Cape Bretoner Tamara Deverell just won an Oscar, Hollywood’s highest prize, but only because government funding helped her to get there.
The production designer says supporting arts and culture in Nova Scotia is important and should be embraced as we need it as humans.
Our newsroom spoke to Deverell on her plane ride home about her achievement and how recent provincial cuts to arts will disadvantage future generations of artists.
“It’s great to get an Oscar, but I wouldn’t be getting an Oscar if it weren’t for government support while I was a young person growing up,” she expressed.
“It doesn’t affect me so much as an older person, but to all the young people out there who want a career in the arts or in film or in theatre. It will affect them. It’s a hard start. And we need culture.”
There were numerous rallies in response to the cuts to arts and culture across Nova Scotia last week and the budget’s passing is taking the week off for March Break.
Deverell and her co-nominee fellow Nova Scotian Shane Vieau won the Oscar for Best Production Design for their creativity on the Frankenstein movie.
She says we have some top-notch film crews in Canada, which is a reason why filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro come here to film.
Next on the horizon for her, she’s planning to focus on her own artwork and she’s sifting through offers for future production design opportunities.
