Absolutely. Thank you.
My name is Chantell Ghosh. I am the executive director of the Citadel Theatre, which you'd see if you were to walk out into the lobby and look through the window. I'm also on the board of directors for the Edmonton Economic Development Council.
Today, I'm here to speak to assist my colleagues in Ottawa at the Canadian Arts Coalition. They have asked me to come and provide some supporting comments for our ask for an increase in funding. Welcome to Edmonton. Welcome to the heart of Treaty No. 6 territory. We're happy to have you all here.
I was here earlier this morning and was just listening. I know that there are a number of very valuable demands on the resources of our government. I know that there is a lot of competing interest and a lot of very laudable causes that you're constantly balancing. Thank you for the work you do. I do know it is difficult. I do know you're constantly making compromises and choices.
I'm here to talk to you about why I would like you to make a compromise and choice in favour of the arts in Canada. We of course have that social support for why the arts are important. We are part of making people feel they are part of a community, welcoming new Canadians, including indigenous people into conversations that they have previously been locked out of—all of those kinds of things.
When we're talking about budget, when we're talking about investments, I know that the Canadian Arts Coalition has asked for $30 million over three years toward our presentation and festival fund. I thought I would zero in directly on why that is important.
The cultural industry in Canada is responsible for $54 billion of our GDP. That is bigger than forestry. That is bigger than oil. That is bigger than hunting and tourism. In some spaces, there is definitely a financial case to be made for supporting presentations and festivals and specifically in that value chain of the arts.
We have wonderful support from the Canada Council in terms of creating new works. We have supports for producing those new works. But we have a weakness when it comes to presentations and festivals. That is how you amplify the value of those works. If you look, for example, at Come from Away, you'll see it started out as a small production at Sheridan College, was workshopped and now is one of the highest grossing Broadway plays. I can't even get a ticket.
These are ways we can create the value that then brings dollars back into the Canadian economy. Right now when I present a show that's been produced elsewhere, I am paying royalties to the U.S. I would really like to be able to chose wonderful, spectacular successful pieces that have been built and grown in Canada and now have a life beyond, like Hadestown, which we just produced in November and is now opening in London's west end and going to Broadway in the spring.
These are successes that are happening. With small amounts of investment, we can have great amplified financial benefit to this country and to the creative arts, not to mention that we are place-making. I don't know of a town that I want to visit as a tourist that doesn't have amazing art. This is how we bring tourism dollars. This is how we bring investment dollars.
I don't know of a head office of a company that wants to move its people to a city that doesn't have great quality of life. A great job is wonderful. Good schools are great. Affordable real estate, yes, but if I don't have anywhere to take my kids after school and on the weekends in the winter, I am not going to be a very happy person. That's part of that overall investment.
I wanted to reiterate that ask. It is important to us as an economy. It is important to us as Canadians. It is part of why I have chosen to return to Canada after 10 years living in the U.S., because of the investments that are being made in our country that I'm so proud of.
Thank you.