Hundreds of concerned Vancouverites amassed in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on a drizzly afternoon last Wednesday to protest recently announced funding cuts to arts and culture organizations.

Participants wore grey to symbolize the colour of life without the arts. On September 1, the BC Liberal government presented their provincial budget, which left the arts community in shock. Over a two-year period, funding for art programs will be slashed from $19.5 million down to $2.25 million, a decrease of 88 per cent—despite the BC government’s findings that every dollar invested in the arts returns $1.38 in taxes. NDP opposition critic Spencer Herbert, who spoke at the rally, said that BC is the only province in Canada that is “slashing and burning [its] arts and culture.”

Not surprisingly, the funding cuts have some of BC’s art students worried—art organizations and festivals that had their funding slashed hold potential jobs and internship placements for hundreds of art students across the province.

Lindsey Winch, a theatre student at Langara College, said that her classes were cancelled to enable students to attend the rally. “I think a lot of people are feeling the cut right now with the recession, but both culture and art are something that cannot be recessed,” said Winch. “So, [this rally] is a first step, [it is] better than doing nothing.”

Jerry Wasserman, head of the department of Theatre and Film at UBC, said that although the university does not receive funding directly from the provincial government, it is the future of his students that he is concerned about.

“We are training theatre artists, people who will be working in the cultural industry,” he said. “This is not a positive sign for anyone planning a career in the arts industry in BC.

“From a perspective of educators, it is a public policy that is very discouraging to the students who might want to turn arts into a profession.”