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Banff, Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thank you for responding to our invitation. The idea is simple: bring together artists, women and men from the cultural community who are committed to and passionate about the arts and culture. Create a space for debate, dialogue and discussion: a national forum to explore various cultural issues that affect us all, whichever region of Canada we call home.
This time, our dialogue is being hosted by The Banff Centre, which is celebrating 75 years of promoting creativity and lending its unwavering support to artists.
This is our 23rd instalment of Art Matters.
Jean‑Daniel and I are absolutely delighted to welcome you here in the midst of such majestic natural beauty; here, at this centre for the arts, open to all forms of expression, creation, experimentation and innovation: The Banff Centre, celebrating its 75th year of commitment to the arts and artists.
On that same path, Jean-Daniel and I see the institution we represent as a place where people can express themselves openly, where new ideas are encouraged, where thoughts circulate freely.
We can think of no better way to achieve this vision than to create a space for reflection and dialogue on the arts and culture in Canada.
And certainly, all of the Art Matters forums that we have held across Canada and abroad have shown this to be true.
With each forum, I have been impressed by the insight and liveliness of the discussions. I sometimes feel as though I have plunged into a whirlpool of culture and ideas.
These forums allow the two of us to sound out Canada’s artistic and cultural scene, and I can assure you, it is alive and well.
Every single participant, without exception—from artists and creators to patrons, entrepreneurs and decision makers—has said that art is indeed an essential resource.
Our voices must ring out as one, in every corner of this country, and proclaim that yes, art is an essential resource.
A resource that is not merely a product, not merely a commodity, but our collective wealth, a common good.
It is an opportunity to give voice to a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives.
It is an inexhaustible source of innovation and renewal. Yes, art is essential; art is vital if we are to thrive as a society; art propels us through time, through history, out into the world, into the imaginary and into the very real.
It is a desire to give unique expression to the hopes, dreams, values and ideas of as many people as possible.
It is a chance to meet, share and come together.
It is a way of creating a fuller life and celebrating all aspects of that life.
It is an affirmation of the power of creativity and the urgent need to preserve the beauty of this world.
Those who have taken part in these Art Matters forums have raised a number of key questions.
What is the role of the arts and artists in society?
How do the arts and artists help to define who we are, individually and collectively, to express who we are and to project ourselves into the world?
How do we build bridges between different art forms, create ties between artistic communities in Canada so that they may pool their ideas, pool their energy and creativity?
These questions need to be explored in depth, which is what led to this national forum.
This is an opportunity for you to join in the dialogue, an opportunity that we hope will swell to the proportions of this vast country, equal to our diverse identities.
It is our way of encouraging you, the artists and advocates for the arts and culture, to continue offering us new ways of seeing the world, of digging beneath its surface and enriching it with a multitude of viewpoints.
We could not have asked for a better place in which to explore the luminous presence and scope of Canadian art than this multidisciplinary centre for the arts, where emerging trends are given free rein.
I would like to thank The Banff Centre for welcoming us and for being an active part of this exploration and debate. I’d like to thank you, Sarah, for your commitment and passion.
May our discussions be both productive and promising.