Advocacy in Action
Arts and culture
Cultural tourists punch above their weight, spending three times the average of other tourists. The Shaw Festival alone brings a quarter-billion dollars of economic activity to Niagara; together with other cultural attractions, the arts and cultural sector makes an outsize contribution to Niagara’s economy – one which the GNCC is determined to grow.
Top Initiatives
Build strong regional cultural economies
The economic benefits of arts, culture, and tourism are not evenly distributed across Ontario. Smaller and regional communities can struggle to attract workers and investment because of gaps in cultural infrastructure, transportation, workforce development, and access to government programs.
Provide stable, multi-year support for arts and culture
Cultural organizations and creative businesses frequently depend on short-term and unpredictable funding programs, making it difficult to plan, invest, retain workers, develop new productions and experiences, or expand into new markets.
Invest in cultural infrastructure
A competitive arts, culture, and tourism economy depends on appropriate physical infrastructure, but many communities face shortages of modern, affordable, and purpose-built cultural spaces.
Improve cultural sector economic and workforce data
Governments, businesses, cultural organizations, and economic development agencies lack sufficiently frequent and detailed data on the economic impact, workforce, demographics, and investment needs of Canada’s cultural and creative industries, particularly at the regional level.
Protect Canadian cultural intellectual property in the age of AI
Rapid developments in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are creating new ways to produce and distribute creative work, but Canada’s intellectual property and copyright frameworks have not kept pace with questions around AI-generated works, artist likenesses, digital replicas, and ownership of cultural content.
Grow cultural exports and international market access
Canadian arts, cultural, tourism, and creative businesses have substantial export potential, but limited international marketing, market-development supports, and coordination have made it more difficult for them to reach global audiences and attract international investment.
Develop coordinated cultural economic strategies
Arts, culture, tourism, and the creative industries are major contributors to the economy, but government policy for these sectors is often fragmented across culture, tourism, trade, investment, infrastructure, and workforce programs.
Include performing arts in apprenticeship programs
Despite the high skill and training involved in jobs in the performing arts, these are not included in formal apprenticeship programs, making training haphazard, non-standardized, and underfunded.
Extend the Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program
The Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program leverages relatively small grants into huge economic impacts, particularly in the tourism sector, and there is room to expand this effectively.