CCA Bulletin 2/11 - The US government turns up the heat on cultural diplomacy: Can we hope that Ottawa will do the same?

Just the facts

For the past four years, the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) has deplored the fact that the federal government no longer has a coordinated strategy for the promotion of Canadian artists and cultural works to national and international audiences and markets. Beyond the purely economic aspects, we have also expressed concerns about the fact that Ottawa has all but abandoned cultural diplomacy as part of its foreign policy. This is why we were particularly interested in examining our neighbours south of the border, where the concept of cultural diplomacy seems to be enjoying a revival after having been somewhat cast aside after the end of the Cold War.

On Friday, January 7, the United States Embassy in Ottawa hosted a livestream viewing party and discussion on cultural diplomacy. The presentation, titled “Culture in Diplomacy: A New Era for Arts & Cultural Relations,” was led by Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and broadcast from the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) in New York City. The panel included the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications, Ms. Christine St-Pierre.(more)