Around thirty Canadian associations bringing together presenters, show programmers and festival directors said they were “angry” and “totally incomprehensible” upon discovering the content of the Liberals’ economic update.
The Canadian cultural community took the plunge upon reading the federal government’s economic update, noting the end of the transfer of 8 million per year, paid since 2019 into the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (FCPA). Around thirty groups and associations came together under the banner #AvenirDuSpectacle to denounce these cultural cuts.
The country’s numerous cultural associations fear that reductions of around 23% will take effect from 1er April 2024, “unless the 2024-2025 budget corrects the situation”.
Frédéric Julien, director of research and development at the Canadian Association of Arts Organizations (CAPACOA) requests that “the one-off sums granted since 2019 be permanently integrated into the budgetary basis of the two federal programs”. They are asking for an increase of 21 million to the FCPA and 9 million to the Development of Communities through Arts and Heritage (DCAP), in addition to the temporary sums renewed piecemeal since 2019.
In Quebec, the Regroupment of Major International Events of Quebec (REM), the Independent Network of Presenters of United Artistic Events (RIDEAU), which brings together 350 performance halls and festivals, the Alternative Music Scenes of Quebec (SMAQ) and the The Association of Music Publishing Professionals (APEM), which deplores the lack of investment in the Canada Music Fund, has all rallied behind the common front #AvenirDuSpectacle.