Tuesday was a day that Quebec arts companies were looking forward to: they received the responses from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) on Mission Support, the “operating grant” that serves as a financial foundation for the next four years. Results: out of the 521 organizations that requested $151 million, the CALQ is awarding nearly $104 million to 446 organizations in 2024-2025.
With the axe, it is an average subsidy of $233,184. It should be noted that companies with big budgets — Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Grands Ballets Canadiens, etc. — and those that live on almost nothing are pulling at both ends of the wallet.
These figures also mean that 75 organizations were denied the Mission Support they were seeking.
The CALQ is also distributing one-off assistance of $10 million in 2024-2025 to 125 organizations that present shows “to support them in the face of the challenges associated with the return of the public to the theater and to recognize the boldness and diversification of their programming,” as the Council specified in Duty.
The average assistance granted in this way is nearly $80,000, and excludes the amounts granted under the specific measure for the broadcasting of Quebec shows which was in effect until June 30, 2024.
Due to pandemic
Mission Support was particularly anticipated this year: due to the pandemic, its last granting exercise was held in 2017. Several companies were therefore operating on a budget formulated several years ago. And since then, many new organizations have needed this financial anchor to develop.
The Quebec Theatre Council, on vacation, sent via Facebook “a thought to all the organizations that received a response from the CALQ this morning. […] We send all our solidarity to the theatre and cultural community.” The Regroupement québécois de la danse, for its part, launched a survey during the day in order to collect from its members “what has been concretely granted to the organizations.”
In 2023-2024, the CALQ envelope for Mission Support was $82.3 million. It provided financial support to more than 400 artistic organizations.