“Present us with a program in the coming months and we will support you,” said the Minister of Culture and Communications, Nathalie Roy, as she announced today assistance to support the cultural sector, following the temporary closure of venues from October 1 to October 28, which could be extended depending on the curve’s evolution over the coming weeks.
The Government of Quebec will therefore reimburse, for six months, from October 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, up to 75% of the average revenue from ticket sales in a regular season, as compensation for the loss of this revenue, particularly, but not exclusively, for organizations located in red zones. This assistance is intended for specialized and multidisciplinary presenters, festivals and events, and Quebec creation and production organizations that present their works.
This measure will provide predictability for cultural organizations, as requested by the organizations concerned. To be eligible, organizations must confirm that all artists and workers related to the claimed productions will be paid.
This assistance alone represents an additional investment of $50 million to the $400 million allocated to the initial recovery plan. The funds have been granted to CALQ and SODEC, who will hold information sessions for their clients shortly.
For organizations that had to close but do not have programming, a component adjacent to emergency assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises was announced yesterday. In the form of loan forgiveness, the assistance granted to these organizations can reach 80% of eligible fixed costs, up to $15,000 per month of closure.
En Piste welcomes this new assistance to support our sector! All details regarding application submission, as well as an FAQ, will be posted on the CALQ website shortly.
Read the official press release from the Government of Quebec to learn more.