The Canada Council for the Arts welcomes a $500 million federal government investment to relaunch the arts, culture, heritage, and sports sectors and to resume their public activities. Of that amount, the Council will receive $75 million, which it will invest over the course of the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years. This is in addition to the $116.5 million the Council is administering to support artists and arts workers in 2021–22.

$75 million over two years

The Council will invest the additional $75 million in two increments:

• $25 million in 2021–22 so that activities with in-person audiences can resume for core-funded organizations; and
• $50 million in 2022–23: $20 million for research, the creation and production of work; $5 million for domestic touring activities and market development; and $25 million for sector innovation.

Engaging audiences

The signs for a real recovery of artistic activity are promising. Organizations must prepare to resume their activities to continue to reach diverse and emerging audiences. This is a necessary step for a recovery and rebuilding that draws on the sector’s resilience. The Council will therefore invest $25 million in its core-funded organizations so that they can resume activities with in-person audiences. The Council will contact eligible organizations and provide relevant details in September 2021.

Towards increased support

For artists, groups, and arts organizations, the Council is currently investing an additional $66 million to the April and October 2021 competitions of its Explore and Create program. This funding is from the additional $116.5 million from the Government’s Fall 2020 Economic Statement.

The Council believes that artists, groups, and arts organizations will be ready to begin new activities related to research, creation, production, Canada-wide tours, market development, and innovative projects for rebuilding a resilient sector in 2022–23. At that point, the Council will invest $50 million in these activities. In 2022, the Council will communicate the details of this allocation to its various programs.

Investing for everybody

This investment of $75 million aligns with the directions in the Council’s strategic plan for 2021-26, Art, now more than ever. The Council seeks to maximize the impact of the additional investments across Canada and especially among youth, official language minority communities, and people from Indigenous, Black, racialized, Deaf, disability, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, including those who are gender diverse.