Minister Guilbeault Announces Phase 2 Details for $500M Arts and Culture Fund

On July 7, Minister Guilbeault announced the final details regarding Phase 2 of the disbursement of the $500-million fund, announced earlier this year. This final component helps address some of the gaps that have been identified by the industry across Canada since the fund was first implemented. Thus, the second phase provides support to other organizations, some of which do not normally receive funding from Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada or the Canada Media Fund. The goal is still to help maintain jobs and support business continuity for organizations whose viability has been affected.

This final component of Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations will be distributed through grants and contributions as follows:

• $45 million through the Canada Periodical Fund to assist free magazines and weekly newspapers, including those that serve official-language minority or ethnocultural communities;

• $25 million distributed through partners to assist independent news and community radio broadcasters;

• $20 million to Musicaction and FACTOR to help presenters in the live music sector;

• $2.5 million to support producers of content in a language other than English or French through the Canada Media Fund; and

• $52.1 million to various arts and culture organizations that do not normally receive funding from Canadian Heritage programs and/or did not receive funding during Phase 1. This amount will be provided as follows:

  • $8.2 million for the arts sector;

  • $27.8 million for the audiovisual and digital media sector;

  • $5 million for the music industry;

  • $10 million for the publishing sector; and

  • $1 million for arts and culture organizations that serve official-language communities.