FREDERICTON, 19 March, 2025 – On behalf of the membership of ArtsLink NB, we were very pleased to see that the new budget for 2025-26, “Driving Change, Delivering Progress,” increased funding for the arts and culture sector by $2.65 million. This indicates this government’s interest in supporting the arts and culture sector in a meaningful way and begins to address the serious underfunding of arts and culture over the past decade. It will also help us climb up from NB’s ranking of last in per-capita cultural spending among the 10 provinces.
The budget does not outline how this investment will be allocated, but we are hopeful that commitments in the Speech from the Throne recognizing the economic and social impacts of arts and culture and committing to work on the Status of the Artist will be realized.
In our pre-budget submission, we called on the new government to commit to a $15-million increase to the Arts and Culture Branch Budget for 2025-26. While this increase of $2.65 million does not approach the full $15 million, it is a move in the right direction.
A $15-million increase is an ambitious request, but we laid out a case as to how an investment of this size could:
- Ensure the recovery and growth of New Brunswick’s arts and culture sector.
- Address inflation and rising operational costs, correcting a long-standing funding shortfall.
- Strengthen core funding programs that stabilize artists and cultural organizations.
- Ensure universal access to arts and culture for all New Brunswickers.
- Leverage additional investments from both private and public sources.
- Support job creation and economic growth in industries such as construction, hospitality, tourism, and technology.
Despite constrained investment in recent years, the arts and culture sector has consistently outperformed its funding, delivering significant economic and social benefits. In 2022, arts and cultural industries contributed over $609.6 million to New Brunswick’s GDP and directly supported 7,311 jobs.
Investing in arts and culture directly supports thousands of jobs and fosters employment in other industries like hospitality, construction, and technology. Festivals, cultural events, and artistic spaces stimulate local economies and attract tourists, and we anticipate and look forward to this sector growing and flourishing.
Arts and culture are not just economic drivers; they are essential to the fabric of Canadian identity. At a time when we face challenges from external forces, including US tariffs and a globalized cultural landscape dominated by American media,
Canada’s cultural sovereignty is more important than ever. We often encourage people to “buy Canadian” and “buy local” but we must also embrace Canadian art, music, film, theatre, dance, and all forms of creative expression.
Arts and culture are integral to nation-building. They help define what it means to belong to a country and express the values, struggles, and triumphs that form our collective memory. From visual arts to literature to performing arts, Canadian culture shapes our identity and fosters unity among citizens.
We are very encouraged by this increase, and we look forward to seeing it lead to positive outcomes for artists and cultural workers in New Brunswick. However, we call on the provincial government to continue supporting the arts and culture sector through meaningful investments and strategies for growth.
Julie Whitenect, Executive Director, ArtsLink NB
julie@artslinknb.com
