PACT's Pre-Budget Submission for 2025

August 6, 2024

PACT sent in our submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance's annual pre-budget consultations last week. This year, our recommendations focus on allocating no less than 1% of the government's spending towards arts, culture & heritage and investing in job creation and cultural industry growth. You can download the full document here..

Introduction

The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) is the collective voice of professional Canadian theatres, a leader in the performing arts community, and a devoted advocate of the value of live performance. We represent over 170 professional theatre companies, ranging from the largest performing arts organizations in Canada to smaller theatre companies that serve their audiences in a wide variety of communities from coast to coast to coast; from rural to urban, commercial to independent, theatre for young audiences to culturally specific and everything else in between.

Throughout the spring and summer of 2024, our members helped us identify ongoing challenges for the live performing arts. While the impact of the pandemic is mostly behind us, its ramifications are still a daily reality for theatres across Canada. Savings from years of good management have been wiped out, traditional donors have stopped giving, audiences have moved away from stable subscription-based ticket buying habits, cultural spaces have become increasingly difficult to find, and operating expenses have become unmanageable.

Such challenges are not unique to theatre. PACT’s recommendations echo calls to action from across the cultural sector. The runway to recovery for many in the performing arts has been an extended one, and a stable ground upon which to rebuild is necessary to ensure that all Canadians may benefit from the economic, social, and health benefits of the arts.

Recommendations

1. That the Government of Canada allocate no less than 1% of its overall spending towards arts, culture, and heritage. As part of this allocation, we recommend an additional investment of $270 million into the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, via: $140 million to the Canada Council for the Arts $130 million to the Department of Canadian Heritage
2. The Government of Canada invests in job creation and cultural industry growth by implementing a live performing arts tax-credit, allowing those in the live performance sector to receive a refundable tax rebate towards a portion of their labour expenses.

To support PACT's ongoing advocacy efforts, PACT is asking its members to consider using the summer months when Members of Parliament are in their ridings to reach out for a meeting. Click here for more information including an advocacy brief to support these meetings. 

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