Predictability with the waves and post-pandemic financial support: actors in the performing arts, strongly shaken by the COVID-19 crisis, have united their voices to ask Quebec for a long-term support plan, at the time where a movement calls for the immediate reopening of performance halls.
Posted at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday and Friday, the Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC) convened around twenty representatives of the cultural community to stimulate a third revival, this one at the end of the Omicron tsunami.
Broadcasters and producers have agreed on a common message: the urgency of developing a plan to end the crisis for at least two years – and up to five – to support the cultural industry.
“Everyone is well tanned, but there, I think that the cultural community says: “You need a plan. We must stop setting up programs for three months, six months”, explains Patrick Kearney, spokesperson for the Grouping of independent regional artistic festivals (REFRAIN).
The vitality of the performing arts cannot continually depend on Quebec’s “hospital capacity” in the face of new variants, maintains the director general of the Santa Teresa festival, which is to take place from May 18 to 22, 2022.
I understand that contact should be minimized, but from the start, we have been told that the outbreaks are in schools and workplaces. Theaters and sports halls are closed. You tell me that A and B are the problem, and you close C and D.
Patrick Kearney, spokesperson for REFRAIN
He advocated for “sanitary geometry” sanitary adjustments when necessary, for example during virus season, rather than systematic closures.
“I understand that this is an unprecedented situation, but it was unprecedented two years ago, underlines for her part Catherine Voyer-Léger, director general of the Quebec Theater Council. Can we know, if there is another variant next year and we have to close, what happens in all respects? »
Mme Voyer-Léger notes that each new unexpected measure leads to an intense “cacophony”. “I spent a week and a half full time just reorganizing school outings. It’s not good energy. It drives you crazy and you sometimes want to give it all up, because you feel like what you’re doing is completely sterile. Can we have a crisis plan? »
Despite the weariness caused by the sanitary yo-yo, the interlocutors with whom The Press met unanimously hailed the government’s attention and were satisfied with the exercise.
Representatives of the Society for the Development of Cultural Enterprises (SODEC) and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Minister took part in the consultations, while Minister Nathalie Roy “came take a walk”.
“The meetings took place at the same time as work on the revision of the laws on the status of the artist, explains his press secretary, Elizabeth Lemay. This is a file that must move forward as quickly as possible. »
The spokesperson especially retains a key word from the consultations: “predictability”. “We expected it, and it was our intention before Omicron arrived. She also underlines the openness of the “partners” to a revival of the cultural environment “with health measures such as the mask and the vaccine passport”.
In the coming days, the representatives of the Ministry will relay the results of the consultations to the political leaders concerned and to the General Directorate of Public Health.
The Ontario example
The pressure of the cultural community on the Legault government is increasing after Ontario announced the reopening of halls and cinemas, at 50% of their capacity and up to 500 spectators, from January 31.
“We need to rebuild the programs and the teams, notes François-G. Chevrier, general manager of Évènements Attractions Québec, which represents some 250 festivals and events in Québec. We would like to have a plan like Ontario’s recently, a step-by-step plan. »
Friday, at the microphone of All one morning, the National Director of Public Health, Dr.r Luc Boileau, suggested that the déconfinement could be initiated before mid-February in Quebec.
Several stakeholders have called for the recovery schedule to extend at least until the start of the fall school year, and for Quebec to stick to it at all costs.
What people are asking is that from the moment the reopening is announced, a plan sets out the measures over a few months. If you have a show starting in mid-April, you should know by now how many tickets you need to sell.
Catherine Voyer-Léger, Executive Director of the Quebec Theater Council
During the meetings, the Department said it was optimistic about the renewal of the aid measure for the presentation of shows in the next budget. “We have been present from the start and we reassured the partners that it was going to continue,” said Minister Roy’s office.
Regardless of the date and the strength of the recovery, “the support must continue after the pandemic”, argued François-G. Chevrier to MCC representatives. “It is not because we are going to reopen the rooms or the spaces that the public will be back instantly. We saw it during the previous waves: it will take some time before we relaunch our independent revenues from ticketing, concessions or sponsorships. Culture and tourism support programs must remain generous and appropriate for at least two years. »
In discussions with the Ministry, there was much talk of promotional campaigns to “restore people’s confidence”. By closing cultural places, Quebec wrongly designates them as vectors of contagion, deplores Patrick Kearney, of REFRAIN.
“It will take very significant aid measures for a minimum of three years following the reopening at full capacity”, maintains for his part Jon Weisz, director general of the Alternative Music Scenes of Quebec (SMAQ). He cites a plethora of challenges to overcome: “decline in concert attendance, labor concerns, mental health issues in our industry, and stabilization of the cultural ecology.”
The shortage of human resources also came up regularly in the discussions.
Movement for reopening
At the time of the consultations with the MCC, the movement for the reopening of performance halls in Quebec was gaining momentum. A call launched by the producer La Tribu on social networks has been relayed hundreds of times, in particular by the conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the author Natasha Kanapé Fontaine and the filmmaker and novelist Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette.
“The happiness index is at its lowest in Quebec. Entertainment and culture are a source of beauty, reflection and comfort. Let’s reopen the theaters. The show must go on “, we read there.