Toronto, November 5, 2025
The Creative Industries Coalition will continue to advocate for support to creative working people and new jobs in the creative industries sector in the future. Our national coalition has been advocating for a Live Performing Arts Tax Credit to incentivize private sector investments in nation-building projects celebrating our stories and music, developing new talent, protecting and enhancing our national and regional cultural sovereignty – all at a time when Canada is at risk.
The Creative Industries Coalition is a broad national collective of unions, industry associations, venue owners and operators as well as producers that have been advocating for several years to replicate the success of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit by introducing a similar labour-based tax credit to spur private sector investment in communities across Canada in every region of Canada’s Live Performing Arts Sector.
Last week The Canadian Chamber of Commerce released “Artworks – The Economic and Social Dividends from Canada’s Arts and Culture Sector” highlighting the significant economic footprint of the arts and culture sector. Key findings include:
- Arts and Culture Sector contributed more than $65 Billion to direct GDP in Canada in 2024
- The total economic impact of the Sector is over $100 Billion in GDP
- The Sector supports more jobs per dollar than other keys sector such oil and gas, manufacturing or agriculture
- The sector generates an estimated $17 Billion in federal and provincial tax revenue.
- The sector generates $29 in economic activity for every dollar in federal investment.
The use of a tax credit regime to spur private sector investment already exists across the UK and in several US states including Illinois, New York State, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Louisiana. These measures have had a direct impact on reducing our competitiveness in part by diverting talent, revenue, programming opportunities and capital investments out of Canada.
As Canada faces unprecedented challenges globally, let’s build the infrastructure to tell our stories, strengthen our music, help young people get into show business and make Canadians proud of our people, our values and our unique humour and stories.
- https://chamber.ca/news/arts-and-culture-sector-contributes-131-billion-to-canadas-economy/
- LPTC – Project Brief -EN – Sept 2025.pdf
For information please contact
John Lewis, International Vice President & Director of Canadian Affairs, IATSE
416.362.3569 | jlewis@iatse.net
Who we are:
The Creative Industries Coalition is comprised of the largest unions working in live performance: IATSE (backstage technicians and artisans), Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (performers), Union des Artistes (performers), Canadian Federation of Musicians (musicians), and Associated Designers of Canada (theatrical designers). They have joined forces with PACT (the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, representing theatres in Canada), the Canadian Live Music Association, and Orchestras Canada. This national group has Canada’s leading institutions at the table, including Mirvish Productions, the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
