The Federal Budget 2022, A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable, was released on April 7, 2022 by the Honorable Chrystia Freeland.

The budget includes :

  • $12.1 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to the National Arts Centre to support the creation, co-production, promotion, and touring of productions with Canadian commercial and not-for-profit performing arts companies;

  • $50 million in 2022-23 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada, to compensate Canadian arts, culture, and heritage organizations for revenue losses due to public health restrictions and capacity limits; and

  • $22.5 million over five years starting in 2022-23, and $5 million ongoing, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Training Fund.

More details in Chapter 8: Safe and Inclusive Communities Section 8.3


Supporting Canada’s Performing Arts and Heritage Sectors

Canada’s performing arts, including our world-class theatre sector, have been devastated by closures and capacity restrictions during the pandemic. Today, both the number of productions and the employment levels in the performing arts sector remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Budget 2021 provided $500 million over two years to support the reopening and recovery of Canada’s arts, culture, heritage, and sports sectors. This includes funding to support Canadian festivals, outdoor theatres, and local museums in delivering in-person experiences and events to draw visitors to our communities and encourage the safe return of in-person audiences.

The federal government has been there to support artists and performing arts organizations and workers throughout the pandemic. Critical investments in Budget 2021, including $250 million to be delivered in 2022-23, will continue to support Canada’s performing arts, and the talented Canadians who make up our arts, culture, and heritage sectors.

In addition, the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update provided $62.3 million in 2022-23 to create a temporary program aimed at directly supporting performing artists and behind-the-scenes workers who were financially impacted by public health restrictions and closures. Funding is expected to be disbursed to these workers by summer 2022.

  • To complement previous initiatives, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $12.1 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to the National Arts Centre to support the creation, co-production, promotion, and touring of productions with Canadian commercial and not-for-profit performing arts companies.
  • To compensate Canadian arts, culture, and heritage organizations for revenue losses due to public health restrictions and capacity limits, Budget 2022 proposes to provide an additional $50 million in 2022-23 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada.

Supporting a More Inclusive Arts Training Sector

As the arts sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, its continued vitality and success will depend, in large part, on the next generation of Canadian artists. The Canada Arts Training Fund helps build this next generation of Canadian creators and cultural leaders by supporting the training of artists with high potential.

While support for equity and inclusion is embedded in the delivery of the Fund, additional support for Indigenous and racialized arts training organizations will increase the participation, promotion, and representation of historically underserved communities.

  • To continue to support the arts sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to address historic inequities in funding levels for Indigenous and racialized arts training organizations, Budget 2022 proposes to provide $22.5 million over five years starting in 2022-23, and $5 million ongoing, to Canadian Heritage for the Canada Arts Training Fund.