Symbolic Power: Impact of Government Priorities for Arts Funding in Canada

Abstract

Canadian arts councils make funding decisions using the peer-review model at arm's length of government agencies. In theory, the government decides what the mandate and budget of an arts council will be, but arts councils are free to decide who and what will be funded without political interference. Contrary to this belief, the peer review process does not always award funding based solely on artistic merit. This study shows that there is a tension between councils, jurors, and government agencies when making funding decisions. Even though arts councils are at arm's length, they often cave in to the government's priorities as filtered through symbolic power.