There are things that are patently obvious. Before becoming Madonna, Madonna had to work at home. Before becoming Guy Laliberté, Guy Laliberté had to work at home. Before becoming Robert Lepage, Robert Lepage had to create — creation is not aimed at the general public, it is a work of experimentation. The principle of mass music or mass art does not bother me strictly speaking, because everyone benefits from it at some point or another, but before producing anything that might appeal to the “masses“, there is an experimentation stage.
Personally, like some other artists, I feel like I am constantly in experimentation mode, without any desire to have a commercial career, but I must have this right, just as some artists are also entitled to start with experimentation and to move towards the kind of thing that the majority of people want. Therefore, in cutting this grant, you are cutting off two possibilities, namely that of the artist who begins by experimenting and then moves towards a broader audience or the masses, or that of the masses that become more and more interested by this type of experimentation. Therefore, you are cutting that and you are also cutting support to the artist who will continue to do experimentation for the rest of his or her life. To my mind, this is very serious.
I said earlier that I would only discuss facts. I am trying, in fact, to think in terms of the future. This is something that is very important and that could be very dangerous.