Your question is both simple and not simple. Recent statistics show that 90% of Canadians think that an essential part of our national identity is the arts and their presence in our communities. As a Quebecker, when I read that, I thought that we had the same feelings about this. That is to say that contact with the arts, with expression, music, painting, cinema and performing artists in any one community, creates a feeling of belonging to that community and a feeling of pride, because the artists involved are a part of that community.
I should also point out that the success of our artists abroad has an enormous impact on a community's pride. Just as Mr. Baumann was asked to comment on the connection between support for athletes and Canadian identity, pride, and community cohesion, I would say that it is very important for the identity of a community to be able to identify with artists, athletes, stars, and strengths.