Artist/Creatives survey to inform Canadian Heritage policy, programs and support

Canadian Heritage hopes to get a handle on the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on Canadian artists and content creators through a new survey launched today.

The survey aims to create an updated portrait of the artistic and creative community in Canada. The data gathered will inform current and future Canadian Heritage policies and programs, ensuring the department continues to be responsive to the realities of the creative sector.

To that end, Indigenous peoples are being asked to self-identify, according to the survey.

“Obtaining demographic information from Canadian artists and content creators will be key to helping us ensure the relevance of future policy and program development for diverse groups,” reads the survey. Also as a demographic are those living in remote and northern communities and those who live on First Nations reserves.

Indigenous participants are also being asked to self-identify as Métis, First Nation or Inuit and to indicate if and which Indigenous language they speak most often at home.

Participants are also asked whether their self-identification is a central aspect in their artistic or creative work.

“Canada needs a vibrant and thriving creative sector. The information gained from this survey will be essential in our future work supporting Canadian artists and content creators as they continue to face the ongoing economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault.

 The results of the survey will be used to help the department develop a more complete picture of the economic and work circumstances affecting the creative practices of artists and content creators.

The survey is open but not limited to writers, visual artists, performing artists, musical artists and audio-visual directors. It is also open to people who hold multiple jobs and may not consider their creative work as their primary occupation.

The Canadian Artists and Content Creators Economic Survey is open from May 10 to June 18, 2021. It is anonymous and will take about 20 minutes to complete. Fill out the online survey here.