Question Period Note: Canada Arts Presentation Fund – Federal Budget 2024

Budget 2024 announced $31 million in additional funding over two years starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF), to help support organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series.

This investment renews for two years (2024-25 and 2025-26) the $8 million in additional funds that were initially allocated to the CAPF through Budget 2019, which had been subsequently renewed until March 31, 2024, through the Fall Economic Statement 2020 and Budget 2021. Budget 2024 also includes an additional $15 million over two years ($7.5 million in 2024-25 and $7.5 million in 2025-26), which is intended to address the impact of inflation.

We recognize the essential contribution of the arts and culture sector to Canada’s social fabric and economy, and will continue to support our artists and cultural organizations through existing programs like the Canada Arts Presentation Fund.

An additional $31 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, will enable the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to mitigate the impacts of inflation, continue addressing program oversubscription, advance efforts for greater inclusivity in program reach, and contribute positively to the stability and recovery of the live presentation sector.

Our government has been and will continue to be there for Canadian artists, creators and audiences.

Canada Arts Presentation Fund

Created in 2001, the objective of the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) is to give Canadians access to a variety of professional artistic experiences in their communities by providing financial assistance to arts presenters that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series, as well as the organizations that support them.

Each year, the CAPF supports over 800 unique arts presenters and presenter support organizations. The program is in high demand, and only those applicants who best match the program's objective receive funding.

Since 2008-09, the CAPF's ongoing annual budget is $34.8 million (including $32.3 million in grants and contributions).

Supplemental Funds

Budget 2024 announced $31 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to the Department of Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to help support organizations that professionally present arts festivals or performing arts series. A portion of this funding is earmarked specifically for:

La TOHU in Montréal, Quebec, to support the Festival Montréal Complètement Cirque, which brings people together with stunning circus programs.

The Festival TransAmériques in Montréal, Quebec, which is a contemporary dance and theatre festival that showcases innovative and groundbreaking performances from artists around the globe.

The Sherbrooke Film Festival in Quebec, which is a platform for emerging and established filmmakers, highlighting independent films across various genres from around the world.

The Festival des traditions du monde in Sherbrooke, Quebec, which is a vibrant celebration of global cultures, offering music, dance, food, and crafts from around the world.

The Vancouver Fringe Festival in British Columbia, which is a celebration of independent theatre, featuring a wide range of performances by artists of all levels of experience.

Previously, the 2019 federal budget allocated an additional $16 million in funding to the CAPF over two years ($8 million for 2019–20 and $8 million for 2020–21) to meet the growing demand from professional arts festivals and performing arts series presenters in all regions of the country, including emerging arts presenters in underserved areas. This temporary funding was extended for one year, to 2021–22, through the Fall Economic Statement 2020, and then for two additional years (2022–23 and 2023–24) as part of the 2021 federal budget.

Since 2019–20, these additional funds have enabled the CAPF to partially address the program's oversubscription and increase the funding amounts awarded to not-for-profit organizations that present professional arts festivals or performance series, as well as the organizations that support them.

These additional funds have also enabled the CAPF to fund around 150 new recipients, most of whom come from equity-deserving groups that are a priority for the program, i.e., Indigenous, racialized, official language minority, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, organizations run by women or that support people living with disabilities.

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