Some thoughts on the current state of the Vancouver arts scene and a view to the future

There’s a lot of “doom and gloom” discussion going on in Vancouver’s theatre arts scene. With the Playhouse closing –the latest in a series of high-profile and sad departures from our dear burg – concern has turned to downright mirth. After all, it isn’t just theatre and dance companies that are disappearing, but the tech companies which are the backbone of many of these productions are also vanishing. Why are these vibrant theatre and dance companies shuttering their doors or pulling up stakes and heading to other markets?

Vancouver is really, really expensive.

In some ways, that expense makes sense. We have an amazing quality of life here. Vancouver is a beautiful place to live, with stunning mountains, rolling seas, great food, awesome culture, an amazing climate and until recently, a powerful, thriving theatre and dance scene. Lots of people want to live here, and as a result it’s now one of the most (if not the most) expensive city in the world.

For a theatre artist, dancer or tech pulling in $8-10 per hour, having to work more than one job to ensure that they can put food on the table, paying $1000/month rent isn’t tenable over the long -term. The middle class too is leaving in droves, driven out by sky-high real estate prices and a job market where people are bringing home less in real money than they did 25 years ago – not adjusted for inflation. So Vancouver isn’t just losing the artists who together make an amazing arts community, but also the audiences who make the artists’ struggles bearable.

Not affordable, mind you.

Bearable.

When you’re earning a poverty wage doing something back-breakingly hard that you love with all your soul, an appreciative audience is sometimes all that will keep you going, night after night, show after show.

Here’s the secret about dance and theatre in Vancouver that you never hear about. Ticket sales revenue does not (and cannot) support companies in entirety. It can’t. World-quality productions simply cost too much for Vancouver theatre goers to afford. Without government support (and corporate sponsorship) these shows would not go on. And all levels of government should support these productions, because a vibrant theatre and dance culture is part of why people come to Vancouver in the first place.

While some of the big players have departed Vancouver’s scene there are many excellent smaller companies who are eking out a living bringing passion and drama to our stages. And they’re good.

Really good.

It’s time for government at all three levels – Federal, Provincial and Municipal, to step up to the plate and invest in these companies to keep them in Vancouver, now, before we lose them too. An investment in these companies is an investment in Vancouver, and a down payment on the culture that draws the best and brightest from around the world here.

In the meantime, you should make a dancer or artist’s day. Reward their bravery and courage for struggling it out as an artist in the most expensive city in the world – go to a show.

And applaud.

Loudly.

And then, tell your friends. And have your friends tell their friends. And be one of the people who collaboratively works with the arts community to sustain a vibrant, culturally-rich Vancouver. A Vancouver we can all love.

FOOTNOTE:
– These are some preliminary thoughts, I’d like to hear your thoughts and maybe they’ll help me reformulate my thinking. I’m open to feedback on how we can make our arts community not only survive but thrive.