Quebec artists target Harper’s cuts to arts funding

YouTube video already viewed more than 250,000 times

Quebec artists have creatively drawn attention to the Harper government’s cuts to arts and culture funding.

A group, led by singer Michel Rivard, released a YouTube video titled “Culture en peril” (Culture in Danger). It’s a satirical take on the Conservative cuts, and it has been viewed more than 250,000 times since it was uploaded late Sep 18.

The fictional video follows Rivard as he visits a government committee in charge of arts funding. Language gaps and cultural misunderstandings abound, and the committee tackles Rivard with questions about his lyrics. They are outraged when he sings about a “phoque” (the word for seal in French), which they hear as “fuck.” The committee even asks Rivard if he’s a “homosexual,” and then they dismiss him without approving his funding.

The video ends with a quote from the Conference Board of Canada: “Every dollar invested in the cultural industry brings 11 times more in direct or indirect benefits.”

Check it out below, or watch the version with English subtitles here.

Read More About:
Culture, Canada, Quebec, Arts

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