please tell me why you won’t advocate for an increase in investment in the arts sector.