A dozen Quebec presenters led by the Professional Association of Show Presenters (RIDEAU) are asking the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) for annual support of 40 million for the next four years.
With broadcasting organizations such as Danse Danse, Tangente, Le Diamant, la Tohu, Les Gros Becs and La Maison Théâtre, RIDEAU estimated that a total sum of 160 million over four years was necessary to ensure the broadcast of indoor shows, but also the circulation of these shows throughout the territory.
“We are talking about support for our missions, to pay our workforce and improve their working conditions, to improve the reception conditions for artists’ productions, therefore better remunerate them, do better promotion, offer better fees, but also to ensure better circulation of works,” tells us the general director of RIDEAU, Julie-Anne Richard.
On February 1, all CALQ clienteles must submit their requests for operating subsidies for the next four years and a huge wave of requests is expected.
“It’s a very important window of opportunity, we know that the economic situation is not easy,” Julie-Anne Richard tells us, “but it’s an opportunity that won’t come again for four years, so we won’t can’t wait and the last time we did it was six years ago because of the global pandemic. »
The context is extremely difficult for broadcasters, believes Julie-Anne Richard, who says she is very worried about the situation. “There is enormous pressure given production costs, labor scarcity, inflation. There are broadcasters who tell us about a 35% increase in their costs. »
RIDEAU, which alone brings together 350 performance halls, two-thirds of which are located outside the island of Montreal, is asking the government for an annual investment of 7.7 million (out of 40 million) in the next budget provincial for multidisciplinary presenters who are members of its association
“If we cannot balance our budget, our theaters will have to subtract the riskiest elements from their budget. So emerging artists [all disciplines combined] and shows where we develop new audiences, like dance shows, Julie-Anne Richard tells us. All this will result in a reduction in artistic risk and an impoverishment of the offer in the region. »
The general director of RIDEAU deplores the fact that multidisciplinary rooms are so poorly subsidized.
“There is a growing gap between multidisciplinary rooms and specialized rooms. The specifications that we ask of them are increasingly important, whether in cultural mediation or support for the next generation, for example. This is why we say, if you want us to continue doing this, there is some catching up to do. »
