Maclean’s
An open letter from Artists Against C-51
Some prominent Canadian artists fear bill C-51 “directly attacks the creative arts and free expression in this country.”
September 29, 2015
More than 200 Canadian artists say they fear the government’s new national security law, C-51, attacks free expression. The artists signed the letter below, which was provided to Maclean’s by Open Media, an organization that advocates on issues of privacy, open internet and digital rights.
September 29, 2015
Dear Party Leaders,
We are Canadian artists. We have been blessed to be part of a country that does not send poets to gulags, that does not behead people for saying things a government considers critical of it, and that does not murder dissidents and journalists wholesale.
But we know that totalitarian and repressive regimes always try to shut down artists, along with any other independent voices. We are alert to the possibilities: we, and all who wish a free and open society, must strongly oppose such tendencies when they arise.
Bill C-51 directly attacks the creative arts and free expression in this country.
This bill was rammed through Parliament by the Harper Conservative government, despite a huge public outcry and without due consultation. As many experts have pointed out, this bill allows the government to silence dissenting voices without oversight or accountability. It criminalizes “advocating or promoting the commission of terrorism offences in general,” which, because of this vague wording, could be interpreted in some very stupid ways. In effect, it gives the government carte blanche to suppress any voice they don’t like.
Is it promoting terrorism if we:
•write a spy novel about an assassination plot?
•record a song questioning our government’s agenda?
•paint a mural about the conflict in Syria?
•produce a documentary on security threats in Canada?
•put on an art show critical of the oil sands?
•make a film with an environmental theme?
Creativity, expression, opinion, and art are not the same as terrorist propaganda. Through its “chill” effect, C-51 undermines one of the chief freedoms of a democratic society: the right of every Canadian to free speech and free expression, including free artistic expression.
In addition, Bill C-51, because of the lack of oversight and accountability, is an invitation to intellectual property theft. All creative classes, including entrepreneurs and digital creators, are threatened by it. And every citizen is subject to blackmail, due to unlimited, unaccountable access to personal information.
We agree with the almost 300,000 Canadians who have called on the government to scrap this reckless, dangerous and ineffective legislation through the petition at http://KillC51.ca.
This election we will be voting to protect our artistry, our rights, and our freedoms: we will be voting for the repeal of C-51. We hope you will join us in ensuring that all Canadians are no longer subject to the chilling effects of C-51 and targeted by government censorship.
We can defend against terrorists in much better ways than this.
Signed,
Margaret Atwood, Author
Mark Achbar, Filmmaker
Hayden Desser, Musician
Cory Doctorow, Writer
John Dunsworth, Actor
Brett Gaylor, Filmmaker
Zach Gray, Musician, Zolas
John Greyson, Filmmaker
Paul Haggis, Filmmaker
Thomas King, Writer, Photographer
Dan Mangan, Musician
Don McKellar, Filmmaker
Raffi, Musician, Author
Judy Rebick, Writer
Kathleen Winter, Author
Antonia Zerbisias, Writer
Aaron Carley, Musician
Aaron McHattie, Musician
Adam Vee, Music Producer, The Ludvico Treatment
Adrienne Barrett, Writer
Ah Ram Lee, CG Artist
Alex Kennedy, Writer
Alex Leslie, Author
Alex Tribe, Musician
Alexander Hauka, Cellist, Good For Grapes
Alexander Kennard, Writer, Musician, Communications Professional
Alexandre Millaire & Kaitlin Milroy, Musicians, Moonfruits
Alexis Mitchell, Artist
Alexis Young, Musician
Alfred Peter Gough, Artist, Vice President, Society of Canadian Artists
Alice Burdick, Writer, Bookseller
Alisa Gayle-Deutsch, Musician
Alison Smith, Writer
Brad Fraser, Writer
Brian Bowman, Writer
Brianne Nord-Stewart, Filmmaker
Brittney Rand, Producer, Musician
Cameron Dixon, Painter
Camille Sullivan, Actor
Carole Henshall, Potter
Carolyn Deby, Artist
Carolyn Marie Souaid, Poet
Cass Reimer, Artist-Educator
Catherine Craig, Artist
Cathy Gulkin, Film Editor
Chara Kingston, Museum Collections Manager
Charles Bowie, Author
Charles Demers, Comedian, Author
Chris Down, Artist
Christopher Reiche, Musician, Composer
Cindy Asoden, Videographer, YOLO Video Productions Inc/JCVDude
CJ Unsworth, Lighting Designer
Claire Cameron, Writer
Claire Coupland, Musician
Clayton Drake Musician, The Almighty Rhombus
Clô Laurencelle, Art Teacher
Corbin VanderZalm, Musician
Corey Redekop, Author
Cory Lavender, Editor
Dafydd Palfrey, Filmmaker, Musician, Artist, Ten Pence Films/Dave Palmtree and the Palmtree Trio
Damien Gillis, Filmmaker
Damien, Actor
Dave Meisner, Tour Manager
David Bobier, Artist, Director, Curator, VibraFusionLab
David Grenier, Artist
David Ward, Musician
Deborah Dumka, Fibre Artist
Devin Gourley, Musician, Booking Agent
Devon Urwin, Recording Artist, Film Worker
Diane Scaman, Photographer
Dionne Brand, Writer
Donn Zver, Craftsman
Douglas Phillips, Musician
Drew Arnott, Songwriter
Edmund Brownless, Musician
Edo Van Breemn, Film Composer
Elaine Carol, Artistic Director, MISCELLANEOUS Productions
Elise Moser, Writer, Editor
Elizabeth Philips, Writer
Elizabeth Saunders, Artist
Elle Flanders, Filmmaker
Emily Millard, Musician, Miss Emily Brown
Endre Farkas, Poet, Playwright, Novelist
Erin Donovan, Musician, Director
Farzana Doctor, Author
Faten Toubasi , Visual Artist, Instructor
Fiona McLean, Artist
Francoise Thibault, Artist
Franke James, Artist, Author
Fraser Parkes, Musician, The Fuzzy Undertones
Fulvio Cecere, Actor
Gail Chin, Photographer
Gale Zoe Garnett, Writer, Actor, Arts Activist
Gilbert Gilbert, Musician
H.L. Goyer, Artist
Haley Hunt-Brondwin, Visual Artist and Designer
Hannah Claire Epperson, Musician, Composer
Heather Birrell, Writer
Heather Grant, Bassist, Singer, Crossed Wires
Heather Rankin, Designer (retired)
Helen Hoy, Painter
Ila Crawford, Visual Artist
Isaac Vallentin, Designer, Musician
Jan Wade, Artist
Jane Eaton Hamilton, Author
Jane Simpson, Writer
Janice Brunson, Independent Music Professional
Jennifer Claveau, Singer, Songwriter, Watercolourist
Jessica Stuart, Musician, The Jessica Stuart Few
Jim Riley, Video Artist
Joana Joachim, Museologist, Curator
Joe Sarahan, Carpenter, Artist
Jonathan Sweeting, Artist, Poet
Julia Mosher, Furniture Finisher
Julie Joosten, Writer
Julie Picken-Cooper, Arts Educator, Council of Canadians
Julie René de Cotret, Curator
Justine Warrington, Performer, Writer, Filmmaker
Karen Trask, Artist
Kate Hurman, Actor, Director, Writer, Teacher
Kate Inglis, Writer
Kate Lucyk, Artist
Katherine Dodds, Filmmaker, Writer, Creative Director, Hello Cool World
Kathryn Mockler, Poet, Professor, Screenwriter
Keith Higgins, Artist, Publisher
Kennedy Douglas Telford, Artist, Designer
Kirby Rivest, Glass Artisan
Krisdy Shindler, Artist
Kristian Joseph Warburton, Film Student
Kyle Weber, Artist, Entrepreneur
Lana Pesch, Author, Producer
Lance Buan, Visual Artist
Lani Ashenhurst, Actor
Laura Smith, Musician
Lauren B. Davis, Author
Lesley Ewen, Director, Dramaturg, Playwright, Performer, Teacher
Lindsay Brown, Writer, Designer
Lindsay Clayton Day, Writer, Teacher
Lisa Ireland, Artisan
Lynn Beavis, Art Gallery Worker
Madeline Bassnett, Writer
Maggie Tchir, Visual Artist
Marcia McInnis, Mixed Media Artist
Maria Meindl, Writer
Marie Smith, Museum Assistant
Mark Bentley Cohen, Writer/Performer
Marney Morgan, Metalsmith
Marsha Kennedy, Professor, Visual Arts
Martin Kennedy, Artist
Matias Munoz, Music Writer, Ottawa Showbox
Maureen Lyons, Photographer
Michael Harris, Author, Journalist
Michèle Houle, Photo, Video
Mikela Jay, Singer, Actor, Narrator
Miles Evans-Branagh, Musician
Milton Lim, Theatre Director, Multidisciplinary Performer, Hong Kong Exile/Theatre Conspiracy
Naomi Binder Wall, Writer
Neeraj Padmanabh, Film Editor
Nick Roddam, Artist
Nicola Morry, Teacher
Nicole Yates, Musician
Noah Spivak, Visual Artist
Patricia McDonough, Custom Picture Framer
Patrick Farrugia, Musician
Patti Randazzo Beckett, Artist
Paul Walde, Artist, Professor
Peter Kufluk, Actor
Peter Ricq, Filmmaker, Musician, Illustrator
Rachael Cardiello, Musician
Rachel Jacobson, Director
Raymonde Savoie, Writer
Rebecca Salazar, Poet, Editor
Risa Horowitz, Artist
Robert Cameron, Musician, BESTiE
Robert Dayton, Artist
Robin Pacific, Visual Artist
Rodney Hanson, Architect
Rosemary Carter, Graphic Designer
Samantha Reid, Writer
Samantha Soo, Filmmaker
Sandra Diaz, Visual Artist
Sandra Mannila, Artist, Writer, Arts Administrator
Sandra Nieuwenhuijsen, Art Director
Sarah Comfort, Artist
Sarah Sawler, Writer
Sean Devlin, Comedian
Sean McQuillan, Actor
Seth Stuve, Audio Engineer, Musician
Sharon King-Campbell, Theatre Artist
Shawn Jordan, Artist
Sheleah, Makeup Artist, SJB Makeup
Shelly Cassivi, Musician
Shlomit Segal, Graphic Designer
Sojin Kim, Independent Curator
Stephanie Yates, Artist
Stephany Aiken, Artist, Philosopher
Steve Bays, Musician, Producer
Steven Foster, Musician
Steven Laurie, Visual Artist
Su J. Sokol, Writer
Su-Feh Lee, Choreographer, Battery Opera Performance
Sue Goldstein, Artist, Activist
Susan Applewhaite, Actor
Susan Kendal, Choreographer,Textile Artist
Susan Swan, Author
Suzanne Dallaire, Visual Artist
Tara Mahoney, Producer, Creative Director, Gen Why Media
Thad Rosenau, Visual Artist
Tony Marryatt, Musician
Trevor Thomas, Musician, Producer
Troy Nixey, Movie Director, Comic Book Creator
Tuula Helin, Writer
Veronique Mallet, Musician
Victoria Ginsley, Poet
Wendy Davis, Photographer
Zachary Gough, Artist
Zack Embree, Filmmaker, Photographer
Zainab Amadahy, Writer