$8M federal funding cut could hurt performing arts presenters on P.E.I. - Action News
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PEI

$8M federal funding cut could hurt performing arts presenters on P.E.I.

A federal government decision to stop topping up a fund crucial to performance arts organizations has some Island festival organizers worried about potential impacts here on P.E.I.

A performance arts fund started in 2019 has been targeted for a big reduction

Three musicians perform while a large crowd listens at historic St. Mary's Church as part of the Under the Spire music festival.
Under the Spire music festival near Kensington, P.E.I., doesn't yet know how the cut could affect its upcoming season. (Under the Spire)

A federal cut to a fund that supports performance arts organizations across Canada has some Island festival organizers worried about potential impacts here on P.E.I.

As of this March, the federal government is eliminating a $8 million top-up to the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF), whichstarted giving cashto performance organizations after it was unveiled in the 2019 federal budget.

Though the Trudeau government said back then that the fund top-up was a time-limited measure, Ottawarenewed the funding in 2020 and again in 2021.

Under the Spire, a music festival based in a historic church near Kensington, P.E.I., has received funding from the fund for the past several years, said executive directorLindsay Connolly.

"One hundredper cent of the funding that we receive from the CAPF program goes directly to paying our artist fees," she told CBC on Thursday.

"We've got an amazing season coming out and I really hope that [the cut] won't have any bearing on what the season is going to come and bring."

A woman with dark hair and glasses wearing a parka stands in a church.
Lindsay Connolly, executive director of Under the Spire music festival, would like to see an annual increase to the national fund to support rising costs in the industry. (Tony Davis/CBC)

Though Connolly doesn't yet know the direct impact on Under the Spire, she's been speaking to colleagues in the industry who say they could loseanywhere from 15 to 50 per cent of the funding they have been receivingfrom the program.

"Less funding [of] the arts means less access to arts, which at the end of the day can be really devastating," she said.

'The smaller the market, the higher the impact'

In a statement, the federal Department of Canadian Heritage said the fund has delivered "a number of temporary relief measures to assist this sector, which was hard hit by the pandemic."

It adds: "We will continue to support our artists and cultural organizations through existing programs."

The fund supports about 680 professional arts festivals and performing arts series across Canada.

A man with shaven head and glasses, dressed in a dark woollen coat, stands on an Ottawa street corner.
Frdric Julien, director of research and development at the Ottawa-based Canadian Association for the Performing Arts, says smaller markets are less able to generate ticket revenues and sponsorship than larger ones, so federal funding is more important in places like P.E.I. (CBC)

A national group representing arts presenters says a region like P.E.I. could be more deeply affected if the fund is not topped upthan some others.

"The smaller the market, the higher the impact because a smaller market is less able to generate ticket revenues and sponsorship than larger ones," said Frdric Julien, director of research and development at the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts.

He saidtheatre, circus and dance will likely be more affectedsince the scope and cost of productions can be larger than for simpler musical performances.

Rising costs for musicians

Music presenterswill still see an impact, though.

"Music is highly dependent on the festival scene and festivals have been experiencing rising costs for equipment rental, security, insurance. And so unless we make up for these costs, the entire ecosystem will suffer for it," said Julien.

What's at stake on P.E.I. as federal arts funding gets cut?

8 months ago
Duration 2:05
Some Island festival organizers and performers are worried about the summer ahead, after the federal government said it's cutting $8 million from an arts fund.

Connolly echoed that, saying costs for both musicians and presenters have been soaring.

"Touring costs have just gone up so much to the point that there are very few artists who are actually making money, if even breaking even, on their tours," said Connolly.

There are very few artists who are actually making money, if even breaking even on their tours. Lindsay Connolly

She would like to see more federal funding to combat that, not less.

"It would be really great to see a promised increase to [the CAPF] on an annual basis to match the increase of costs and expenses that are rising as well," Connolly said.

With files from Tony Davis and Kayla Hounsell