Symbolic Power: Impact of Government Priorities for Arts Funding in Canada

ABSTRACT

Canadian arts councils make funding decisions using the peer-review model at arm's length of government agencies. In theory, the government decides what the mandate and budget of an arts council will be, but arts councils are free to decide who and what will be funded without political interference. Contrary to this belief, the peer review process does not always award funding based solely on artistic merit. This study shows that there is a tension between councils, jurors, and government agencies when making funding decisions. Even though arts councils are at arm's length, they often cave in to the government's priorities as filtered through symbolic power.

KEYWORDS:

• Arm's length
• arts funding
• Canadian arts councils
• peer review
• symbolic power

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee (Dr. Jim Ryan, Dr. Nina Bascia, and Dr. Mark Kingwell) for their feedback on this study.

Notes

1. The “Jury Charge” is a document given to panels before the deliberation process commences during the meetings. It is not a public document. For the purpose of this research, a copy of the Jury Charge from the CCA and the OAC was provided.

2. Inter-Arts-hybrid forms outside of existing artistic disciplines at the CCA. See more at http://canadacouncil.ca/inter-arts-office/changes-to-the-inter-arts-office