There is definitely a consensus around the need for a social safety net and the gaps that exist for all artists. The employment insurance system could address these concerns. It is well known that visual artists are often self-employed and therefore fall into a category that departs from the traditional notion of employer and employee.
In this regard, it is very interesting to note that the federal Status of the Artist Act defines and considers artists to be independent, which allows for collective agreements to be reached. This is what we would like to see in the provincial legislation currently under review.
As I mentioned in my presentation, we are here today to talk about the Status of the Artist Act, which is an aspect of a whole set of possibilities to help visual artists. There is, of course, the tax aspect, employment insurance, provincial legislation and the Copyright Act, which is a key component. CARFAC and our organization identified the need to give visual artists residual rights, which would significantly improve their situation.