Artists and musicians in Québec have started a petition calling on governments at the federal and provincial level to provide compensation for freelance performers in the wake of a week of devastating cancellations in the culture sector.
According to the current guidelines, events with crowds of more than 250 people should be cancelled. Organizers of smaller events are advised to check with their local public health board for updated guidelines.
“We the undersigned freelance artists and cultural workers are calling on the provincial and federal governments to urgently compensate for the loss of income caused by the cancellation of cultural events due to COVID-19,” the petition begins.
The petition recognizes that cancellation of large public gatherings is in the interests of the community and public health in general. However, the situation does leave artists who depend on income from performances and other events struggling, with no firm end in sight.
Typical artist contracts do contain a cancellation clause, however, any penalties are waived in the case of what is known in the insurance industry as an Act of God — like the Coronavirus. It means that artists who work on a freelance basis are left out in the cold.
The petition was started by Montreal musician Jeffrey Stonehouse, a flutist, conductor, and music educator. He is an active chamber and orchestral musician, and co-founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Paramirabo, an organization dedicated to the work of emerging Canadian and Québecois composers. In addition to the federal and Québecois provincial governments, he’s directing the petition to the Canada and Montréal Arts Councils, Heritage Canada, and other government cultural offices.
The global pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time for most performing artists, with a busy spring season and summer festivals typically looming.
“Many artists are already living in a precarious financial situation. Absorbing a loss of income for 4 to 6 weeks at peak season is unsustainable,” Stonehouse notes in the petition at change.org.
The petition calls for immediate assistance for musicians and other artists whose livelihood had been affected by the cancellations.
As of writing, tally was climbing above 18,400 signatures. Details.
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