Resilience Fund: 59 new projects will help self-employed cultural workers in the live performance sector
News release
MONTRÉAL, October 14, 2022
As our venues fill up once again and our artists return to the stage, Canadian Heritage is supporting services that meet the specific needs of the performing arts sector and its workers.
Today, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant Pablo Rodriguez announced nearly $10 million in funding for the creation of 59 projects that will provide long-term support to artists and cultural workers.
The 59 independent organizations will develop projects across the country. They will provide cultural workers with advice, information, and professional development opportunities in financial management, mental health and wellness, legal assistance, and career transition, among other areas.
The Minister made the announcement at Le Cabaret Lion d’Or this morning, along with representatives of some of the funded organizations: Les Scènes de Musique Alternatives du Québec, the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, the Artists’ Foundation, , the Machinery, the Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec, the Centre des arts de la scène Jean-Besré (CASJB), Talk is Free Theatre, the Professional Opera Companies of Canada, the SOCAN Foundation, the Regroupement québécois de la danse, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
These projects are funded under the second component of the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund. The total value of the fund was $60 million, and the first component was announced earlier this year.
Please see the backgrounder for a list of the 59 funded projects.
Visit our website for the latest details on the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund.
Quotes
“We promised to be there to support artists, and that is what we’re doing. As many workers in the sector continue to deal with uncertainty because of the increased cost of living and the ongoing effects of the pandemic, new services available through the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund will make sure to give a boost to their overall well-being. We will continue to work hard to meet the needs of artists.”
—Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant
Quick facts
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Canada’s cultural sector employs more than 726,600 workers, including 158,100 professional artists.
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In the fourth quarter of 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) for culture recorded its fifth consecutive increase. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, nominal GDP in Canada’s cultural sector exceeded pre-COVID pandemic levels by 1.3 percent. However, live performance GDP lags significantly, reaching only 60.5 percent of its 2019 fourth-quarter level.
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In the third quarter of 2021, while overall cultural sector jobs were at 95.5 percent of their 2019 fourth-quarter levels, live performing arts jobs totalled 53,916, or 77.4 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, while overall cultural sector jobs were at 98.5 percent of their 2019 fourth-quarter levels, live performing arts jobs totalled 57,789, or 87 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
In the first quarter of 2022, while overall cultural sector jobs were at 99.8 percent of their 2019 fourth-quarter levels, live performing arts jobs totalled 60,823, or 87.3 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
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Established to lessen the impact of COVID-19, 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, and was announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. It complements the support for performing arts organizations available through the two-year (fiscal years 2021–22 and 2022–23), $300-million Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors and the $200-million Reopening Fund, announced in Budget 2021.
Related products
- Backgrounder: List of 59 new projects that will help self-employed cultural workers from the live performance sector thanks to the Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund
- Four independent organizations will provide COVID-19 transitional support to self-employed cultural workers in the live performing arts sector
- 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
Associated links
Contacts
For more information (media only), please contact:
Laura Scaffidi
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
laura.scaffidi@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
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