Federal Budget Analysis

2022

Alternative Federal Budget 2023: Rising to the Challenge

From the Centre for Policy Alternatives

Kate Cornell

Co-author, Alternative Federal budget Arts Chapter 2022

Kate Cornell is an advocate, a lecturer, and a policy wonk. Kate has a PhD in Communication and Culture with a focus on cultural policy. For five years, Kate was the Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition and advocated federally for the arts sector. (You can follow Kate’s advocacy work on Twitter @cornell_kate.) Most recently, Kate was the Research and Training Director for Aftermetoo helping the performing arts, film, and television sector address workplace sexual harassment. Kate has been published widely and teaches periodically in the arts management programs at Humber College and University of Toronto. Kate is grateful to live near Lake Ontario on the traditional territory of the Mississauga of the Credit, the Huron, and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy with her two kids and husband. 

Isabela (Izzie) Solis-Lozano

Co-author, Alternative Federal budget Arts Chapter 2022

Isabela (Izzie) Solis-Lozano (she/her) is a Peruvian-born, Canadian-raised theatre creator, arts administrator, and emerging arts advocate currently based in Tkaronto. She is the current Executive Management Intern at both the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and the Toronto Fringe Festival through the Metcalf Foundation’s Performing Art Internship program. 

Izzie holds a BA in Theatre and English from the University of Ottawa and a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management from Centennial College. Her background is in theatre creation, production, and event management. 

Over the course of her year-long Metcalf internship, Izzie has been learning and exploring topics such as community-focused programming, cultural policy, non-profit organizational governance, and arts advocacy. Izzie is passionate about growing the Canadian arts sector to better support and encompass the vibrant and diverse communities it serves.

Alternative Federal Budget

On April 7th, 2022, the federal government unveiled their Budget, entitled A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable.  

Through Mass Culture’s Annual Federal Budget Analysis of the Arts we will be unpacking the following areas: 

The funds to support the recovery and re-opening of the arts including an additional investment of $50 million in 2022/23 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Telefilm Canada to help compensate for revenues losses due to public health restrictions. In 2021, the federal government committed $250 million in recovery funding to this fiscal year. There will be an upcoming announcement from the Minister of Canadian Heritage about how this $300 million in total will be split between the three funders.

The surprise increased budget at the National Arts Centre

The long-term request to increase the funding envelope to the Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) with a notable focus on Indigenous and racialized training programs

The impending amendments to the Copyright Act 

The amendments to the Income Tax Act concerning charities 

A priority across the board in this budget is affordability. As many other industries demand growth incentives, the arts sector is still focused on recovery. What does this mean for artists? 

There are emerging opportunities ahead for the arts sector to foster stronger connections to various priorities, including environment and climate change, gender equality, contributing to the 2SLGBTQIA+ federal plan, Indigenous sovereignty, diversity and inclusion, infrastructure, tourism as well as workforce development, equity, and training.   

Additional Resources

Alternative Federal Budget Culture Chapter, 2020

Current Climate of the Arts: 2020 Roundtable

Federal Budget 2021, Highlights for arts and culture

Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable