Devon Ostrom - Graffiti Sessions - Day 3

ARTS ADVOCACY: PAST WORK AND PROCESS PANAMPATH.ORG | BEAUTIFULCITY.CA | ARRIVALS.CA | OSTROM.CA

DEVON OSTROM: 13:15 - 5 December 2014 - Day 3 Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA

DAY 3: Call to Action How should policy and practice shift, to take account of contemporary perceptions of graffiti and street art?

What approaches could better represent the diverse communities involved and affected

DEVON OSTROM: 13:15 - 5 December 2014 - Day 3 Central Saint Martins, 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA

Legal, Moral, Ethical...

Clay Butler, 1996

UNDHR Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

UNDHR Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

UNDHR Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property

Sight – Graffiti on Graffiti on Corporate Graffiti

Recka, 90s

curren

ARTS ADVOCACY AT UofT, JANUARY 2014 Che Kothari | www.chekothari.com

WHAT IS BEAUTIFULCITY.CA ?

The BeautifulCity.ca Alliance is a group of over 60 organizations aiming to democratize and diversify access to public space in Toronto, Canada.

The primary aim of the coalition was to implement a tax on billboards to fund art in public spaces.

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RECENT HISTORY (2009-2013) After 8 years of work the billboard tax was passed in December 2009 with drastic improvements to billboard enforcement.

In Aug. 2010 Toronto City Council decided to increase arts funding: $25 per-person by 2013 using the btax.

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A new right-wing government was voted in and re-affirmed the increase to arts funding (but without a time-line.)

Tax earns about 10 million a year after deducting enhanced enforcement costs.

RECENT HISTORY (2009-2013) The tax itself was then made useless by a series of lawsuits launched by the Out of Home Marketing Association. These were successfully appealed by City Council.

The issue then went to the Supreme Court of Canada and was rejected.

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The arts funding allotment using the btax was re-affirmed by Council in $6m was distributed in 2013 and $10.5m total for 2014.)

BeautifulCity funding priorities are youth, diverse communities, public spaces and supporting Toronto's living artists.

WHO IS BEAUTIFULCITY.CA 411 Initiative for Change Agents of Change Arts Network for Children and Youth Art City Art Gallery of Ontario Artreach Toronto Art Starts ACS Student Union Artsvote CARFAC Ontario Centre for Integral Economics Centre for Information and Community Services Ontario CYAN Dandyhorse Magazine Digital Propaganda Elementary Teachers of Toronto Earwaks.com Eva's Initiatives

Evergreen Illegalsigns.ca Fairlawn Community Association Fire Air and Theory Kate Henderson Intellectual Property & Trademark Grassroots Youth Collaborative Lakeshore Arts Lotus Leaf Milkweed Collective Manifesto Mural Routes nataliagrosner.com No.9 Contemporary Art & the Environment OpenCity Projects PressPause Regent Park Focus Rhythmicru Ryerson Students' Union Scarborough Arts Council Social Planning Toronto

Schools Without Borders Sketch Spacing Magazine Stunt Creative Style in Progress Sunnyside Community Association The Remix Project The Gladstone Hotel The Faculty Of TakingITGlobal them.ca The Stop Community Food Centre Threads 4 Humanity Toronto Arts Council Foundation Toronto Cyclists Union Toronto Youth Cabinet University of Toronto Student Union Urban Arts Well and Good Art Space Why Not Theatre Youth Action Network

WHY? – ECONOMIC ARGUMENTS USED (TO GREAT EFFECT AND SOME DISCOMFORT)

- Art is an important part of investment for fiscal stability. For every $1 of public arts funding in a regional economy, $8 are generated (McKinsey and Co. 2006).

- 80% of Torontonians believe that government investment in the arts in public spaces improves the local economy (EKOS Research).

- The average Canadian city has expanded their cultural expenditures by more than 4 times that of Toronto, putting the city on the low end of competitive growth (Martin Prosperity Institute Report).

- After inflation, cultural funding in Toronto has been stagnant since 1991. Reduced by an additional 5% in the past two years.

WHY? – LEGAL, ETHICAL AND RATIONAL ARGUMENTS - In Toronto most properties with billboards are not paying property tax equal to the total value of the property.

- Almost every other form of advertising subsidizes significant educational or enjoyable content in exchange for attention. (e.g.

TV = 25% ads for 75% content, newspapers about 50/50).

- Diversify access to communication in public spaces. A key funding priority is stigmatized communities and youth art.

CITY DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Staff Initiated

Program / Service Requirements

Referral

Referral

Mayor / Council Priorities

Committee (Recommend, Amend, Reject) Policy Development

Council (Approve or Reject)

Implementation (Yay!)

Community Council (Where transactional, Recommend, Amend)

Public Input

NOTE: No big arrow box for public initiated?

Adapted from: City of Toronto Engagement Office http://www.toronto.ca/civic-engagement

DELAY AND DEFFERAL CYCLE Founding Ethic

Spin, ideology, transactional leaders, old ideas & interests

Private pressure by senior staff / DCM

Mayor / Councillor’s Priorities

Actual allotment of resources to follow through on words Policy Development

Staff Initiated

Program / Service Requirements

Committee (Delay, Recommend, Amend, Reject)

Council (Approve, Misrepresent ? or Reject

Implementation & then change of government?

Public Consultations

Public Input

Adapted from: City of Toronto Engagement Office http://www.toronto.ca/civic-engagement

KEY FACTORS IN SUCCESS - Advanced communications mixed with traditional mobilization.

- Strong brand and visual communications - Semi-solid core and independent sub-groups - Academic foundation of research coupled with wide, eventdriven mobilization

Program / Service Requirements

Committ (Delay, Reee Amend, commend, Reject)

KEY FACTORS IN SUCCESS - Geographic spread of organizations.

- Political learning process (teaching while doing).

- Non-partisan.

- Ethical, legal, social, aesthetic and economic arguments used in concert.

- Network of contacts in the city.

Program / Service Requirements

- Embodiment of the change desired in the advocacy process.

Committ (Delay, Reee Amend, commend, Reject)

APPROACHES TO ADVOCACY STAKEHOLDER

ACTIVITY

METHODS & TOOLS

Self

Turning a shi-y situa0on Checking mo0va0ons, research. into a posi0ve proposi0on

Core supporters

Explaining,refining and mul0plying

Communi>es

Building networks, gathering endorsements

City Staff

Exchanging info and monitoring resources

Data, research, tes0monials, pe00ons, polls, mee0ngs, media…

Councillors / Elected officials

Mapping, influencing & applying pressure

Press, pe00ons, endorsements, polls, phone and le-er wri0ng, mee0ngs, deputa0ons…

City Staff

Follow-­‐up Monitoring

Mee0ngs, ar0cles etc.

Shared policy document, newsle-ers & updates, ac0on kits and other force mul0pliers…

Pe00ons (to track supporters and mobilize) press, town halls, events, mapping…

DAY 3: Call to Action How should policy and practice shift, to take account of contemporary perceptions of graffiti and street art?

What approaches could better represent the diverse communities involved and affected?