INC NEWS - Column: City cuts would hurt arts scene in Durham (Herald-Sun)

[John Schelp]

Column: City cuts would hurt arts scene in Durham
By Barker French & Josh Parker, Herald-Sun, 04 June 2008

The future of arts and culture in Durham is in trouble and we need your help. The fiscal year 2008-2009 budget for the City of Durham slashes funding for arts, cultural and youth programming. Durham's elected officials must hear from us now. They need to know that quality of life is important to all of us, and we need funding for the arts. 

Durham is often recognized as a city with a vibrant creative economy and diverse cultural mix. Durham receives these accolades because of the many artists and organizations that call Durham home and work to provide original programming for its citizens. This year, due to budget cuts, many of the best-known and most-loved organizations will face scaling back, moving or shutting down. The dollar amount may not be huge relative to the total budget, but to these organizations, every dollar counts and leverages enormous positive impact for Durham citizens. 

The Bull Durham Blues festival that attracts some of the greatest blues musicians in the world to Durham each year will likely be cancelled due to the 20 percent cut in funding. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival's 30 percent funding cut will force it to evaluate program cuts. Likewise the African-American Dance Ensemble's local programming and touring will be gone, along with several dancers, thanks to its 100 percent cut. All this while each of these groups brings national and international acclaim and recognition to Durham. Recently, when receiving international dance's highest honor, the Capezio Award, Chuck Davis was commended for cultivating a local community of dancers into one of the world's premier touring dance companies. 

The process for non-city agency funding was deeply flawed this year, and there appears to be a significant disconnect between the wants of the people and the actions of the city staff. The city is facing tough decisions this year. Rising fuel costs and a slowing economy mean some combination of budget cuts and higher taxes. 

The zero-sum game being played by city staff threatens to undermine the fabric of what make Durham so great. Our elected officials pour millions of dollars into economic development projects because of their long term impact on the community. Arts and culture are no different. 

The arts build the fabric of Durham's creative economy, improve educational outcomes and workforce development, improve quality of life, and provide programs that serve thousands of at-risk youth and adults in Durham. The arts help Durham recruit and retain businesses and residents. The arts are a major generator of tourism. The arts are a major tool in economic development and workforce development. The city's support of the arts is the truest form of a public-private partnership. We cannot stand by and let the numerous budget priorities crowd out arts and culture in Durham. 

Also, the city and county governments have ignored requests to continue funding the Durham Cultural Master Plan. The citizens of Durham have invested more than $750,000 from the hotel occupancy tax over the last six years in coordinating and planning for our cultural future. Now, just as the plan is ramping up a 15-20 year implementation, the legs are cut out from under it. 

All of the investment in planning for a Durham history museum, creating new educational outreach opportunities, exploring public art programs, building sustainable futures for arts organizations and other exciting initiatives will be for naught. The plan will simply go on the shelf and the chances of strengthening our arts and culture sector for the future will be lost. Not only are we being told to cut programs this year, we are being told there is no future hope, no real value placed on arts and culture in Durham anymore. 

Leaders from many of Durham's fantastic arts organizations and the Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board presented a request to elected officials asking them to: 

-- Return non-city agency funding to fiscal 2007-2008 levels so that we don't lose any of our organizations this year. 

-- Provide funding for the Cultural Master Plan so it moves forward with its implementation schedule. 

-- Meet with arts leaders to examine the process for non-city agency funding and develop a path to sustainable growth in Durham. 

Now is the time for leadership from elected officials. We are all working hard to make Durham a great place, and we need our elected officials to show, even when times get tight, we don't stop investing in what makes Durham so great. 

We encourage you to show your support by contacting members of Durham City Council. You can email all of the council members at council at durhamnc.gov or call 560-4333. Tell them you support funding for the arts and culture in Durham. 


Barker French is chair of the Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board. Josh Parker is a board member. This article was also signed by Chuck Watts, chair of the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation, Ellie Torre, board president of the Durham Arts Council, Judy Thomson, president of the Durham Symphony Orchestra, Kathy Silbiger, president, Mallarme Chamber Players, Chuck Davis, founder, African-American Dance Ensemble and Rebekah Meek, Bull City Headquarters.