Evidence of meeting #42 for Canadian Heritage in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.
A video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
I'd like to talk about something we are unfortunately seeing more and more: shows being cancelled, fewer artists going on tour, fewer tour stops being scheduled and so on. As you pointed out, the cancelling of performances is a growing phenomenon. What impact is it having?
Right off the bat, it means less income for actors, technicians and everyone in the company, but over the long run, what impact does the phenomenon have on the cultural sector?
Director General, Conseil québécois du théâtre
I'll give you a clear example to answer that. In our presentation, we referred to Montreal's Centre du théâtre d'aujourd'hui and the show Juste des bonhommes qui bougent, by Camille Giguère‑Côté.
Small venues use a co-presentation model, where the theatre assumes some of the costs and the artist contributes a portion. The funding comes from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec or the Conseil des arts de Montréal. The artist didn't receive any funding, so she would've had to assume all the financial risk of putting on the show. As a young creator, she may have even had to go into debt.
Bloc
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
I assume it's a long time before these artists develop another project.
Do the artists who fall victim to these cancellations, who have to do these kinds of things, tend to be emerging artists or artists on the fringes? Conversely, is everyone affected?
Director General, Conseil québécois du théâtre
No, it's not at all about being on the fringes. The problem is really the limited investment going into the arts right now.
The model is based on a jury of peers, and the artist in question had already received support under a previous phase. That means she had received project funding, and artistic recognition for the research and creation component. When it comes time to fund the presentation of the show and all you have are bits and pieces of funding because of budget constraints, the work won't be supported, even though it has peer recognition, is part of the venue's lineup and has been selected by the artistic director. In that case, the artist has to borrow the money themselves in order to practise their craft.
I don't know about the members of the committee, but I know of few professions where workers have to go into personal debt to practise their craft.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lisa Hepfner
Thank you.
Mr. Diotte, I'll turn the floor over to you for five minutes.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
These questions are for David LaRiviere from PAVED Arts.
David, I know you mentioned something along the lines of your attempt to wear down the barriers to access art, and you look for marginalized artists and that sort of thing. In September 2025, PAVED Arts installed a large-scale pro-Palestinian billboard, and it included 35 different pro-Palestinian statements and links to QR codes with more information.
My question is this: Was the same opportunity offered to the Jewish community to share their statements?
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
The way programming happens at PAVED Arts is that it's certainly freely open to anybody to apply. We have an annual call for submissions on September 15. We don't screen anything in terms of disallowing anyone from applying. That particular work was by Keeley Haftner, who did a residency with us and was engaged in.... As you say, the work included 35 Sentences on Palestine, but it also led to a rigorously researched data website where people could follow up on and verify all of the facts that were on the billboard.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
If somebody from the Jewish community approached you to do a similar art form, would you have said that it's okay?
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
I can't say yes or no in this moment. We would have to look at the project, because that's what we did in the other regard as well. It is actually adjudicated. We put together peer juries.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
What's your feeling on that, though? Would you personally approve something like that?
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
I could see it in the realm of possibilities. Without actually looking at the work, I can't comment in any kind of detail. If you're talking about, though, some sense of balance where, well, this is said so that should be said, that isn't really my place or my inclination.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Then you wouldn't have balance or you wouldn't have.... That's not in your—
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
If somebody actually applied with work like that—which I have not seen—then it would be considered.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Okay.
You did mention that Keeley Haftner was the artist-in-residence, and during her residency, she hosted several pro-Palestinian installations. She actually did an exhibit where she had repaired faded and torn Palestinian flags submitted by local residents.
Have any artists-in-residence hosted pro-Jewish installations?
Conservative
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
No. That wasn't Keeley's project.
There are kind of mixed signals coming here when you say pro-Jewish, because Judaism is a religious faith.
You mean the State of Israel.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Okay...pro-Israeli.
Do you think that PAVED Arts is a safe space for Jewish artists and community members?
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
There was a project that occurred at PAVED Arts where we reached out to ensure that the Jewish community were invited to a public event and that they should feel safe in the space.
Conservative
Kerry Diotte Conservative Edmonton Griesbach, AB
Shouldn't everybody be invited to public events? Why would you have to reach out to the Jewish community and say, you can come here?
Artistic Director, PAVED Arts
For this particular event, there were concerns raised by a couple of people in the community. When those concerns were raised, we reached out to say, you are most welcome to be here.