Canada's Professional Arts Training Organizations

Professional arts training, funded federally by the Canada’s Arts Training Fund (CATF), is the foundation of a strong professional arts ecosystem. As COVID-19 specific expenses and pressures increase, the shift towards digital innovation and creative solutions accelerates, and more inclusive and equitable practices become paramount, the Canada’s Arts Training Fund (CATF) requires increased investment to support the future of the cultural workforce. Over the past year, arts training organizations have been laying the groundwork for the recovery of our arts sector.

We are asking for the Government of Canada to support an increase of $4 million for Budget 2021 to the Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) during the COVID-19 recovery period, with a scaled increase to $10 million annually over the next 3 years to support the return to regular programming. CATF is one of the only existing, ongoing federal programs which arts training organizations can access, making it an appropriate program to flow-through dedicated recovery support. The program currently supports approximately 36 training schools and distributes approximately $22.5 million in grants, an amount which has not changed since 2009.
We are also asking that these training organizations remain eligible to access broader COVID-19 supports, such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

Will you join us in asking our government to support the training grounds for the future of our cultural workforce?
Let Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault and your local MP know that you want to have arts training organizations supported throughout COVID-19 recovery.

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Dear [recipient position will go here] [recipient name will go here],

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As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to support an increase of $4 million for Budget 2021 to the Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) during the COVID-19 recovery period, with a scaled increase to $10 million annually over the next 3 years to support the return to regular programming. Arts and Culture is one of the hardest hit sectors in Canada, and CATF is one of the only existing, ongoing federal programs that arts training organizations can access, making it an appropriate program through which to flow dedicated recovery support.  

This commitment from the Government of Canada will allow new and existing recipients to optimize their operations and school programming, help retool the creative industries for a post-COVID reality, and mitigate COVID-19 impacts on their organizations and students. Further, an increase in funding will support marginalized and/or racialized arts training organizations through access to the program.

In addition to this new recovery support, it is imperative that arts training organizations across the country continue to access and be eligible for COVID-19 economic relief programs such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and other supports made available to businesses, non-profits and charities in Canada and specifically, in the arts sector. 

Arts training organizations are spaces to cultivate the future of our economy and the health of our cultural workforce. Arts training students, both those residing in Canada and internationally, have been deeply affected by the pandemic. There are shared concerns about going back to school, living in residence, paying for tuition and living expenses, and engaging in rigorous, in-person training and creation exercises that cannot be replicated online. 

Arts training organizations have responded by moving some of their curriculum online and have implemented health protocols for in-person training for students, staff and faculty, including increased support for mental health. All of these activities have resulted in significantly increased expenses related to cleaning, increased staff for smaller training cohorts, additional space for housing, as well as equipment and supplies to support physical distancing. All the while, arts training organizations are adopting new innovations in their respective training fields and working diligently with arts sector employers to create employment bridges for new graduates.

The Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) at the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) is a dedicated program to support arts training organizations to deliver nationally significant arts training of the highest quality, ensure financial and administrative stability, and train artists who are recognized for their excellence in Canada and abroad. This funding becomes even more important in order to sustain careers in restarting the arts economy, during and post-COVID-19. CATF currently supports 36 training schools and distributes $22.5 million in grants, an amount which has not changed since 2009. 

The pre-pandemic need for investment has only exacerbated the need throughout COVID-19, making inequities and funding expenses more difficult to resolve. There is an urgent need throughout the pandemic, and investment in arts training recognizes that these training grounds are part of the overall pandemic recovery solution for the arts and culture sector. 

Will you commit to supporting this Budget 2021 ask? It would ensure that arts students across the country continue to have access to high-level training in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic so that these schools can keep offering programs, keep pace with changes in artistic practice, maintain accessible tuition fees, retain high-calibre teachers, and make training and future employment more accessible throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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