Annual Public Meeting 2025
Video description
The 2025 Annual Public Meeting of the Canada Council for the Arts took place on March 19, 2025. During the event, Jesse Wente, Chair of the Board, and Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO of the Council, shared insights on Canada’s arts scene, an overview of upcoming initiatives and updates on the Council’s strategic priorities. A question-and-answer period followed.
This recording includes simultaneous sign language interpretation in ASL, as well as closed captioning.
Speakers
Aubree Moriarty, Corporate Secretary
Jesse Wente, Chair of the Board
Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO of the Council
Lise Ann Johnson, Director General, Arts Granting Programs
Publication date
April 25, 2025
Event information
The APM took place on March 19, 2025.
[Narrator]
It provokes us.
It inspires us.
It stirs our imagination, feeds our creativity and sets us in motion.
It takes us places we never thought possible.
It is freedom, experimentation, pain and joy.
It creates new myths and reinvents old ones.
It soothes the wary and offers us hope, touches our very souls.
It breaks new ground, breaks down walls and brings us together.
Art connects us with ourselves and drives us forward, telling our stories and giving us voice.
Art shows us who we are.
Arts are part of us all.
[Aubree Moriarty]
Hello. Welcome to the Canada Council for the Arts Annual Public Meeting 2025.
My name is Aubree Moriarty. I am the Corporate Secretary.
It’s my pleasure to be your host for today’s event.
A few things to get everyone set up before we get started.
This meeting will take place in both official languages.
If you’re on a desktop, click on the Language button on this sidebar to the left.
If you are on a mobile device, click the three-line menu.
For those of you in the room, there are headsets available for simultaneous interpretation.
We also have American Sign Language available to access this; you can click on the link at the bottom left of the screen.
If you have technical difficulties, click on the button at the bottom of your screen.
I would like to invite Monique Manatch to the stage for the land acknowledgement and opening ceremony. Monique is a knowledge carrier for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake.
Monique, thank you for being here for these teachings and I offer you this gift of tobacco for the land welcome and the opening ceremony.
[Monique Manatch]
Chi miigwetch, thank you. Thank you very much.
Majo’sheg, welcome.
Welcome to unceded, unsurrendered Algonquin territory.
(Monique speaking Anishinaabemowin)
My name is Monique Manatch, and I’m a member of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake.
And as I was thinking about how the expression of art...
I had the very good fortune of speaking with Simon Brascoupé earlier today.
And we were talking about art and we were talking about how it expresses our humanity. And how it does, it brings us together because, he spoke about how in other countries where he’s been, they have very similar images, especially in the Indigenous community, similar worldviews.
And we have stories.
You know, humanity is the youngest of creation.
Everything else was created first.
All the plants, the animals, we say those who fly, those who swim, those who crawl.
And from them we received teachings and we received strengths, attributes.
From pine tree, we learn patience because it takes so long for them to grow.
They say from the wolves, we learn family.
From the eagle, we learn about love and we learn about vision, but not just physical vision because of the eyesight of the eagle, but mentally and emotionally and spiritually and what our vision is, what our imagination is.
And I think having received those gifts from creation,
it wasn’t just for the Indigenous people,
it was for everybody.
It was for all human beings.
And I think that’s something that the Canada Council works very hard
to ensure: that the personal expression,
the community expression,
the cultural expression is all made possible.
Because of the work that they do
and of the way that they support artists
and everybody in our community, everybody is an artist.
Everybody has a gift.
And how you express it is as myriad as as there are creations.
So I’d like to open this space with just a few words to the Creator.
(Monique speaking Anishinaabemowin)
Thank you, Creator,
thank you for everything you’ve placed in our homelands
that help human beings to live well.
We acknowledge and honour the water, the plants, the trees,
the rivers, the oceans, the lakes.
We acknowledge and honour the human beings
and everything that helps creation to grow.
We thank you for the sky world.
We thank you for our mother, the earth
and all the things that live beneath the surface of the earth.
We ask that you help good words be spoken here today.
Strong words that impact us emotionally and spiritually.
We thank you for our ability
to prepare ourselves spiritually, for the spirit world,
for when this short physical world ends.
We thank you for our ability to bring peace to one another,
especially during times of trouble and anguish.
We ask that you remember our family and friends,
especially those who are ill, whether physical,
mental or through addictions.
And we hope they have a good day today
and that they return to us soon as role models and as mentors.
And we remember to live our lives with great respect
for all living things.
(Monique speaking Anishinaabemowin)
Thank you very much.
I know we’re going to have a terrific meeting today.
Thank you.
[Aubree Moriarty]
Thank you so much for that, Monique.
A recording of this meeting will be available in both official languages on our
website in the coming weeks.
If you’re using social media, please use the #CanadaCouncil25.
I will now give you an overview of the agenda.
To begin with, we’ll hear the Chair of the Board, Jesse Wente.
And next Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, will deliver a speech.
And this will be followed by a question period.
We have a very full program.
So let’s get started.
And I invite Jesse Wente to take the floor.
[Jesse Wente]
Thank you so much, hello to everyone joining us today online and here in the room, in person as well.
As many of you know, this will be my last Annual Public Meeting,
as I complete my five-year mandate as the Chair of the Board of the Canada Council for the Arts in July.
It has been a great privilege to serve artists,
arts organizations and the entire community as the chair, and before that, as a member of the Board.
I’m extremely proud to be the first Indigenous, first Anishinaabe chair
of the Canada Council.
Firsts are important almost entirely because of their capacity to lead to seconds, thirds, fourths, and so on.
And so to my broader community of First Nations, Inuit
and Métis folks, I want to say: take up these roles.
It is hard work, but it is meaningful work.
We need our people on both the inside
and outside of these organizations to transform them
and to transform this place.
Let’s continue this work.
In my time as chair, the arts experienced significant challenges.
At the start of my mandate,
we were in the early days of the COVID pandemic
and now at the end of my time here,
we’re experiencing intense unpredictability.
Through it all, the Council has been a steadfast support
for the arts and I know it will continue to play this vital role.
I’m proud of the many things we’ve accomplished together.
I’m thinking, for example, of the work we undertook
to serve communities in every corner of the country.
This is about upholding the Council’s mandate
as a national funder that supports the arts from coast to coast to coast.
Notably, the Council has deepened its relationship with the North over the last five years.
We co-hosted the Arctic Arts Summit in 2022.
The summit brought together participants from across the circumpolar region to discuss
and collaborate on topics of shared interest.
And we have now passed the baton on to Sweden to host the next summit in 2026.
Three co-delivery partnerships came out of the summit we hosted.
One each with the Inuit Arts Foundation, the Government of Yukon,
and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
These partnerships have ushered in a new way of working
for the Council, centred on meeting the unique needs
and priorities of the region as they articulate them.
Put simply, this grounds our work in community perspectives
and ensures we work together so the arts are strong in all parts of the country.
I’m also pleased to see the Board now holding a meeting
every year in a community outside of Ottawa.
Last June, we had an insightful meeting in Newfoundland
and Labrador and this will continue in future years.
In fact, the board will meet in Alberta later this year.
Through these meetings, we’re able to connect with
and hear from folks in the community,
making important connections between our work on the Board
and what’s happening across the country.
I look forward to watching the Council deepen
its connections with the arts community, further ensuring its
relevance all over Canada.
I want to congratulate Cheryl Hickman on being named the next chair of the Board
of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Cheryl and I started on the board at the same time,
and it has been an incredible pleasure working with her over these past several years.
She will provide important strategic oversight and continuity for the Council as chair.
I also want to thank the employees of the Canada Council for the Arts,
who bring so much dedication, intelligence
and care to their work every single day.
And I want to extend my thanks to Michelle Chawla for her important leadership as the director
and CEO of the Council.
It has been a true pleasure
and privilege to work with you, Michelle.
And on that note, I will now turn it over
to Michelle for her remarks.
[Michelle Chawla]
Thank you, Jesse.
Thank you, Monique.
Hi everyone. It’s so exciting to see everyone.
Thank you to all of you for joining us today.
The Annual Public Meeting is an important opportunity
to have a conversation with the arts community about the Council’s work.
But this is another opportunity. It’s part of an ongoing conversation we have
with the community and as Director and CEO, it’s been my priority over the last year and a half
to deepen the Council’s engagement with the arts community.
It’s been my priority to deepen our engagement in all parts of the country.
I met with many of you in your communities.
I’ve had meetings with artists, arts leaders, arts workers, arts funders and more across the country.
From our continuous engagement,
we came to understand more fully the state of the arts right now.
But we needed data and information to back up our understanding,
to provide a comprehensive overview.
So this past year, we undertook a national survey of the arts sector and many of you shared thoughtful responses.
Over 7,000 artists, arts groups and organizations responded from all disciplines,
from all provinces and territories.
We were able to develop an evidence-based portrait of the state of the arts.
And we published that on our website.
That research is there to help you tell decision-makers in your communities
about the impact of your work, the challenges that you face
and why public investment in the arts is so critical.
So the survey we did revealed many, many important findings.
For example, the majority of respondents indicated
that financial security has been unstable these past two years.
Respondents also unanimously agreed
that public funding is crucial for adapting to how they work
for greater sustainability.
So to address the challenges facing the arts,
we know, here at the Canada Council,
that we have a leadership role to play.
And this includes bringing together the arts community
to develop shared solutions.
And that’s something that we did here last fall, hosting
here at the Canada Council, a two-day meeting
with arts service organizations as well as provincial,
territorial and municipal arts funders.
We want to continue to bring the community together
to talk about today’s challenges.
A lot is at stake right now.
The arts bolster Canada’s economy
as well as local economies across the country.
They promote a sense of belonging.
They create mental health and well-being.
They represent our identities and embody Canadian values.
And at present, Canadians are looking to the arts
perhaps now more than ever.
They’re looking to the arts because they help us reflect
on who we are and interact
and connect with one another, with a strong sense
of belonging across our vast geography.
So we have to take this opportunity to tell our story
of the impact of public investment in the arts.
We also heard about how we at the Canada Council can do better to serve you.
In particular, over the last year,
we have heard about two main areas for improvement.
First is the critical importance of feedback to your grant applications.
Second, the importance of artistic disciplinary expertise on peer assessment committees.
I want to share that we have already started to make changes to address both those areas.
A concrete example is where we’ve been piloting in the last year a process
where feedback on applications is given in a group setting.
And we are also strengthening the use of artistic disciplinary expertise where the evaluation
of artistic criteria is key to the result.
And we are working on many, many more things coming.
So please be on the lookout for all of that.
And one of the things I really suggest you do if you haven’t is sign up on our website
to receive our newsletters and e-bulletins.
This is also a new approach that we’ve launched this year
where we want to share the latest news in a timely way
that is accessible not only about
what changes are happening,
but what, how we are responding to what we’re seeing in the arts sector.
Whatever the future holds for the arts
or for our country,
the Council is committed to ongoing engagement with you
to ensure we understand what’s happening on the ground
and how it’s evolving
and to develop solutions that meet your realities.
So to close, I want to thank the Council’s employees
for their dedication to supporting the arts in Canada.
And I want to thank the board for their essential work.
And to thank Jesse Wente, not only
for his dedication to the Canada Council
as chair, but your profound sense of service to the communities.
And it’s been really my honour, Jesse,
to have the opportunity to work with you.
It’s important to recognize our humanity.
We’re not just... You know, we’re people, at the heart of it.
And that’s what matters at the end, is the relationships.
So finally, really probably most important of all is
to thank the artists
and the people working in the arts for sharing your talents,
your hard work and your creativity
with us at a time when Canadians have an important
opportunity to come together
and decide: where do we want to go next?
You give expression to the ideas, the hopes, the dreams
that can guide our country.
You inspire us, you make us proud on the world stage
and you unite us in all of our vibrant diversity
to create the future together.
So thank you.
So probably now for the best part.
We’ll now move on to the question-and-answer period.
I’d like to invite my colleague, Lise Ann Johnson,
Director General of Arts Granting Programs, to join us on stage.
We invite those of you in the room to ask their questions in either official language.
If you have a question, please raise your hand
and someone with a microphone would come to you.
We will also answer questions
that were received in advance by email.
And I’d like to thank those of you who submitted questions.
We received questions touching on a whole range of different topics.
Of course, we can’t answer them all here now,
but what we did is, we chose three questions that related
to the most common themes that emerged in all
of the questions that we received.
And so, after we do the three questions we received online,
then it’s going to be over to you.
Just a little note for those of you who are here,
we have a number of amazing Canada Council colleagues who are present.
So if you do have questions either that weren’t responded to
in the moment we have now, we all want to engage with you.
And also for people who have questions
that are very specific to their grant, your situation,
please know... Reach out to any of us.
We’re all identified, wearing lanyards.
Please find us and we’ll answer all those questions.
To start, we will play our first pre-recorded question.
[Jessica Scott Kerrin]
Hi, I’m Jessica Scott Kerrin,
a children’s author in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
And my question for the Canada Council is this:
what can the Canada Council and the artists it supports do collectively
to help the Canadian government showcase pride in our
culture and resist threats against our sovereignty?
Thank you.
[Michelle Chawla]
It’s an excellent question that’s come up quite a bit
and I’d like to ask Jesse to answer that.
[Jesse Wente]
Okay, well thank you, Jessica, first of all, for that great question.
It’s certainly one that meets the moment, I would say.
So I’ll answer it maybe first as chair
and then I’ll take it as a slightly different tack.
You’re right, the arts have a really special ability
to create a sense of belonging and unite us as a country.
That’s certainly been my experience at every concert
or show I have ever been to, is a sense of community
and belonging in those spaces that I think is just
so important in terms of how we exist
as humans together on this planet.
And that the arts really can embody Canadian values.
The arts, we also know improve health and well-being.
And they are of course an economic driver.
For example, the arts and cultural sector
contributes nearly $60 billion to Canadians’ economy annually.
And just about 850,000 people work in cultural
jobs here in Canada.
As the government confronts various challenges facing our
country right now, let’s tell them
that the arts have a vital role to play
as a part of the solution.
Let’s tell them the arts need government investment
to realize their full potential to benefit all Canadians.
I really believe we need to see a significant reinvestment in arts
and culture in Canada to make us more resilient to some
of the cultural pressures that exist beyond our borders,
but that will be here anyway.
And besides the government, we also need to mobilize the public
to show their support for Canadian artists.
So watch a Canadian show, go to a Canadian play,
buy a Canadian book, listen to a Canadian song.
These are great ways to do that.
So let’s not shy away from encouraging them
to include the arts on their list of things
to shop local and buy Canadian.
So let’s make sure we do all of those things
to support each other and support our stories.
But that’s my answer as the chair.
And there’s a lot of stats and all that stuff.
I also want to answer quickly, as an artist
who works in Canada
and whose art practice is very much in dialogue,
at least a big part of it is in dialogue, with this place,
the people here, about our past, our present,
our future, where we’re going.
And of course I think that’s so incredibly important
because it allows... When our stories are able
to share space with each other, when our stories are able
to mingle, and we’re able to be inspired
and we’re able to share our dreams, then we become
part of the same place, part of the same unit in a way
that makes it harder for people to divide us by nonsense,
by things that aren’t real.
That we will be more resilient to misinformation,
disinformation, if our belief is centred
on our relationships to each other and this place
and that the arts are a way for us to ground it.
As an artist, I would just say: the whole point of
of trying to make art on this place is for the people
that are here to understand this place better so
that people can feel that they belong here, in the same way
that I feel I belong here.
And I also want everyone else to feel that way too.
And then we would... it would be so much easier to
let loud noises just be loud noises
and not interrupt our movement
and what we’re trying to accomplish here.
So I would say that as artist.
But thank you very much for the question, Jessica.
[Michelle Chawla]
Excellent question and really inspiring answer, Jesse.
OK, next pre-submitted question.
The next question is from Jean-Christophe.
[Jean-Christophe]
At a time of economic disruption,
persistent inflation and a rise in the cost of creating
and disseminating artistic content,
how does the Canada Council for the Arts plan
to adapt its funding strategies
to ensure the long-term stability and viability of artists
and cultural organizations?
[Michelle Chawla]
I’ll answer this question.
First of all, the Canada Council is very aware
of these challenges, inflation, economic pressures
that are posed and affecting the entire arts sector.
We’re also aware that the economic uncertainty caused
by the trade war is exacerbating the difficulties in the arts sector.
In this context, the Council remains committed
to supporting artists and arts organizations.
It is essential and, as we understand the issues, we’re working
to adjust our funding strategies.
We’re favouring approaches that are adapted to current challenges
and approaches that strengthen the resilience
and sustainability of the arts community.
I can give you a few examples.
We’re making changes to programs to offer more flexible,
stable and predictable funding.
This will enable the sector to better prepare for what’s coming.
This will include new opportunities for multi-year funding.
To account for the effects of inflation,
we will remove the cap on living and travel costs for individual artists.
There are many other things that we can do,
but I wanted to give you two specific examples.
I would like to add that the Council is part of
what I call the funding ecosystem.
It’s not only the Canada Council,
we work closely with other funders, public, private,
at the provincial, territorial and municipal levels.
It’s important for us to find effective ways to collaborate,
to better serve you.
We understand the pressures experienced by the artistic community
and we’ll do everything we can to help.
So thank you very much for this question.
That is a very relevant question.
The final question from the pre-submitted ones is:
Can you describe the changes coming to the portal?
Before I pass it over to Lise Ann, I just want to say
how much we all at the Canada Council really appreciate the
time that the arts sector has taken
to suggest improvements to our granting programs
and given us feedback on how the current portal is working.
All of this has informed the changes
that we’re going to be making.
And they’re made with serving the arts community
as first in mind.
I will pass it over to Lise Ann.
Thanks, Lise Ann.
[Lise Ann Johnson]
Thank you, Michelle.
As Michelle has referenced in some of her remarks,
there’s lots happening this year at the Canada Council.
We’re bringing a number of changes both to our programs
but also to what we call the portal.
And for those of you who, just
to make sure everybody understands what the question is
about, it’s a reference to our application portal.
So our funding portal that applicants use to be able
to submit their applications.
So we did announce recently... I’m going to start with the portal
and talk a little bit about that.
We did announce recently
that we are modernizing our granting systems
to bring them up to today’s standards of accessibility,
efficiency, effectiveness, security.
And that will include an updated granting portal.
We don’t have the timelines yet, we’re still finalizing that,
but we do expect to be able
to launch a new portal sometime this summer.
It will have a new look and feel.
It will have new features, new functionality.
Some of the things that you can expect:
we are making it easier to apply
for an applicant profile, to search for funding,
to start an application without delay.
We are embedding some features where you can communicate
with us directly in the portal.
We are trying to simplify our application forms
and some of our processes.
So our application forms will have some grant writing tips
embedded right into the form so
that you can relate the question we’re asking directly
to the evaluation criteria.
We are going to, as part of, Michelle mentioned that one
of the common requests
that we’ve heard is: can you provide feedback on our applications?
We understand that need. One of the ways that we’re going to
try to address it is, we’re going to be building into our new portal
and our results package your ability to see
how you scored against the criteria.
So when you receive the results on your application,
you’ll also get the average scores for each
of the evaluation criteria so that you’re really clear,
you know, where your application was perceived
as really strong by the committee,
but also where there might be opportunities for you to improve.
We’re also trying to just make it easier to apply.
For example, budgets will be integrated into the application forms.
So for those of you who have struggled with downloading
and uploading Excel spreadsheets, that’s going to be gone.
You’ll be able to do that directly into the form.
And also that’s going to give us great data to be able
to understand our impact.
For those artists who are deaf or who have a disability,
we’re also making the process of submitting an application
for access requests and access costs much easier.
Those are going to be integrated into the original application form.
There will be no need for a separate application
after the fact and to have to wait for those results.
So lots of changes coming to the portal that we think are really exciting.
As Michelle mentioned,
we’re also bringing some changes to our programs.
We’re taking advantage of the system change to be able
to make some improvements to our funding opportunities based on
what we’ve heard from clients, from peers,
from our program officers who really understand these programs.
So that will include two brand new components.
We’re going to introduce a micro-grant component
that will support really time-sensitive, simpler applications,
for things like professional development or travel that could support
your career or advancing your networks and markets.
We’re going to roll out a new component called Composite Grants.
And this ties back a little bit to what Michelle was saying
about how we want to be able to offer funding that is a little...
that provides more stability, more sustainability,
more long-term support.
This will be project funding for multiple years or multiple projects,
but really flexible so that you can mix and match various activities
and bring them into to one application form.
We’ll also have some combined components, streamlined funding.
So we’re trying to make things much more flexible for you.
I will say we have many components that aren’t changing
and we are not making any kind of fundamental changes
to what we support.
So all of our currently eligible activities,
those will all still be available
and eligible even when we launch our new portal
and roll out these new programs.
And we’re also doing these really to better serve
the sector, to make it easier to apply.
We are not reducing our impact,
we’re not reducing our investment in our funding components.
If I could just mention one thing.
I could talk about the portal all day and you can come and ask me about it.
But what I’ll just say is, we do want people to know
that there will be a six-week transition period
where we are bridging our old portal and our new portal.
Neither will be available.
So there is going to be an approximate six-week transition window.
We’ll have much more information about that coming in early April.
So please stay tuned and please subscribe to our mailing list.
[Michelle Chawla]
Thank you so much, Lise Ann.
OK, so thanks to everyone
who submitted questions in advance and now it’s over to you.
And as I said, if you raise your hand,
if you have a question, we’ll bring a mic.
And if we don’t get to your question here, we are all here after.
So please come and reach out
and we’ll be happy to talk to everyone who’s here.
[Audience member]
Hello everyone.
Oh, I have a question right here.
Beyond funding, does the Canada Council see itself playing a leadership role
in national initiatives that are vital for the sector
but perhaps too complex for individual organizations to undertake alone?
If so, how does it approach these efforts
and which areas might the Canada Council prioritize?
[Michelle Chawla]
That’s a great question.
I think the first answer is absolutely yes.
I think the Canada Council plays a critical role in arts funding,
in providing the financial support.
But we also have a huge role in terms of advocacy
and the small... I am not talking about lobbying advocacy,
but advocacy for why investing in the arts is critical.
Some of the areas that we are starting... And the idea of collaboration.
We work with every single funder in this country.
We hosted a summit for all the funders a few years ago,
and we have a secretariat here at the Canada Council
that groups together as a network, all of the provincial and territorial funders.
We participate in meetings in each province
and territory with all the levels of funders.
For sure that is the way of the future along with funding.
We feel because we have this national mandate,
not only do we have insights at the national level,
we also want to connect on the ground
to understand the wide diversity of the collective.
The areas that I think are huge priorities is looking at the question
of what is the impact of investing on the arts.
If we are not able to demonstrate concretely
with strong evidence and arguments
that investing in the arts not only is critical
for our well-being, for our sense of belonging,
for our communities, our voices,
it is essentially now more than ever from an economic perspective...
We were just talking, Jesse and I,
about the critical role that the arts contribute
to not only the sustainability but to growing our economy.
So that would be one area that we are very, very invested in.
There are the other areas like looking at the impact of transformation.
How do you build sustainability so that the arts community is not always
operating from a year-to-year model, on the model of precarity,
on the questions of, how do you make a living in this country?
So how do we build capacity? How do we build succession planning?
How do we build leadership? How do we build a sense of connection
yet, at the same time, understanding
that we are a huge country with such diversity,
whether it’s in terms of our different communities,
whether it’s regional, whether it’s languages.
And so the opportunity we have to strengthen, especially now,
">“What does Canadian culture mean?” is another area,
I think where the Canada Council can play a big role.
I’ll just end by saying that the power the Canada Council has
to convene the community is another area that we have not
sufficiently deepened.
We are making lots of progress in trying
to build those connections, not just me,
but the Board by—Jesse mentioned—being in different parts of the country,
the entire staff being more connected and present.
But this idea of working differently on these levels, I’m conscious
that we, you know, I’m talking a lot. I should leave more room for questions.
We can have maybe one or two questions and continue this conversation,
but I think what you ask is an uber-profound question
and really appreciate it.
Yeah, there’s a lady here in there.
Oh I think there’s a person in the corner and I want to mention it
because it’s hard to see that person over there.
I have full view of the room.
[Audience member]
Thank you so much.
My question is around what kind
of art is considered art in Canada, especially right now
as it is becoming more difficult for Canadian artists to travel?
I know there’s a stand-up comic right now who has a visa to go tour
in the States and is cancelling shows
because they can no longer cross the border.
So maybe in the stand-up comedy community,
I know battle rap is actually a huge, huge art form in Canada.
One of the biggest battle rap leagues in the world is based in Toronto
and they have struggled for funding for years.
And how are we looking to actually include folks
like stand-up comedians who are not in the theatre realm,
who may not have been in a sketch group
or gone to Second City or have a theatre background,
but are fully storytellers and artists who fund themselves
and find ways to creatively fund themselves,
to actually include them in our arts funding
and in our art spaces because I think organizations like this one
actually have a place to not only fund,
but also to grant, to let folks know this is actually valid.
That stand-up comedy, for example, is art,
that battle rap is art, that other art forms
that may not be in the mainstream because of class,
because of racism, because of access are also artistic
art forms and reflect Canada.
And they’re already reflecting us all over the world
and how can we see them in our institutions
and funded by our institutions as well, thank you.
[Michelle Chawla]
Thank you so much. That question, Lise Ann,
I’m going to ask you to jump in.
[Lise Ann Johnson]
Yes, great question, thank you very much for it.
In the revision of our portal
and the systems that we’re rolling out later this year,
one of the things that we’re doing is we’re simplifying our
applicant profiles, right now they’re very organized
by fairly specific and potentially exclusive disciplines.
We’re instead making the profiles much more flexible
and open to reflect the fact that what is considered art does change
and to leave a little bit more space for artists to be able
to define what that means for them.
So in both our application forms, but also in our applicant profiles,
you’ll be able to identify your artistic practice.
Battle rap is eligible.
It is something that is supported through the Council.
You’re right, in terms of stand-up comedy, we have said,
we’ll support stand-up comedians,
but they need to go through the portal, through the theatre.
So we are addressing that.
We are also very mindful, though,
of the complementarity of the Canada Council’s funding.
We are here to support professional artists
and arts workers and arts organizations,
however that is defined by the arts community.
Other federal funders support cultural industries.
We want to make sure there’s also really good complementarity,
but our focus really is on the artists
and we want to have some flexibility about how that’s defined.
Thank you, it’s a great question.
[Michelle Chawla]
So we have time for one final question
and then please reach out after, we’ll have lots of chats.
So there’s I think a lady here in red and a guy with a hat.
Yep, go ahead.
[Olga Shapiro]
Hello, Ottawa, hello, my dear Canadians.
I’m a composer of classical music.
My name is Olga Shapiro
and I have 12 years of professional education.
For more than 20 years, I have written music
and I would like to be heard here in Canada.
I have given all my heart, all my soul to this creation work.
Before the pandemic, in 2018, I went on a tour to Europe.
My music was heard in Estonia, in Finland and Russia.
When the pandemic came, it was a very difficult time
for all of us, for my family also.
But even in this difficult situation, I was still working hard
and created my big work,
my first symphony for the symphony orchestra.
I would like to share this piece with all Canadian people.
I applied for a grant, but was refused
somehow without any explanations. I’m here to ask you for help.
I want my music to be heard by all Canadian people.
I think they deserve to hear this piece, especially the symphony for orchestra
and some other good creation for chamber orchestra, for vocal work.
And I look forward to get help from you.
Thank you and together we can bring my music to life.
Thank you so much.
[Michelle Chawla]
Thank you so much for sharing your personal story with us
and for talking about how challenging it can be.
You asked the question to the right people
because in this room, we have many colleagues
and we see you and we hear you.
And one of my colleagues, all of them standing back there,
we’re going to come and talk to you exactly about
how you can access funding and we’ll do everything we can
to provide that feedback.
Thank you for asking the question, and for sharing with us.
So thank you everyone.
This concludes our question-and-answer period.
And just a huge thanks for all of you for joining us
online and here in person.
To conclude our Annual Public Meeting,
I’ll now invite Monique Manatch back
to deliver our closing ceremony.
[Monique Manatch]
I’d like to thank everyone for being here,
for the wonderful questions. I learned a lot today.
And I’m looking forward to cornering a couple of program officers.
And I look forward to the moves
that the Canada Council is making with the portal
and with the other procedures and policies.
And I’d like to close this space with just a few words to the Creator.
(Monique speaking Anishinaabemowin)
Thank you, Creator.
Thank you for the water, for the plants,
for the trees, for the ones who fly, for the ones who swim.
For the ones who crawl, for the furred, for the feathered,
for the four-legged and for the two-legged.
And thank you for bringing everyone here together today,
both in person and online. With open hearts, with open minds.
Help us to speak with compassion and gentleness.
Help us to work together for the benefit of all our communities.
(Monique speaking Anishinaabemowin)
Thank you very much.