The Canadian Arts Coalition invites you to be part of a movement this fall!

Let’s talk about Arts and Culture!

(Find the communication package and visuals here)

 ▻ Let’s make history together

The Canadian Arts Coalition, representing artists and arts organizations across Canada, calls on the Federal Government to adopt a permanent 1% funding commitment to the arts, culture and heritage in Canada.

To achieve this for the 2025-26 fiscal year, we ask that the Government should increase its allocations by $270 million, or 1% of federal spending, via:

a. An increase of $140 million to the Canada Council for the Arts; and

b. An increase of $130 million to the Department of Canadian Heritage.

This would result in a more sustainable and vibrant arts and culture sector serving Canadians in and through the arts for generations.


 ▻ Take a meeting, make a difference

This fall, we are asking artists and allies who care about culture in Canada to spend time with both Members of Parliament and prospective candidates. 

We need to speak with one voice to ask them to commit to a permanent allocation of 1% of Canada’s overall spending to arts, culture and heritage through immediate increases to the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage. This spending will revitalize and sustain activity which is integral to the economic, social, and cultural health of our communities.

The Canadian Arts Coalition has created this toolkit so you can easily welcome your local politicians to see why the arts matter nationally and to understand that culture is a part of every constituency.

Please invite both sitting and potential MPs to your cultural events and get to know them, and have them get to know why what you do matters.

 ▻ Together, we are the storytellers of our neighborhoods and our nation.

If we each speak with our Parliamentarians and candidates as neighbors this fall and winter, we can help all the politicians from coast to coast to coast understand the role that artists and arts organizations play in every single community of Canada.

Let’s make these moments matter.

Follow our five steps to make new neighborhood allies and get to 1% for the arts! 

Share this toolkit with colleagues and your community

Don’t forget to follow the Canadian Arts Coalition on all your socials!

Look up your MPs here (www.ourcommons.ca/members/en) and candidates for all parties if you can. Not all parties will have candidates for every riding yet, but this work will continue.

Thank them for coming out and talking with you and ask them to keep coming to cultural events and to pledge their support or the 1% call.

Tell the story of the arts in your community and ask your guests to support the national call for 1% for the Arts! Use the guide created by the Canadian Arts Coalition to give you some national perspective, but also tell your story – for example: How long have you lived in the riding, Do your kids go to school there, Pick a couple of stories of your impact – something meaningful to you that you can share that connects culture to community in a local way. Point out that your story is repeated in unique and powerful ways in every constituency across the country – that arts and culture matter and need meaningful federal investment, and that the call for 1% would make a sustainable and lasting impact on our Canadian culture for a generation.

Invite sitting members and candidates to all your gallery, studio, facility, and your performances and events this fall.

Take a photo and post about their visit on Social Media. Use the hashtags #1percentforthearts #artmatters #canadianartscoalition #canadacouncilforthearts #artsfunding #artsallies #artscoalitionca #bringingtheartstolife and tag @artscoalitionca @canada.council Let the Canadian Arts Coalition know how your meeting went here

 
▻ Other Ideas to get the movement going across Canada!

• If you have a facility, invite local artists to come to events where your candidates will be so they can be part of this movement.
• If you are an independent artist and you feel shy about doing this on your own, reach out to an arts venue (e.g. gallery, theatre, community centre where arts is a focus), and ask if you can do something together.
• If you have a program for performances or recitals, consider including a call for this movement with a call to action for your patrons or members.
• Write a letter to your MP and Candidates, with a copy to the Federal Minister of Heritage:
  • click here for a sample letter

Want to find out more about the Canadian Arts Coalition?
Become a member and add your voice to the movement

 ▻ Some things to know!

Canadian Arts and Culture produce vibrant and meaningful ways of connecting Canadians to each other and to the world. With individual artists, craftspeople, musicians, writers, filmmakers and all the organizations that make arts and culture in every single community in Canada, we impact the lives of every Canadian.

There are more workers in the arts, culture, and heritage than in hospitals, wholesale trade, farms, and real estate There were over 900,000 workers in arts, culture, and heritage occupations in Canada in 2021! We are central to our communities, also offering social outreach, cultural education, community integration, and reflect the diversity of Canada.

We work with funders at all levels of government including (but not limited to) the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage and others to create jobs, educate and engage our communities and this investment from Government is repaid many times over through meaningful employment, social engagement, tax dollars and community vibrancy.

Canadian Artists are taxpayers and business people, and non profit arts and culture organizations bring tremendous value and employment to their communities.

A majority of Canadians over 15 years old actively have participated both in consuming culture products, and in engaging directly in artistic activities (drawing, making music, etc) in the past year.

What’s YOUR story? Name the impact in your community.

Artists aren’t a special interest – we are Canada.