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And Beauty Answers (Preview)

INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITION

Before beginning to write this book, I spoke about my plans to several of my colleagues, both French- and English-speaking. They immediately encouraged me and gave me lots of advice. The advice I received most frequently concerned simultaneous publication in French and English. This was not surprising, as I have worked for almost thirty years in a bilingual national theatre school and am also the Vice-Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, a position I’ve held for six years. I, too, wished to have the French and English versions published simultaneously. But things unfolded differently. Today, I am delighted at the prospect of contributing to the discussion of the importance of the arts across Canada, thanks to Jonathan Kaplansky’s translation.

When it first appeared in Quebec in September 2009, Le Facteur C enjoyed intense and prolonged media interest that neither my Québécois publisher nor I had anticipated. It first attracted attention from journalists and commentators covering public affairs; their interest in the book confirmed the thesis I articulated: the arts and culture have resonance today that transcends aesthetic issues or special-interest discussions. In interviews, I was given the opportunity to debate economics, urban planning, and public policy — all the while emphasizing the importance of returning to the main ethical, democratic, and humanistic principles required to better understand the essential role the arts play in the human experience.

Journalists specializing in culture and literature read Le Facteur C differently than I had imagined when writing it. I had conceived of it as both a testimony and a plea in favour of action to return cultural concerns to the forefront of public policy. It was my description of the urgent need for the greatest number of citizens to take an interest in cultural participation that most caught the attention of the cultural critics, as if they had suddenly realized the situation was imperative. In Canada, we are indeed fortunate; we live in an era with an abundant and constantly renewed supply of artistic works and events. The fact, however, that only a minority of the population — estimated at approximately 30 per cent in most democracies — is interested in or reached by them is disturbing. Even worse, the uneasiness is greater because commercial culture has never done so well, while the culture that is created to elevate the mind, such as the artistic activities supported by the government for entirely legitimate reasons, is marginalized. This cultural life, vibrant as it is, is also at risk each time a government or private patrons reduce the subsidies that culture requires to be economically viable.

Examining the apparent contradiction between the dramatic rise of culture in the public arena and the difficulties and anxieties that affect the sector of arts and letters is at the heart of this book.

I do not claim to have found an infallible way of resolving the contradiction. I am convinced, however, that we must address without delay the issue of attendance at arts events and participation in the arts, thereby expanding access to the most significant works of humanity’s cultural heritage, and promoting knowledge and experience of contemporary creation. This is essential for our individual and collective development. I am calling all artists and stakeholders in the cultural sector to action and, above all, I am urging our school systems to take over their students’ initiation to the arts, which means exposing them to values I believe are more essential than ever to community life.

I realize I am making remarks grounded in a specific reality that came about through a series of concrete actions, the impact of which is necessarily limited. But I also know how for years I have been inspired by theoretical models and precise accounts of experiences of cultural development emerging from various countries and, more specifically, from some large cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Lille (France), Newcastle-Gateshead (England), Lyon (France), Toronto, and New York. In this era of globalization, it behooves us not to confuse the need to act locally with a form of localism or regionalism that encourages people to wear blinders when contemplating broad horizons. In this book I speak of Montreal a great deal, but this is to better address issues faced by cities and regions transformed by significant migratory trends and shifts in the world economy. This choice seems to have worked, as reaction to Le Facteur C in the English-language press in Canada and abroad demonstrates that the ideas I put forth are significant and resonant: they are now embodied in concrete and sustained action.

Finally, I am eager to receive comments from readers of No Culture, No Future because each time I communicate with readers of Le Facteur C, I learn something about their personal relationship to art and culture, the cultural dynamic of their lives, and their dreams and aspirations. I’d bet that English- and French-speaking readers share a large number of concerns and hopes. I know that this is not a risky bet.

Simon Brault