Steven Harper has recently cut deep and hard into the Arts & Culture of this country - although he refuses to refer to "Art" or "Culture," preferring instead the (shrouded-in-derision) "entertainment industry."

Again, the wide and varied arts community is forced to defend the continued construction, dissemination, and exploration of the very identity of this great country.

The elimination of federal funds for touring Canadian works abroad is particularly reckless. We are currently in the process of negotiating a tour for our most recent, most acclaimed work, Minotaur. Harper has cut the PromArt and Trade Routes programs "because most of the money went to groups that would raise the eyebrows of any typical Canadian."

The Harper regime singles out left-leaning documentarian Avi Lewis, Juno-nominated band Holy Fuck, and political writer Gwynne Dyer. "I think there's a reasonable expectation by taxpayers that they won't fund the world travel of wealthy rock stars, ideological activists or fringe and alternative groups," a senior Conservative Party source told the Ottawa Citizen at the time.

Sound like centralized state censorship? It is.

This is why arts funding is not administered by the government, but rather by so-called "arms-length" agencies; the government is singularly unqualified to decide what works of art Canadians will and will not enjoy.

Furthermore, slashing funding to Canada's independent film, theatre, television, dance, opera and writing initiatives is not in the best interests of the nation.

The purpose of art, at its roots, is that of telling a story. Rural or urban, rich or poor, across the broad, diverse spectrum of this great country, I believe that storytelling - above all else - is our best and greatest hope in bridging the differences in experience that serve to divide us. Storytelling allows us to hear one another, to get beyond argument and defensiveness. It allows to empathize with a point-of-view outside our immediate frame of reference. It allows us the chance to understand each other. (So much more to say, but this entry has only 24 characters left.)

If you are concerned, and wish to make a difference, go here:

http://departmentofculture.ca/

Have you seen minotaur?

Take a minute or two to tell us your thoughts.

Add a comment beneath.

[We are listeningng.]

[Wee arrre listnnnnnxx.]

[We axxx lxxxstxxxningggxxxxxx.]

[this is not what it seems.]

Three weeks in a blacked out rehearsal hall, trying to lose ourselves. Digging deep, pressing hard, unearthing parts of ourselves that are ugly and terrified and alone and alone and alone.

Some shows are simple. Simple stories simply told.

But some shows are nightmares. Tendrils reaching everwhere, fingers searching, and nothing ever quite connecting or giving reassurance. You are left with more questions than answers. These are the shows that tend to stay in my mind. Images remain burned in my memory like after-images on your retinas. David Lynch makes film like this. So do Hideo Nakata and Takashi Shimizu. Writers like Mark Z. Danielewski and Haruki Murakami evoke this same sense of dread and logical dislocation.

I believe this show is a nightmare. In the best possible way.

Minotaur is up and running. Come see.

More info about show times and tickets here.

So we're all sick as dogs. Hanratty came back from New York with Anthrax or something, and now me, Trish and James are all dying. (He, meanwhile, is over the worst of it - and now he's giving us the gears for being such whiners.)

Glad we're getting this out of the way early.

Despite the coughing and sputtering of the company, we had an incredibly productive week. A lot of the process has been rediscovering old scenework and blocking. But there is a lot of great new content that is going to be a treat to dive into further. The seminars to open the show are a real treat, I think.

And at least once a day I was terrified by what I was seeing onstage.

Heather Braaten, our incredible stage manager, has been spending some sleepless nights because of the creepiness factor of the show. Sadly, when she tells any of us this, she usually gets the answer, "That's AWESOME." Probably not much consolation.

By Sunday, we were able to do a stumblethrough of the entire show. Lots of great work. Lots of great moments that need work. Lots of discoveries to be made.

Don't forget to check this out.

27edgedaleroad.blogspot.com

c.