MONTRÉAL, August 6, 2021
Canadian artists capture our culture and turn them into stories. Live shows and songs tell those stories and spread them through time and space, across the country and abroad. Through the diverse voices of our artists and creators, we identify as Canadians and show the world what makes us unique. This year more than ever, as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and safely reopen our economy, the Government of Canada is firmly behind the cultural sectors, and is helping them through the crisis and toward sustainability.
Today at La Tulipe, a venue housed in the magnificent heritage building of the Dominion Theatre in Montréal, the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, highlighted investments of $70 million over three years to support Canada’s live music sector and Canadian artists through the pandemic.
The Government of Canada will deliver $50 million in new COVID-19-related funding to support the live music sector and to maintain the stability of Canada’s funding system for commercial music in 2021–22 through the Canada Music Fund (CMF), bridging the period between the current pandemic restrictions and a sustainable recovery.
An additional $20 million will also be delivered in renewed annual funding in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to current CMF recipients. This renewal further enshrines the new features of the modernized CMF, enhancing support for the promotion of Canadian artists, export activities and skills development. It will also provide critical stability for the Canadian-owned music industry, which has experienced significant loss of revenue over the course of the pandemic.
As with all CMF funding, these investments will be delivered through the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) for the Anglophone market and the Fondation Musicaction (Musicaction) for the Francophone market. FACTOR and Musicaction will be launching this support for the live music sector in the coming days.
Canada’s live music sector was one of the hardest hit segments of our economy. The artistic and cultural sectors are a major economic driver and play an important role in strengthening communities all over Canada. The Government of Canada supports them every step of the way through this period of recovery with continued emergency funding and support for live music events. The government continues to invest in Canadian music, supporting artists and entrepreneurs in achieving greater success in the digital and global marketplace.
“To ensure that our favourite songs will soon be heard again out loud, and that our stories will travel again across this great country and abroad, our government is immediately making available the necessary funds to revive music performances. The resilience of Canadian arts and culture communities is tremendous, and it is our duty to support it.”
—The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage
“By acting now and investing in the live music sector, the Government of Canada is protecting good jobs in our Canadian creative and cultural industries, for decades to come. It makes sense to help our live music sector, as our artists, technicians and entrepreneurs are among those affected the most by the COVID-19 pandemic. I can’t wait to enjoy live music together again, and I’m sure neither can you!”
—Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Budget 2021 included $70 million over three years, starting in 2021–22, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Music Fund (CMF). This includes $50 million in 2021–22 to help the live music sector weather the pandemic, and provide funding stability for Canadian artists. The CMF will also deliver $20 million in renewed annual funding in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to continue to support the program’s recent modernization with current recipients.
This support for live music is in addition to the Support for Workers in Live Arts and Music Sectors Fund, of which $15 million is being delivered through the CMF this year, and the recently announced Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors and Reopening Fund. That fund includes $7 million for the CMF in 2022–23 to support music festivals not funded through other departmental programs.
In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada committed $1.9 billion to help support the arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors. This funding will help ensure recovery and growth, and help create good, middle-class jobs in these sectors.
On June 28, 2021, the Government of Canada announced $500 million over two years in continued support for arts, culture, heritage and sport sector organizations, through the Reopening Fund and the Recovery Fund for Arts, Culture, Heritage and Sport Sectors.
In the Fall Economic Statement, the government announced a $181.5 million in 2021–22 to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the planning and presentation of COVID-19-safe events and the arts — including both live and digital — and to provide work opportunities in these sectors.
Camille Gagné-Raynauld
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
[email protected]
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
[email protected]
Here is the link of the press release : https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/08/government-of-canada-investments-of-70-million-to-support-canadas-artists-and-live-music-sector.html
