The 2010 elections in Vermont will have a significant impact on our legislature for the next biennium. (Click here to read about our pre-election candidate survey and see the results.) The Arts Council encourages arts advocates to attend candidate forums and ask questions about their position on arts and culture in Vermont. Advocating for the arts serves several important functions, including:
- Informing future elected officials that members of their own communities care about the arts and arts education.
- Educating politicians about arts and cultural issues.
- Helping Arts Advocates decide which candidates to support.
When asking a question at a candidates’ forum:
- Identify yourself briefly: "I am [your name] and I am the [director of--on the board of-a supporter of] [organization name].
- Explain the issue you want to address, again be brief.
- Clearly and concisely ask your question. If you want more than a yes or no answer, phrase the question appropriately.
Issue: The State invests money in arts and culture through funding to the Vermont Arts Council, enabling VAC and its partners to leverage private, federal, and other public funds to increase accesses to arts and culture, provide positive activities for youth, attract tourists, contribute to local economies and contribute to the quality of life through arts and cultural initiatives.
Question: Do you believe this is a wise investment of public funds? Why or why not?
Issue: In many communities the arts are being used as effective tools for addressing key issues of our time, such as revitalizing downtowns, providing positive activities for youth, attracting tourists, and retaining a strong workforce.
Question: Do you think it is appropriate to invest public funds to integrate the arts into discussions about community issue? Do you know of any examples in your own community where the arts have been or could be used in this manner?
Issue: Learning in the arts helps students develop problem solving and reasoning skills, hone communication ability, expand creativity and work cooperatively, all of which are important abilities for young people as they prepare for their futures, including jobs in the new economy.
Question: What is your assessment of the state of arts education in your local schools?
Issue: Vermont’s education standards include the arts as a part of basic education, where content areas are taught and where learning will be assessed.
Question: Do you feel the arts should be considered a part of a complete education for all Vermont students? If so, what will you do to make sure the arts are retained as a priority in the state's education systems?