Four independent organizations will provide COVID-19 transitional support to self-employed cultural workers in the live performing arts sector Français
The Government of Canada supports cultural workers in the performing arts sector who are experiencing financial hardship due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
OTTAWA, ON, May 2, 2022 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada recognizes that the live performing arts sector has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. We stand with Canada's artists and cultural workers in this sector.
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced that the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund will provide more than $50 million in direct funding to independent, self-employed workers in the live performing arts sector who are experiencing financial hardship, up to a maximum of $2,500 per individual. This important funding support will be provided to individuals through four independent organizations: La Fondation des artistes, The Actors' Fund of Canada, The Canadian Dance Assembly and The Unison Benevolent Fund.
The announcement was made in advance of the National Culture Summit at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The summit welcomes industry leaders from across Canada on May 2, 3 and 4 to discuss the long-term competitiveness and future growth of the arts, culture and heritage sectors.
Over the next few weeks, the four independent organizations will work to deliver direct funding efficiently and securely and, together, will provide national coverage for all genres and all types of workers in the sector.
These organizations were selected following a national call for applications through Canadian Heritage's Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund. This new temporary funding program announced on February 1, 2022 has an overall budget of $60 million (2022–2023) to help workers in the live performance sector. More details on how the funding support will be distributed for initiatives such as professional development, support programs and career counselling and mentorships will be shared later this spring.
Visit our website for the latest information on the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund.
"People who work in the performing arts had a really difficult time over the past couple of years. As the pandemic continues into its third year, the performing arts still face uncertainty. We promised more direct support during the election campaign and now we're following through on that commitment. We'll continue to support cultural workers whose amazing skills and many talents bring our stories to life on stage."
—Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage
The cultural sector represents 726,600 workers, including 158,100 professional artists.
Gross domestic product (GDP) for culture recorded its fifth consecutive increase in the third quarter of 2021 and is at 97 percent of pre-pandemic levels. However, live performance GDP lags significantly and sits at 53.4 percent of its fourth quarter 2019 levels.
While overall culture sector jobs in the third quarter of 2021 were at 93.2 percent of their 2019 fourth quarter levels, live performance jobs totalled 73,072, which is 62.3 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
The Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund builds on the $181.5-million investment in 2021–2022, which supports arts and live events workers affected by COVID-19. Announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, this complements support for performing arts organizations available through the two-year (fiscal years 2021–2022 and 2022–2023) $300-million Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors and the $200-million Reopening Fund, announced in Budget 2021.
To complement previous initiatives, Budget 2022 proposes to compensate Canadian arts, culture and heritage organizations for revenue losses due to public health restrictions and capacity limits by providing an additional $50 million in 2022–2023 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts and Telefilm Canada.
To further support the arts sector's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to address historic inequities in funding levels for Indigenous and racialized arts training organizations, Budget 2022 proposes $22.5 million over five years, starting in 2022–2023, and $5 million ongoing, to Canadian Heritage's Canada Arts Training Fund.
Government of Canada Launches Program to Provide Additional Support for Cultural Workers in the Live Performing Arts Sector
Continued Support for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sector Organizations
La Fondation des artistes
The Actors' Fund of Canada
The Canadian Dance Assembly
The Unison Benevolent Fund
Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund
Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP)
Canada Workers Lockdown Benefit
National Culture Summit: The Future of Arts, Culture and Heritage in Canada
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
(media only), please contact: Laura Scaffidi, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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