Recovery of the art sector: rebuilding, but better

The National Culture Summit is primarily intended to help the arts and culture sectors recover from the pandemic. Several leaders have offered possible solutions, starting with Simon Brault, Director and CEO of the Canadian Council for the Arts (CCA).

Given the gaps exposed by the pandemic, especially in the area of ​​live performance – with gross domestic product (GDP) accounting for only 53.4% ​​of pre -pandemic numbers – he is pleading for rebuilding the arts and culture sector for the better.

Now is the time to try to address systematic issues that existed then but were clarified or worsened during the pandemic.he explained on Tuesday.

Of these problems, one of the most important is the fate reserved for artists in our society. Now, let’s go back to a situation where there are a lot of artists who really want to work, but can’t because there isn’t enough work.

Towards a status of” intermittent show “?

According to Mr. Brault, it’s time to think about putting in place a universal support system that will allow artists to survive when they are in a time without a contract but continue to practice, rehearse, play their instruments or perfect their art .

We need to find a way that artists are not themselves the ones providing assistance in the arts and culture sector, but they are treated like other workers in society, that they have the same rights to Social Protection.he explained.

” In too long a time we have almost created a myth [selon laquelle] the life of an actor is uncertain, it is uncertain […] I think, we can, as a society, provide a cultural sector that is decent supported. “

Among the possible solutions, he thinks in particular of a system similar to the intermittent show people in France, an employment insurance plan intended to compensate for the uncertainty inherent in the artistic environment.

After a few hours worked, it allows artists or members of technical teams to be paid when they are not under an employment contract.

This road was not excluded by Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage. These are discussions that take place. Maybe we can start with a pilot projecthe left floating on Tuesday. I can’t get away […] but I have discussions with my colleagues to extend employment insurance to the self-employed.

The Union of Artists demands a guaranteed minimum income

Beyond expanding employment insurance, the idea of ​​a guaranteed minimum income for artists was raised several times during the National Culture Summit, particularly by the Union des artistes (UDA).

The work time spent in the shadows, whether time practicing guitar or even memorizing a text, is not recognized, UDA president Sophie Prégent explained in an interview with the Canadian Press on the edge of the summit in Ottawa.

While you think we’re doing nothing, we’re working, we’re writing. That’s the principle, he says. In our society, there is no such recognition. […] However, if we don’t do that, we won’t be able to present in front of you afterwards.

Government pandemic programs, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CEB) – which is comparable to a guaranteed minimum income – have more or less the ability to sustain artists, he told a panel he chaired at National Arts Center.

According to Ms. Prégent, the government must be convinced to put up a proposal quite focused. The group demanded a guaranteed minimum income for artists before the pandemic, but no one listened to ushe says, noticing the wind blowing and saying take a look a form of opening.

Whatever method is favored, leaders in the arts and culture sector seem to agree that we should not go back to the pre-pandemic status quo. For me, nostalgia is never a good plan for the future. I think we need to be willing to do things differentlygraduation by Simon Brault, Executive Director of CAC.

This text was written frominterviews conducted by Catherine Richercultural columnist on the show At 15-18. Comments may have been edited for clarity or brevity.