When it comes to economic and cultural contributions, you are absolutely right to say that the two are intrinsically linked.
In this digital era, many people think that things can be created and disseminated very quickly, and that success is easy. However, we see that true success on the Internet involves very solid and convincing quality of production.
We are convinced that the future hinges upon the refinement and excellence of creation, rather than upon the proliferation of supported artists or arts organizations. So it is very important to provide our organizations and artists with means.
Artists need more time. They need more time to create and to achieve truly accomplished levels of production that are internationally competitive. A number of our organizations have drastically reduced their artistic staff, as well as their level of production over the past few years. They are less competitive internationally. For us, it's important to invest in quality and to encourage the sector to adopt the digital world and to adapt to it. The arts sector is far behind in that regard.
Ten years ago, England adopted a strategy so that the arts sector would adopt the digital universe and adapt to it. In Canada, we have sort of missed that opportunity. I think it is very important to have that capacity. It will mean easier discovery and the adoption of new ways of interacting with the public, with Canadians, and changing the methods of international dissemination. So we have a lot of work to do. The opportunities are numerous.
The good news is that, with often insufficient means, Canada has managed to shine on the international stage in terms of arts and culture. We think that the potential is there for us to shine even brighter, and that will lead to more significant economic, social and human benefits.
Thank you.