Struggling arts organizations could start receiving up to $55 million in assistance by the end of June, says Simon Brault, CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts.
A total of up to $500 million, promised last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has been transferred to a COVID-19 emergency support fund for cultural, heritage and sport organizations at Canadian Heritage.
Groups which have previously received Canada Council funding can sign attestations, rather than go through a lengthy peer-review process, to receive up to 25 per cent of previous grants.
"Once the attestation has been received and reviewed, funding will flow shortly thereafter," Brault said in a letter to arts organizations.
"Our hope is to begin releasing emergency funds in batches based on date of attestation submission by the end of June."
The emergency funding complements the federal government’s existing COVID-19 support measures, while addressing challenges arts organizations face in accessing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy because of their reliance on self-employed professionals or seasonal revenues.
The council's objectives are to stabilize the arts sector, maintain jobs and support business continuity for organizations whose cash flow and short-term operational viability have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, Brault said.
Eligible organizations with heritage collections currently funded through Canadian Heritage’s museums assistance program will be addressed in a second phase of funding, he noted.
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Source: Canada Council for the Arts