| Dear music industry colleagues,
Music BC has been leading the lobbying efforts for the renewal of the Amplify BC Fund along with all of you who have supported us by providing letters of support stressing the importance of the fund. For some background, the initial $15m BC Music Fund (BCMF) was first implemented in 2016 over a two-year window and the BCMF reported back to the government a significant return on investment both economically and culturally across the entire province. The current government, under stewardship of Minister Lisa Beare, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture extended the fund in 2018, now known as the Amplify BC fund, with a $7.5m investment over one year. Much like the BCMF, the Amplify BC fund was not included as a fixed line-item in the February 19th, 2019 provincial budget. While this remains our goal, we once again find ourselves seeking the renewal of the fund from the governments discretionary budget. Government is making their decisions on discretionary funds now so we once again seek your support. How can you help? Please draft a personal letter/email of support for the renewal of the Amplify BC fund. In your own words, here are some talking points. · Personal stories of how you or your company specifically benefitted from the Amplify BC fund. (e.g., funding received and specific business opportunities created through the funding) · British Columbia has a world class music industry with talent across the entire province and the Amplify BC fund has already helped to extend that reach. With a renewed fund, we can reach more communities and continue to increase the cultural diversity of fund recipients. · We need a stand-alone commitment to music through a dedicated fund that is fixed into the annual provincial budget. · The Amplify BC fund has created momentum for the industry and in our province, providing much needed support for BC artists, record labels, recording studios and live music companies. A renewed fund will keep that momentum going for musicians, the broader industry and our communities. A thriving music sector will attract other cultural building blocks such as artists, writers and film makers. · The BC music industry is not only a cultural asset for BC but also a job creator, an economic driver and a technology based industry. These are clean, green and often high-tech jobs. · Through the Amplify BC fund, the BC government investment has been multiplied many-fold by the leverage of private dollars and a greater share of federal funding. · The Amplify BC fund is the only primary source of funding for our industry and to lose it would mean a further decline in one of the province’s biggest contributors to the cultural economy. How to Address your letter: Your MLA: link to MLA finder on Leg.bc.ca https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members Cc: Hon. Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture lisa.beare.MLA@leg.bc.ca Hon. Carole James, Minister of Finance carole.james.MLA@leg.bc.ca CC: Alex Grigg, Music BC alex@musicbc.org
Thank you for your ongoing support of our industry, Alex Grigg Executive Director Music BC |
