Summary of the evaluation of the Canada Arts Training Fund 2012-13 to 2017-18
Period from 2012-13 to 2017-18
Evaluation Services Directorate
February 20, 2019
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français.
©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2019
Catalogue No.: CH7-19/2-2019E-PDF
ISBN: 978-0-660-29355-4
On this page
List of acronyms and abbreviations
- CATF
- Canada Arts Training Fund
- GBA+
- Gender-based analysis plus
- GDP
- Gross Domestic Product
- PCH
- Department of Canadian Heritage
Overview
The Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) program is delivered by the Arts Branch of PCH and provides financial assistance to Canadian not-for-profit institutions that specialize in delivering focused, intensive and practice-based arts training to prepare students for professional national or international artistic careers.
Average annual budget over five years
- $22,652,000
- 39 national professional arts schools or institutions funded yearly
- 90% of recipients are repeat clients
Relevance
CATF aligns with several PCH priorities as well as federal government priorities: it supports the accessibility of Canadian cultural content and arts training in Canada and the federal government’s public recognition of the importance and contribution of artists to Canadian society.
Without public funding, some arts training organizations would not have been viable. There was a high demand for CATF as it is the only program to provide cohesive, multi-year operational funding for professional arts training organizations.
Culture and artistic performances were significant generators of economic growth, jobs and wealth
- $53.8B contributed to GDP, and 652,406 jobs created in 2016
- 20 million tourists in 2017
- Generates secondary tourist spending
- Cultural identity development
- Supports the attraction of knowledgeable workers that help make Canadian companies competitive
Canadian participation in arts and culture (2016-17)
- 88% attended performances
Number of applications to places by year
- In 2012-13, there were 11,987 applications for 4,079 places, a ratio of 2.9.
- In 2013-14, there were 12,420 applications for 3,151 places, a ratio of 3.9.
- In 2014-15, there were 10,478 applications for 2,684 places, a ratio of 3.9.
- In 2015-16, there were 10,473 applications for 2,846 places, a ratio of 3.7.
- In 2016-17, there were 12,671 applications for 3,362 places, a ratio of 3.6.
Effectiveness
CATF supported the development of high-quality training institutions and successful professional artists. Further, CATF-funded organizations were recognized as being leaders in their field and have provided relevant and applied training to students through high-quality instruction. However, the definition of excellence may not have been appropriate for Indigenous art forms.
CATF funding assisted training organizations to be financially stable, particularly in the case of Indigenous, ethnocultural and racialized organizations who experienced challenges accessing private funding.
Number and proportion of students and graduates (2012-13 to 2017-18)
- 19,522 students enrolled
- 13,100 graduates
- Graduation rate of 67%
CATF-funded organizations produced highly skilled graduates who are recognized in Canada and internationally for excellence.
- 66% of these graduates were working professionally in their field.
- 1 in 3 graduates received a regional, national or international award in recognition of excellence.
Percentage of funding sources by type (earned, public, private), by fiscal year
Applicants are encouraged by CATF to have a combination of earned revenue, private and public funding.
- Of 2012-13 funding sources, 33% were earned revenue, 14% were private and 53% public funding.
- Of 2013-14 funding sources, 32% were earned revenue, 16% were private and 52% public funding.
- Of 2014-15 funding sources, 33% were earned revenue, 18% were private and 50% public funding.
- Of 2015-16 funding sources, 31% were earned revenue, 18% were private and 48% public funding.
- Of 2016-17 funding sources, 29% were earned revenue, 22% were private and 49% public funding.
Efficiency
CATF utilized consistent and rigorous implementation of eligibility and assessment criteria, site visits and expert assessments to ensure resources dedicated to the program were used efficiently.
Service standards
The service standard for acknowledging receipt of applications was met to a high degree (83%-100%) by CATF in the five years covered by the evaluation period.
While CATF did not meet its service standard for notification of the funding decision between 2012-13 and 2016-17, preliminary program data for 2017-18 suggests that timelines have significantly improved.
Government-wide policy considerations
Official Languages requirements of section 41 of the Official Languages Act were met.
GBA+ was actively applied to identify systemic barriers in CATF Terms and Conditions and guidelines; specific minority communities were successfully targeted.
Recommendations
The Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for the Cultural Affairs Sector should:
- Explore the feasibility, benefits and impacts of a two-stream funding model for CATF within the existing budget.
- Collaborate with Indigenous arts organizations to identify barriers to a successful application, develop options to address these barriers and implement an approach to ultimately increase the number of high-quality graduates.
Page details
- Date modified: