Equiflash Archive

Equity thanks Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and the Canadian government for their pledge of $62 million to establish a new Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund in spring 2022 that will help support artists who make a living through live performances.

In the December 14 statement outlining Canada’s economic rebound and a commitment of billions of dollars to help Canada ride out a relentless health crisis, Minister Freeland identified the live performance sector as a particularly hard-hit area where a slow recovery has meant many workers continue to face financial hardships and require further support.

The proposed temporary program will aim to fund new or enhanced sector-led and -delivered initiatives to ensure Canada’s recovery includes a vibrant live performance sector.

“Having our sector recognized in Minister Freeland’s speech is a testament to the importance of live performance art in Canada and the significance of our lobbying efforts with our coalition partners,” said Equity Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan. “Though we would have hoped to have it in place sooner, we will continue to work with the government in determining the structure of a plan that meets the urgent needs of many of our members.”

Equity's live performance coalition partners are IATSE, the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) and the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC).

We will continue to update members about this evolving situation as information becomes available.

The complete 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update is available here.