"I would venture to warn against too great intimacy with artists as it is very seductive and a little dangerous. " Queen Victoria
Support for the Arts Sector
Arts and Culture: A Driving Economic Force in New Brunswick’s Goal towards Self-Sustainability
Increased support for arts in New Brunswick can:
Create employment
Cultivate economic growth
Increase global interest in immigration
Encourage youth retention and repatriation
Advance New Brunswick’s goals towards self sufficiency
Creativity and human talent, more so than traditional production factors such as labour and capital, are fast becoming powerful engines of sustainable development. UN Conference on Trade and Development
In 2007 the culture sector in Canada accounted for 1.1 million jobs- as many as the agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas and utilities sectors combined. The Conference Board of Canada
Cost to generate one job in the arts and culture sector is roughly $20,000, while the cost to generate one job in industry is $200,000. Investment in the arts creates more jobs per dollar than investment in industry- ten times more. Statistics Canada/NSCAN: Building the Creative Economy in Nova Scotia
The Culture Division provides annual assistance and services to the culture sector, one of the fastest growing sectors in Nova Scotia. The direct and indirect impact of the culture sector in Nova Scotia, as measured by the contribution to the GDP, was estimated at almost $1.2 billion in 2001, with some 28,000 direct and indirect jobs depending on culture activities. Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
Nova Scotia is very similar to New Brunswick in population and economics; Nova Scotia is investing in its creative economy. In 2006, the Government of Nova Scotia accepted recommendations by the NS Arts and Culture Partnership Council, embracing the concepts of the Creative Economy. Funding for Arts and Culture increased from previous levels, providing support for education, tourism, cultural events and many other aspects of arts and culture.
In New Brunswick, we have watched the growth of the arts in Nova Scotia, successfully supporting tourism, education, health, community strength and immigration. New Brunswick is comparable to Nova Scotia in population and economics- New Brunswick can develop a provincial plan to enage the arts to foster self-sufficiency and economic growth and adopt the features of the Creative Economy.
Investments in the Arts and Culture sector are cost-effective economics: creating jobs, increasing youth retention and immigration, supporting increased tourism, providing health and educational benfits and supplying many other positive spin-offs. Arts and culture are the foundations of a healthy society.
During current pre-budget consultations, we encourage the leaders of New Brunswick to research and accept the principle that Creative Economy can be a positive economic driver for this province.
We strongly recommend that the government of New Brunswick support the growth of the Creative Economy to improve New Brunswick’s self-sustainability, by:
• Suporting the creation of a New Brunswick Arts and Culture Strategy , integrating NB Artists and Arts Organizations and other GNB stakeholders;
• Setting a target for the Provincial Arts and Culture budget to increase to $7 million in New Brunswick’s Annual Budget.
Population[1]
Culture Budget
Operating Grants Budget
New Brunswick
747 300
3 731 400 $[2]
768 000$ (professional arts organizations)
98 200 $ (professional artists’ assoc.s)[3]
Nova Scotia
938 300
8 812 000 $[4]
3 857 000 $ (Operating Assistance grant to Cultural Organizations)[5]
