This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
Montreal, March 13, 2024 – En Piste, the National Circus Arts Alliance, considers the announced funding of $28.5 million over 5 years to support the operations of cultural organisations to be insufficient.
The additional funding of $4.8 million granted to the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) for 2024-2025 barely compensates for inflation and certainly does not meet the crying needs of the sector, which is still vulnerable, particularly as a result of the reduction in aid linked to COVID.
In November 2023, En Piste made a number of specific requests to the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard:
- Support the implementation of a campaign to promote the circus arts
- Ensure the upgrade of circus infrastructures in Quebec
- To ensure the continuity and structure of financial support for the circus arts sector
- Modify the tax credits granted to the performing arts at SODEC
- Support the labour shortage and employability challenges facing companies
“En Piste recognises the Minister’s cautious approach, but we will remain vigilant about the needs of the community,” says Tim Roberts, Chairman of the Board of Directors of En Piste. “Mr. Girard can rest assured of our readiness and commitment to continue the conversation that began with the presentation of our brief L’avenir du cirque – il faut y voir maintenant! in November 2023. Whether through the deployment of our training pathway or by guaranteeing the integral presence of the physical arts as part of the cultural passport for young people, we will be at the ready.”
After the closed-door meeting with Minister Mathieu Lacombe, in the company of a dozen or so representatives from the cultural sector, Nadia Drouin, Executive Director of En Piste, said: “As the sums allocated to the cultural sector are well below the requests submitted to CALQ, we will keep a close eye on the state of our sector, keep a strategic watch and intervene with the Minister of Culture and Communications in the event of any deterioration.
About En Piste
Founded in 1997, En Piste is the only national association for the circus arts, bringing together close to 600 individual members and organizations in the sector. En Piste works to create conditions favourable to the development of the circus arts across Canada, by bringing the circus community together, consolidating community cohesion, and promoting the circus both to government authorities as well as to local, national and international audiences and presenters.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
