The Canadian live music sector is asking the government for emergency support
The Canadian live music scene (and to be fair, this is an international post-COVID problem) is struggling. The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) has sounded a dire alarm.
“Independently operated and non-profit venues and festivals continue to endure a host of challenges, while opportunities are disappearing for artists to perform on these stages as a direct result.
“Cost of goods and services have nearly tripled, and labour shortages and supply chain issues compound to threaten the ability of many to remain operational. Without smaller spaces for artists to grow, the sustainability of Canada’s live music sector is uncertain.”
The CLMA is asking the federal government to do something in its next budget. Like what? They published this helpful list of suggestions that include:
- An increase to the annual contributions to the Canada Music Fund. Make it permanent, too, with at least $10 million earmarked for live music.
- Make permanent investments of $8 million to the Canada Arts Presentation Fund and 47 million to the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program.
- Invest an additional $30 milion to support the live music sector.
Let’s see if the feds will bite.
