News

March 17, 2021- Saint John, NB- On behalf of the ArtsLink NB membership, we wish to express our disappointment in the inadequate level of recovery funds allocated to the arts and culture sector in the 2020-21 budget, presented on March 16, 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has destroyed the arts and culture sector and meaningful investment is drastically needed to stave off further decline. This can be illustrated in the province’s budget revision of tourism revenues, from $6.1 M to $1.8 M in 2020.1 Additionally, between January 2020 and January 2021, 17% of jobs in the information, culture and recreation sector were lost in New Brunswick. The Canadian arts, entertainment, and recreation sector suffered a 50% loss in generated revenues between December 2019 and December 2020.2

New Brunswick’s arts sector is a huge economic driver. In 2018, the NB cultural sector contributed $572 million to the GDP, making culture the province’s second-largest economic driver, generating a higher GDP than agriculture, pulp and paper, manufacturing, IT, seafood manufacturing, or mining. This sector also represents 7,525 workers, who boast higher than average education but low incomes.3

Though this week’s budget designates $7.2 M in relief funding to the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, that funding will be divided between the branches of arts, culture, heritage, tourism, archaeology, sports, parks and attractions. This amount is far from enough for the needs of the sector. 

In the past decade, the only substantial investment by New Brunswick’s provincial government in the arts and culture sector was the initial investment in the province’s cultural policy in 2014, despite the clear data that illustrates the importance of this sector to the economic and social health of New Brunswick.

In the presentation of this budget to the legislature, there was not a single mention of arts and culture even when speaking about “vibrant and sustainable communities,”4 which is concerning for passionate and professional workers who have struggled to continue their work during untenable conditions. The arts and culture sector contributes so greatly to the health and fabric of our communities; it is vital that the budget allocations reflect their contribution.

About ArtsLink NB:

ArtsLink NB is a member-based arts service organization, founded in 2009 to advance the arts in New Brunswick by linking and unifying artists and arts organizations and promoting their value. We represent New Brunswick artists of all disciplines from across the province.

Press Contact

Julie Whitenect, Executive Director, ArtsLink NB

(506) 608 9914, julie@artslinknb.com

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1 https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/fin/pdf/Budget/2021-2022/main-estimates-2021-2022-budget-principal.pdf

2  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FdkYwe_uye2Mi3Fkks1XQHWFPA-g1GHj/view

3 Heritage, Canadian. “Culture Satellite Account – Canada.Ca.” Culture Satellite Account. 2021.

canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/corporate/publications/general-publications/culture-satellite-account.html.

4 https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/fin/pdf/Budget/2021-2022/speech-2021-2022.pdf

March 9, 2021 – ArtsLink NB and the Association acadienne des artistes profesionnel.le.s du Nouveau-Brunswick (AAAPNB) are publishing today the English version of the report entitled ACT NOW! For the Survival of the Arts and Culture Sector (MAINTENANT AGISSONS pour la survie du milieu des arts et de la culture). This report is the result of two rounds of consultations with 250 artists, arts and cultural organizations and businesses in New Brunswick to outline a plan to revive the sector.
“Between January 2020 and January 2021, 17% of jobs in the information, culture and recreation sector were lost in New Brunswick. The Canadian Arts, entertainment, and recreation sector suffered a 50% loss in generated revenues between December 2019 and December 2020. Help is needed more than ever in the sector. We would expect measures in the next budget to help the industry.” Carmen Gibbs, Executive Director of AAAPNB.
Upon reading of the report MAINTENANT AGISSONS, ArtsLink joined forces with the AAAPNB to translate the report as they recognized the issues, needs, and solution propositions were alike in the Acadian and Anglophone communities.
“ACT NOW! For the Survival of the Arts and Culture Sector will be a key guiding document for the recovery of New Brunswick’s arts and culture sector, and reflects tireless hours of consultation and research. ArtsLink NB recognizes the importance of disseminating the recommendations broadly to strengthen and protect the arts sector. We look forward to working
alongside our partners on the action items identified in the report.” Julie Whitenect, Executive Director of ArtsLink.
The consultations were carried out, in June and October 2020, through the round tables of the Renewed Global Strategy for the Integration of Arts and Culture into Acadian Society in New Brunswick. This structure enabled the AAAPNB to quickly consult artists from all disciplines, festival and event organizers, presenters and other artistic, cultural and heritage organizations, as well as cultural businesses in the music, music and entertainment sectors, media arts and publishers.

This report proposes six main courses of action for the sector to come back to life, ensuring that all elements of the artistic ecosystem can survive the crisis. For the sector to succeed in the short, medium and long term, the following recommendations should be followed:
• Ensure a solid foundation for the arts and culture sector, in particular thanks to the adoption by the Government of New Brunswick of a law on the status of the artist, and provide for the alignment of the procedures implemented with those federal government, and urging the federal
government to complete the review of the Copyright Act.
• Allocate a stimulus fund and new investments for the arts and culture sector, and tax foreign web companies to finance these funds and investments.
• Strengthen artistic and cultural organizations and industries, in particular by providing more funding for the basic operations of artistic and cultural organizations.
• Foster creation, distribution and professional development by increasing funds for the creation and production of new works, by increasing funding for creative residencies, by granting an additional amount to all presenters to ensure the maintenance of their activities and by creating a fund to help artists and cultural workers to enable them to take the necessary training or have access to professional resources to promote themselves on the Web.
• Stimulate demand for cultural products by putting in place a series of measures to restore public confidence, encourage local purchasing and provide transport assistance.
To read the report: aaapnb.ca or artslinknb.com
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For interviews
Julie Whitenect
Executive Director
ArtsLink NB
506-608-9914
julie@artslinknb.com

Jean-Pierre Caissie
Directeur adjoint
AAAPNB
506-852-3313 ext 224
jeanpierre.caissie@aaapnb.ca

ARTwork is a free webinar series by Jones Gallery about digital professionalization and online strategies for Atlantic Canadian visual artists – a guide to help artists work, connect, and adapt in a digital environment.

WHERE TO WATCH THE VIDEOS

Right here on this page, or via our ARTwork playlist on YouTube.

DOWNLOAD THE ACCOMPANYING GUIDEBOOK

A thirty-page pdf guide that corresponds to the webinar video series and includes extra information and documentation.

ARTwork is a professional development program about living and working in the visual arts in Atlantic Canada, created
and developed by Jones Gallery of Saint John, New Brunswick. This iteration works to enhance digital professionalization and online strategies for Atlantic Canadian visual artists.

This guide is produced in conjunction with the ARTwork: Digital Professionialization and Online Strategies for Visual Artists webinar series and is intended as a supplemental resource. The full webinar is available for everyone, free of charge, at jonesgallery.ca/ artwork.