Ottawa earmarks $20 million for Prairies arts groups

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This article was published 13/11/2024 (369 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amid a climate of economic insecurity and cutbacks to the Canada Council for the Arts, Prairie performing-arts organizations are finding alternative sources of government support.

One such source is PrairiesCan, a federal agency that promotes economic diversification and growth on the Prairies. On Nov. 7, Dan Vandal, the Liberal minister responsible for PrairiesCan, announced it would be funding Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba performing-arts organizations to the tune of $20 million over three years, starting in 2024-25.

The Prairies Performing Arts Initiative (PPAI), as it’s called, will support project-based initiatives, such as consultancy, “innovative marketing and audience development,” and other reforms designed to promote efficiency and new revenue streams.

Meanwhile, public funding for operational costs — such as staff salaries and the routine costs of renting and maintaining office space or a venue — will continue to fall broadly within the purview of government arts councils, including the Canada Council for the Arts. After seeing significant increases to its budget over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure, the council was hit with cutbacks in the last federal budget. This takes the form of incremental budgetary cuts over the next three years, including by $9.88 million in 2026-27.

This may seem modest, but with costs up and ticket revenue down for so many performing arts organizations — and a predicted win in the next federal election for Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, who’s promised to cut waste, defund the CBC, and strive to balance the budget — some in the sector feel they have cause for anxiety about their economic future.

“There’s a real feeling that the current models aren’t serving us any more — and that a new deal is needed,” Brad Lepp, executive director of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, told the Globe and Mail last June.

PPAI seems to reflect a vision for tauter, more business-minded performing arts sector. PrairiesCan’s announcement of the $20 million initiative says it prioritizes “the quality of life for residents on the Prairies and making their communities more attractive to tourism and investment.”

Prairie performing-arts non-profits with a normal annual revenue of at least $1 million (or $500,000 in the case of non-profits mandated to support underrepresented groups), can apply to PPAI through the Government of Canada’s website. According to the website, successful applicants will generally receive between $100,000 and $750,000 per project over a maximum of three years.

conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca