An open letter to the arts community from Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts
At the Canada Council, we believe deeply in the power of Canada’s arts community. The arts are one of this country’s great public assets. Every day, artists and arts organizations help us understand who we are, connect people and strengthen local economies. The arts also affirm Canada’s distinct voices and the right to tell our own stories, on our own terms, here at home and in the world.
We are operating in a moment defined by volatility and constraint: growing demand for public support in the arts and fewer available dollars. The decisions we make in this context matter deeply to the arts and to the Canadians who benefit from them. They shape not only what can be created today, but whether our arts ecosystem remains viable, with the capacity to meet the moment and seize important opportunities in the future.
Two principles are guiding our decision making in this moment.
First, deep engagement with artists and organizations across the country, so that we fully understand the realities they are facing.
Second, ecosystem thinking, asking how every action and investment we make contributes to the overall health of the arts, across regions and practices, for both today and over the long term.
These principles were reinforced through our engagement for our next strategic plan. We have now shared our What We Heard summary of that engagement, which reflects the perspectives of artists, arts organizations and arts supporters from across Canada.
Next month, the Canada Council will share its new strategic plan, informed by what we heard from the community. The plan will situate the Canada Council, true to its mandate, as a vital public institution that anchors Canada’s distinct cultural expressions and supports a thriving arts sector at home and in the world.
Strengthening the foundation
Over the past two years, we heard a clear and consistent message from the arts community: to thrive, innovate and make meaningful contributions to the lives of Canadians, the sector needs a strong foundation.
Well-supported arts organizations are the engine of a dynamic arts ecosystem. They employ and sustain artists and arts workers, connect audiences with their work and create opportunities for communities to come together through shared experiences. As anchor organizations, they drive economic impact, creating jobs and attracting investment, while also generating important social benefits.
That is why, even in a constrained fiscal environment, we made the deliberate decision to make a modest reinvestment in multi-year core funding. Given that the Canada Council is the only federal funder providing ongoing operational support, this reinvestment enables arts organizations to plan for the future and operate effectively in a challenging environment. It also gives them the confidence and capacity to take creative risks and innovate. Our reinvestment is also reaching some organizations for the first time, broadening and renewing the country’s cultural leadership.
Alongside our investments in core funding, we introduced new composite grants to expand access to multi-year support. These grants provide artists and arts organizations that do not receive core funding the support needed to undertake ambitious, large-scale projects with significant impact.
Connecting artists and publics
We also heard clearly that Canadian art must circulate widely.
Artists and arts organizations emphasized that touring, exchange and international presence are essential to artistic growth, audience access and economic sustainability. These opportunities also allow Canadians to access work from across the country, in their home communities. And it places artists from Canada at the heart of global conversations.
That is why, despite limited resources, we also invested in project funding for touring and circulation in 2025–26. In addition, most of the new $6 million announced in the federal government’s Budget 2025, and to be received over the next three years, will be directed toward these activities.
These investments ensure that work created by artists reaches the public, locally, nationally and internationally. This expands both artistic impact and public access, at a moment when connection and understanding matter more than ever.
Our constraints
In keeping with my commitment to the arts community, I would like to be transparent about the constraints we are facing.
As noted at our Annual Public Meeting in March, the Canada Council is starting the 2026-27 fiscal year with nearly $10 million less. This follows government reductions announced in 2023 that take full effect starting this year, and they represent a permanent decrease. At the same time, demand for Canada Council funding is higher than ever. We are receiving near record-high grant applications, and average request amounts have increased due to rising costs.
As a result, our programs are highly competitive. To illustrate, even though our support for artistic creation, the Canada Council’s main way of funding individual artists, continued to grow, many strong projects still could not be funded. I know that for many of you, this reality is felt directly, often with disappointment and added uncertainty.
Within this context, our responsibility is to make decisions, based on our engagement with the community, that support the overall arts ecosystem. By investing deliberately in funding that supports a strong foundation for the arts, connecting the arts with the public, and managing budgetary constraints, we aim to ensure that the arts in Canada remain viable, equitable and impactful.
What comes next
The truth is simple: for the arts to do more for Canada, Canada must invest more in the arts.
With increased and sustained public investment, the arts can contribute as fully as possible to Canadian life. Making that case is our shared responsibility.
Over the past year, artists and organizations have come together to advocate for the reach and value of the arts. We have been heartened by recent expressions of public support for the arts and the Canada Council from government leaders. At the same time, these leaders are encouraging the arts community to keep telling its story to decision makers across the country.
Momentum has been building for a long time, and a strong, sustained public investment in the arts is now within reach. Together, let's make this a reality.
https://canadacouncil.ca/spotlight/2026/05/choices-shaping-the-future