Toolkit for advocacy meetings with your MLA

FOR AMBASSADORS highlighting an organization in your community
(staff, board, partners, audiences, supporters):

Your Script for Speaking with your MLA:

• Start your meeting by introducing yourself and that you’re hoping to talk about the crisis situation the Arts and Culture sector in NS  is currently facing.
• Briefly explain your job in your community, as well as your role within the organization you’re here on behalf of (board/volunteer/etc). 
• Remind them of the important work that the company does, making sure to highlight the company’s connection and engagement with your local community, as well as your own relationship to them as a community member yourself! ​

TIP: If you can, provide a few quantitative social and economic impacts for the organization’s work (how many artists employed, tourism coming into the community, etc).

• Remind that the arts have been one of the hardest hit sectors at every stage of the pandemic. Many arts and culture organizations province-wide have spent much of the past three years totally or partially closed. Some are facing complete shutdowns, struggling with hiring, and getting back to full operations in uncertain times.
• Highlight the importance of including these three recommendations inspired by  the BBB report  in the new budget (which would total about $4 million):

Key point #1: Lifeline - The arts, and specifically the  live performance sector in Nova Scotia must be provincially recognized as a “hardest hit sector” that requires critical emergency investment immediately to bridge the gap to the recovery phase of the pandemic crisis.
 
Key point #2: Recovery - The Operational Support for Cultural Organizations Program has not seen a meaningful budget increase in over 20 years. Since then, inflation has grown 50% and continues to grow as a result of the pandemic. New investment for operations from the Department and NS Arts Council will facilitate increased stability, welcome new organizations, and include avenues to recognize and sustain self-producing artists, all required for a successful economic recovery in the post-pandemic world. Such investment will positively impact on the sector, and therefore individual artists. ​

We are asking for a doubling of support for operating programs and the program to be indexed to inflation in subsequent years. 

Key point #3: Building Back Better - New and sustained investment in equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, sponsorship matching, live presentation programs, human resources, and consumer confidence marketing projects will stimulate an efficient, equitable, and robust recovery. 

• Engage in a two-way dialogue with the MLA. Keep it concise to allow room for discussion and questions. Keep in mind your reason for meeting, and choose points that relate back to this reason. 
• Ask your MLA if they can commit to the Building Back Better report, and use these three recommendations to  support the performing arts and wider cultural sector in NS in this next budget. ​
• Be sure to thank them for their time.

Let us know how it went!