Common Front for the Arts – Submission of the Pre-Budget Brief to the Government of Quebec.

Montreal, Wednesday, January 29, 2025 – The 21 organizations of the Common Front for the Arts are submitting their pre-budget brief to the Government of Quebec.

In the autumn, the Common Front sounded the alarm and already called for clear actions to guarantee the sustainability of the cultural sector and to face the challenges that are shaking the artistic community:

· Increase the permanent credits of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) to $200 million starting next fiscal year;

· Aim to consolidate CALQ budgets by making all of its credits permanent;

· Systematize the indexing of CALQ programs;

· Make local culture a real government priority with a long-term vision for the thousands of artists and cultural workers in the sector.

Investment is essential to curb the deterioration of the cultural ecosystem. The significant increase in costs, which has accelerated in recent years, is seriously undermining the creation, production, and dissemination of works, as well as the careers of artists and cultural workers.

” We are not requesting these investments for development; we are requesting them to maintain activities. We anticipated the programming cuts that venues have been announcing since the beginning of the year. This is what we told the government throughout the fall. ” — Julie-Anne Richard, Executive Director, RIDEAU

READ THE BRIEF

Very Real Consequences for our Culture

The consequences that the cultural sector will face if pre-budget demands are not met are inevitable and are already being felt. Across all regions of Quebec, as well as in Capitale-Nationale and Montreal, organizations are reducing their programming due to insufficient financial resources. These accounts echo recent news confirming the critical state of the situation: protests, cancellations, closures, reduced programming, artist testimonies, and many more.

Nevertheless, the consequences have been clearly presented to the Government of Quebec for several fiscal years. This year again, the cultural sector has supported a rigorous pre-budget brief with the offices of the Prime Minister, Finance, and Culture, demonstrating the now perceptible effects of insufficient funding:

· Devitalization of our ecosystem: suspension of projects and audience development activities, decreased support for emerging artists, and reduced international reach of our culture;

· Reduced offerings for citizens: fewer shows and exhibitions, increased ticket costs; fewer tours and Quebec regions less adequately served in terms of cultural offerings;

· Deterioration of working conditions for thousands of artists (already in precarious situations) and cultural workers.

” Action must be taken as early as the next fiscal year to save an entire segment of Quebec’s artistic ecosystem, which is rich in our cultural identity, our values, and brings us honor. ” — Caroline Gignac, Executive Director, Conseil québécois du théâtre (CQT)

” 100% of the population consumes cultural products across all disciplines. It is time to consider investing in local cultural products before consumers change their habits and massively invest in foreign cultural products, which causes us all economic loss. ” — François Colbert, Full Professor at HEC Montréal and Holder of the Carmelle and Rémi-Marcoux Chair in Arts Management

” One of the fundamental pillars of our society, Culture, which makes us who we are, is no longer merely weakened; rather, it has been showing deep cracks for several days and literally threatens to collapse” — Tania Kontoyanni, President, Union des artistes (UDA)

^{Representatives of Common Front organizations, from left to right: Nadia Drouin, Émmanuelle Hébert, Mo Carpels, Dominic Trudel, Caroline Gignac, Camille Cazin, Julie-Anne Richard, Catherine Bodmer and François Colbert during the presentation of the brief. Photo Mariane Beauchamp}

About the Common Front for the Arts

The Common Front for the Arts brings together 21 organizations representing various artistic and cultural sectors of the province. United by a common objective, these organizations work to defend the vitality, diversity, and future of culture in Quebec. In the face of economic pressures and social challenges, the Common Front advocates for government investments in the cultural sector to ensure the sustainability of arts and Quebec creativity.

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Member Organizations of the Common Front for the Arts

• Association of Contemporary Art Galleries (AGAC)

• Association of Parallel Cinemas of Quebec (ACPQ)

• Professional Association of Show Promoters – RIDEAU

• Quebec Council of Arts and Crafts (CMAQ)

• Quebec Music Council (CQM)

• Quebec Theatre Council (CQT)

• DOC Québec

• En Piste, National Circus Arts Group

• National Federation of Communications and Culture (FNCC-CSN)

• Quebec Musicians’ Guild (GMMQ)

• Independent Arts Research and Experimentation Peer Group (REPAIRE)

• Street Arts Group (RAR)

• Association of Visual Artists (RAAV)

• Association of Self-Managed Artist Centers of Quebec (RCAAQ)

• Quebec Storytelling Group

• Quebec Dance Association (RQD)

• Culture 360° Network (CRC)

• Quebec Cultural Periodicals Development Society (SODEP)

• Quebec Museum Society (QMS)

• Union of Artists (UDA)

• Union of Quebec Writers (UNEQ)