As you all know, there’s a federal election going on. We encourage all of our members to exercise their democratic right and vote. You can find out more about voting times, locations, ID requirements, by going to www.elections.ca.
This is an important election for artists in Canada. With Canadian sovereignty under threat from the United States, it has never been more important for our governments to support Canadian culture and those who create it. Not only do we implore you to vote, we strongly encourage you to contact your local candidates about the concerns facing Canadian artists. We have created a template letter that you can send to your local candidates (scroll down to find the text of that letter, as well as a downloadable Word file for you to edit).
We also encourage you to follow the Canadian Arts Coalition on social media, and visit their ArtsVote 2025 website. There you can find more tools to help you engage with the election and advocate on behalf of Canadian artists.
Dear <insert candidate name here>,
My name is <insert name here> and I am a Canadian composer living in your riding.
Canadians value the arts. According to the Canadian Arts Coalition, 80% of Canadians believe that arts and culture enhance Canada’s economy and quality of life, 82% of Canadians agree that arts and culture unite Canadians and foster meaningful community engagement, and 86% believe that the arts promote cultural and social inclusion.
There are over 200,000 artists living and working across Canada today. As a whole, the arts and culture sector contributes $60 billion to Canada’s GDP whilst employing 850,000 Canadians. For every $1 of federal money directly invested in the arts, the sector generates $16.32 in broader economic activity – a return on investment over 1500%.
Unfortunately, many artists are struggling. Approximately 50% of Canadian artists earn less than $40,000 a year. These struggles are amplified amongst BIPOC artists, with 72% reporting annual incomes below $40,000. Thanks to increasing pressure on funding sources such as the Canada Council For The Arts, 68% of artists cite limited opportunities for grants as the great challenge to their work.
With Donald Trump threatening Canadian sovereignty, it is more important than ever for the federal government to support and empower our artists so they can continue producing work that unifies Canadians at home, and promotes Canadian culture abroad.
- Support the Canadian Arts Coalition’s recommendation that the Government of Canada permanently allocate at least 1% of its overall spending towards arts, culture and heritage;
- Commit to defending and strengthening CBC / Radio-Canada;
- Commit to following through on the implementation of Bill C-11 (Online Streaming Act).
Thank you for taking the time to consider the importance of Canadian culture and how imperative it is to support those who create it.
Sincerely,
<insert your name here>