(revised March 31, 2023 at 18:15 to include response from the Liberal Party)
Four provincial political parties responded to a survey conducted by a group of PEI arts and culture organizations. The results show that all four parties value arts and culture but there is a range of approaches about how best to support the sector.
The survey was conducted between March 24 and 29, 2023 by Charlottetown Film Society, Community Museums Association of PEI, CreativePEI, FilmPEI, Harbourfront Theatre, Island Fringe Festival, Kings Playhouse, Music PEI, PEI Symphony Orchestra, PEI Writers’ Guild, River Clyde Pageant, this town is small, Under the Spire Festival, Victoria Playhouse, Young at Heart Theatre.
The Progressive Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Party and Island Party responded. Their responses are below.
The Four Questions:
Economic Impact
In 2020, Arts, Culture and Creative Industries directly contributed $120.8 million to PEI’s GDP. This figure does not include the significant contribution to tourism and to PEI’s reputation as an exciting, creative and forward-looking province.
The Province of PEI is a key funder of the sector through InnovationPEI’s Culture Development and Growth Fund, the Prince Edward Island Film Production Fund, the Museums and Heritage Foundation and others. PEI government contributions represent 15-20% of the revenues in the sector. The sector leverages this investment to develop new products and services, generate domestic and export sales, attract business to the province and access significant federal funding.
- How will your party support the arts, culture and creative industries to help increase their economic impact to the Province?
Rural Arts and Culture
The vibrancy of Prince Edward Island’s arts and culture is just as rich within our province’s rural communities as it is within our urban centres. Rural arts organizations such as Victoria Playhouse, Kings Playhouse or the River Clyde Pageant offer important community gathering spaces and diverse programming that engages local residents and visitors alike.
Rurally-based arts centres and organizations are integral in building strong, resilient communities. A healthy arts and culture scene across PEI is vital in supporting sustainable population growth, which encourages business and housing development in areas outside of Charlottetown and Summerside. Rural arts organizations are making rural communities more inviting and appealing for young people, families, newcomers and immigrants to build their lives here.
- How will you support the growth of arts and culture in rural PEI?
Sustainable Organizations
PEI benefits from a vibrant ecosystem of arts organizations connected by formal and informal networks that enable collaboration, knowledge and resource sharing, and job creation for artists and arts workers. These arts organizations are the primary engine of growth in the sector.
However, Island arts organizations have a persistent problem with financial sustainability. Revenue is often attached to projects, which leads to a pattern of chronic short-term contract employment and instability. The result is that many PEI arts organizations have a weak core with no operating capital to hire staff, plan for the long term and invest in growth. The solution is to increase operational funding. Organizations with adequate operational funding have the capacity to develop new products and services, pursue new revenue sources, plan strategically, and invest in efficient administrative systems.
- How will you improve the sustainability of arts organizations, in particular smaller organizations and those operating outside urban centres?
Artist Incomes
Artists are the beating heart of the creative sector. Musicians, visual artists, authors, artisans, actors, dancers, and directors originate new work, creating tangible value from their skill and creativity. Artists make up about a third of the cultural workforce.
Despite their essential role, artists are among the most poorly paid workers in the sector. The average income for artists on PEI in 2016 was only $21,100 from all sources. This was the second lowest in the country. A survey of the mental well being of PEI artists conducted in 2022 showed that only 19.8% of artists reported making enough from their creative practice to survive.
Not only is artist income low, it is highly precarious. Almost all artists are self-employed or contract workers.
Other jurisdictions have recognized the unique role of artists in society and have prioritized their health and well-being. For example, Ireland is currently running a three-year pilot project that provides a basic income to 2,000 artists.
- How will you work with industry to improve the incomes of artists on PEI?
Responses:
Progressive Conservative Party Responses
- How will your party support the arts, culture and creative industries to help increase their economic impact to the Province?
Support has been provided to the arts, culture and creative industries through:
The PEI Arts Grants provided $100,000 in support to 16 Island artists in 2022, and the Indigenous Arts Grants provided $10,000 to 9 Indigenous artists in 2022.
The PEI Art Bank purchased $10,000 worth of artwork and $5,000 worth of artwork through the PEI Indigenous Art Bank
Providing funding for Acadian and francophone cultural activities through the Acadian and Francophone Culture Fund
Funding 16 projects through the Community Cultural Partnership Program to assist cultural organizations with activities that promote the culture and heritage of PEI
Funding was provided to 17 festivals and events through the Community Celebration Fund
Hiring a Film Industry Growth Specialist to create a strategy to market the Island to producers and attract productions to the Island
Providing a PEI Film Production Fund that offers productions a 32-35% rebate on all money spent on production and post-production on PEI
A re-elected PC government is committed to continuing investments in our arts and culture community to promote and grow our Island talent.
- How will you support the growth of arts and culture in rural PEI?
The arts and culture industries are vibrant in both our rural and urban communities. Islanders and visitors can tour the Island tip to tip to be inspired by artists, festivals, and programming that show off their communities’ unique scenes.
Our PC government has provided support for artists, festivals, and programming through
Funding for Acadian and francophone cultural activities through the Acadian and Francophone Culture Fund
Funding through the Community Cultural Partnership Program to assist cultural organizations with activities that promote the culture and heritage of PEI
Funding for festivals and events through the Community Celebration Fund
A re-elected PC government will continue to support our arts and culture industries by
Creating new interactive tourism products in rural PEI by working on sharing our history through tourism products such as the Confederation Trail
Providing community festivals and events with multi-year funding agreements
- How will you improve the sustainability of arts organizations, in particular smaller organizations and those operating outside urban centres?
Our Island Arts organizations provide important value to our communities. They engage Islanders and visitors through their projects, festivals, and everyday work. Our government has made significant financial investments in the industry to provide support and minimize the impact of COVID-19.
A re-elected PC government will:
Providing community festivals and events with multi-year funding agreements
Creating new interactive tourism products in rural PEI by working on sharing our history through tourism products such as the Confederation Trail
Require all funding agreements for non-profit organizations to be at minimum four-year funding agreements for core-operational funding.
Working with the community sector, establish a shared services model and fund positions that can provide corporate and administrative support to multiple non-profit organizations in accomplishing their work.
Introduce a $500 Volunteer Tax Credit for coaches, leaders and volunteers who volunteer with registered charities and non-profit organizations.
- How will you work with industry to improve the incomes of artists on PEI?
Our government values the vibrancy that Island artists bring to the Island. A re-elected PC government is will support a growing economy that provides opportunities for all, skilled and productive employees by
Increasing the Basic Personal Exemption Amount to $15,000 over the next four years so artists can keep more of what they earn;.
Maintaining the lowest Small Business Tax Rate in Atlantic Canada at 1%;
Creating a Portable Health Benefits Program to provide health, dental, and medication insurance for workers who may not be employed full-time, year-round, or those facing barriers to insurance coverage;
Expanding access and coverage for prescription medication, working with the federal government.
Green Party Responses
- How will your party support the arts, culture and creative industries to help increase their economic impact to the Province?
The Green Party recognizes the value of the arts, culture and creative industry on PEI, and we are concerned about the economic impact that COVID has had on our arts, culture and creative industries.
A Green government would create a new Culture Strategy for PEI to support the growth of these industries and guide increased government investment. A Green government would also create a provincial museum in partnership with federal and community partners which would not only be an attraction for tourists, but more importantly would help promote the preservation and development of Island culture.
A Green government would continue existing programs to produce new cultural products, and support efforts by industry organizations to grow interest in our culture domestically and abroad. We would support efforts to attract business to the province, in particular growing our capacity to support film productions and jobs on PEI.
We would also support efforts to renovate the Confederation Centre to build their capacity to provide programming and community services.
- How will you support the growth of arts and culture in rural PEI?
The Green Party agrees that rural-based arts centres and organizations are integral in building strong, resilient communities where people want to live. We would work with communities and community organizations to support arts initiatives in their communities. This could take the form of project or operational funding, access to jobs programs, and integrating rural arts and culture offerings into provincial tourism materials.
- How will you improve the sustainability of arts organizations, in particular smaller organizations and those operating outside urban centres?
We recognize that Island NGOs share a common issue: much of their government funding is project-based rather than core operating funding, which means their revenue is often unpredictable and inadequate. We would support community organizations, including arts organizations, by ensuring adequate, multi-year funding operational funding is in place.
We further recognize that funding for coordinating bodies like the Community Sector Network and CreativePEI is also essential to help grow NGO capacity for training opportunities and to promote volunteering.
- How will you work with industry to improve the incomes of artists on PEI?
The Green platform includes a platform commitment to provide free or low-cost access to artistic, cultural and social activities for Islanders, in recognition of their positive contribution to the economy and overall well-being. Importantly a Green government would ensure that artists and community groups are fairly compensated for providing these activities.
The Green platform includes a number of initiatives to leave more money in Islanders’ pockets. These include indexing tax brackets to ensure our tax system reflects increases to the cost of living; create a refundable tax credit for lower- and middle-income workers, and raising the Low-Income Tax Reduction threshold to $25,000 to lower taxes for an additional 11,000 additional Islanders.
As noted, we know that many artists find employment in other fields to complement their income as an artist. A Green government would immediately increase the minimum wage to $15.20 to ensure our minimum wage keeps pace with inflation, and increase the minimum wage by at least $1 per year thereafter until it reaches a living wage. A Green government would also legislate 10 paid sick days for workers to ensure that sick workers do not miss out on income because of illness.
The Green Party platform includes a commitment to launch a basic income pilot, with or without the support of the federal government.
Liberal Party Responses
- How will your party support the arts, culture and creative industries to help increase their economic impact to the Province?
The Liberal Party recognizes the impact that the arts, culture and creative industries have towards the social and cultural fabric of Prince Edward Island and is committed to investing these industries to help increase their economic impact and support their collective capacity to help celebrate the Island.
- How will you support the growth of arts and culture in rural PEI?
The Liberal Party agrees that a healthy arts and culture scene is integral in building strong, resilient communities. As a result, the Liberal Party has committed to investing in our unique creative and cultural industries on the Island to support their collective capacity to help celebrate PEI. The Liberal Party also plans to offer low-interest loans and start-up grants to assist tourism operators in the development of new products and services, which may include new products and services in the arts and culture scene.
- How will you improve the sustainability of arts organizations, in particular smaller organizations and those operating outside urban centres?
The Liberal Party recognizes the challenges that Island arts organizations face regarding financial sustainability and agrees that the solution is to increase operational funding. The Liberal Party is committed to investing in Prince Edward Island’s unique creative and cultural industries to build and support their capacity to help celebrate the Island.
- How will you work with industry to improve the incomes of artists on PEI?
The Liberal Party’s plan to improve incomes of artists on Prince Edward Island is a multifaceted approach, involving combatting low-income challenges facing Island artists by indexing social assistance supports to inflation to ensure that recipients do not fall behind during times of high inflation and increasing allowable income to be earned while still remaining eligible for social assistance programs, while also funneling funding and investments into the arts and culture industry to increase the demand for artists work on Prince Edward Island.
Island Party Response
(The Island Party submitted one response covering all four questions)
I have taken a look at the survey questions you sent me and I wish to share with you that the Island Party of PEI is committed to participatory democracy and within this direct democracy context, we welcome meeting with you and with the other organizations and individuals in the cultural sector to hear your needs and to work together with you to establish policies for the continued success and growth of culture as a catalyst of economic development on the Island.
We are concerned about the economic well-being of all artists on the Island and we have looked at the current funding structure which only permits a very small number of artists art grants funding for their work and at a level far below living wages.
As you know, Innovation PEI Arts Grants are very limited, both in terms of the number of grants available and in terms of the financial amounts of these grants.
This means that very few artists are funded by Innovation PEI Arts Grants and the financial amounts of these grants are lower than Social Assistance payments.
The top up to these Innovation PEI Arts Grants would be Canada Council for the Arts Grants, which provide substantially higher financial amounts, particularly Concept to Realization Grants.
Confirmation of exhibition is required for Canada Council for the Arts Concept to Creation Grants and there are limited exhibition spaces on the Island.
In addition, and in order for grant applications to be successful at the Canada Council for the Arts, it is expected that Innovation PEI Arts Grant funding is secured.
The limited number of Innovation PEI Arts Grants, limits the number of Canada Council for the Arts Grants available to Island artists.
For most artists on the Island, Municipal Arts Grants and grants from other sources on the Island are not available and this also minimizes the probability of attaining Canada Council for the Arts Grants.
The end result of all of this is that Island artists are less competitive than artists in other parts of Canada when it comes to being successful in receiving grants funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Grants.
The Island Party of PEI recognizes that this established funding structure cannot meet the basic living needs of Island artists and commits itself to meet directly with artists at Artist Town Halls to listen to the needs of the artists and to find ways of meeting the needs of artists to bring an end to the top down approach in the allocation of public funds in the arts.