The Agreement on the Protection of Professional Circus Artists During Training provides protection for artists in the event of work-related injuries sustained during supervised training in secure facilities outside the scope of an employment contract.
Stakeholders
The process is carried out in partnership with En Piste, which serves as the primary liaison between the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), and the artists.
Background and Objective
In the arts sector, producers and companies are generally considered employers, while artists are generally considered employees. Please note that all employers in Quebec are required to contribute to the CNESST plan.
To enable artists to benefit from CNESST coverage during unsupervised training outside of a contract (i.e., when the artist does not have an employer making contributions on their behalf), an agreement has been formalized between the CALQ and the CNESST. The CALQ thus acts as the employer during periods of independent training and makes monthly contributions for En Piste member artists residing in Quebec.
Under this agreement, a circus artist is eligible not only for income replacement benefits in the event of a work stoppage, but also for rehabilitation support designed to facilitate their return to work.
Conditions
This agreement applies to professional circus artists residing in Quebec.
Training must take place outside the scope of an employment contract and in a supervised location that is specified in the agreement:
- L’Ecole de cirque de Québec
- Le Centre Manivelle
- L’Ecole nationale de cirque
- La TOHU
- Cirque Hors Piste
- Les 7 Doigts de la main
- Cirque Eloize
- Le Monastère.