Canadian Heritage

Opening remarks

Shen Yun is deeply connected to Canadians' right to present lawful artistic and cultural expression, free from foreign state intimidation. Members of the Canadian Falun Dafa community, who help present Shen Yun, are entitled, under the Charter of Rights and Canadian law, to participate fully in Canadian cultural life without fear, intimidation or foreign interference. Our recommendations to the committee are the following. Canadian Heritage should establish federal guidance and response protocols for publicly funded cultural institutions facing foreign state intimidation. Rental decisions under such circumstances should not be treated as private business matters. Publicly funded venues and Crown corporations, including the NAC, should receive training on foreign interference, transnational repression and diplomatic pressure tactics. The NAC should be directed to offer Shen Yun dates to perform in Ottawa. Public security agencies—the RCMP, CSE, CSIS and local police services—should assess and investigate the broader pattern of foreign interference and transnational crime targeting the cultural sector, including the threats and intimidation campaigns, not merely as isolated…

Opening remarks

Thank you, everybody. I'm speaking to you from Regina, Saskatchewan, also known as “Pile of Bones”, located on Treaty No. 4, the homeland of the Nêhiyawak; the Anihšināpēk; the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota peoples; and the Métis. I have the privilege of serving as the artistic director of the Globe Theatre. It is located in the heart of downtown Regina, with an operating budget of over $5 million. I'm going to speak about the Globe as one example of an arts organization's life in its community. For 60 years, the Globe Theatre has been a cornerstone of cultural life in Saskatchewan's capital city and in southern Saskatchewan. Like many cultural institutions across the country, we play a significant role in the social, economic and artistic life of our communities. The Globe itself has a remarkable history. Founded in 1966, it was Saskatchewan's first professional theatre, and it remains the country's only permanent professional theatre-in-the-round. Our home is the historic Prince Edward Building, now known as MacCorquodale Place, in the heart of downtown Regina. I want to note that we're in the final chapter of a transformative $48-million renewal project—the results of years…

Opening remarks

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Regroupement des festivals régionaux artistiques indépendants, which represents more than 130 festivals in Quebec, now also brings together francophone festivals elsewhere in Canada. Our sphere of influence is therefore not just in Quebec. I would like to talk to you about a situation now playing out in Canada and in Quebec. This is the dominance of a group called Live Nation, especially in Montreal. It owns 49% of a group called Evenko. The 49% gives it significant influence and allows it to keep obtaining support from grants, since the company remains Canadian. The group formed by Evenko and Live Nation owns seven festivals in Quebec and six venues. Elsewhere in Canada, its position is even more dominant. In Toronto, for example, it owns all major events and all venues. It has a significant impact on the music scene in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec. The monopoly is a real threat to Quebec's—not to say Canada's—cultural sovereignty. We have frequently condemned this group's dominant position in Quebec to federal, provincial and municipal government authorities, from whom the group receives significant grants. The group's dominance is even…

Opening remarks

Hello, everyone. Thank you, Madam Chair. Members of the committee, thank you for including us in this study. My name is Jon Weisz and I am the founder and executive director of Scènes de musique alternatives du Québec, or SMAQ. The association was founded in 2018 and today brings together more than sixty independent performance facilities throughout Quebec. Independent performance facilities have a central role in the music ecosystem because they can accommodate the major transformations in the way culture is available. Today, more than 80% of live, professional music performances in Quebec take place in independent facilities. They are the laboratories of artistic innovation. For the public, they also play a major role in discoverability, as they introduce artists from Quebec and Canada in person. These venues also contribute to the vitality of local economies by attracting audiences to neighbourhoods, to municipalities and to regions. Today, more than 75% of artists' income is from touring. Independent performance facilities are therefore essential for their financial stability and for the development of their careers in the long term. The first challenge that independent…