To our community of artists, cultural workers, and organizations: 
Please know that we at CARFAC stand in solidarity with your concerns over COVID-19 and the ever-changing situation we are facing here at home and abroad. We are committed to providing our community and colleagues with the best available resources and we urge everyone to follow the recommended safety precautions as advised by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
As the situation continues to unfold, we have a few recommendations:
Begin tracking your income losses due to cancelled exhibitions, reproductions, or travel related to your work. We are in talks with the Government and with other arts organizations to come up with a plan on how to support artists, cultural workers, and service organizations. This data will help determine what that will look like. You may find it convenient to use the Loss of Revenues document for this purpose. You are welcome to share this information with us and your regional branch of CARFAC, if you so choose. We are grateful to build on this useful tool, primarily developed by the Craft Alliance Atlantic Association.
Stay connected to your communities by telephone, email, letter writing, video-chat, and online groups. We should physically distance ourselves, but it’s important to stay socially connected. (ie: your CARFAC provincial office). Most of us are working from home and still running “business as usual” – but with modified services.
Go directly to reputable and accredited sources for information. CARFAC National will regularly share information on social media, and here are a few resources that you may find helpful:
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
-
Government introduces Canada Emergency Response Benefit to help workers and businesses (March 25, 2020)
- Federal Assistance Updates
- Canadian Recovery Benefit
- Questions and Answers about Canadian Recovery Benefit
- Canadian Emergency Response Benefit
- Questions and Answers on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
-
Canada Council for the Arts – many provincial arts organizations are also sharing information
- Canada Council for the Arts -Better understanding the arts sector in a time of pandemic
- I Lost My Gig Canada – A space for creative industries and other vulnerable freelance and gig economy workers to connect and share stories in response to growing income precarity in Canada.
- CHRC: Cultural sector resources for businesses and individuals
- Reopening resources (Canadian Museums Association) Here, museums can find a collection of resources from both Canadian and non-Canadian sources, pertaining to the reopening of museums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- CBC resource list, including emergency funding for artists, online training, health resources, and temporary/remote jobs
- Resources for Canadian artists, writers, and media workers during COVID-19 shutdowns
- Support from Canadian financial institutions
- BC Alliance for Arts and Culture – list of resources for artists and cultural workers
- CSARN – list of current provincial and territorial protocols
- Digital Main Street – Resources for Small Business During COVID-19
- Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance’s Zoom webinars, Working Through This. Free and open to artists and arts organizations all across the country.
- CARFAC Sask Emergency Relief Fund
- Access Copyright Emergency Relief Fund – Emergency relief funding to Canadian writers and visual artists facing lost income because of the global COVID-19 pandemic
- Curating Care – honorariums for Independent INDIGENOUS Curators and Artists
- The Photographer Fund – $25,000 fund to help self-employed photographers facing hardship
- Emergency Survival Fund for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, tip-based workers
- AFC Funding
- 25+ Sites for Finding Remote Work
- How to stay connected during self isolation – some useful tips
- Crisis Services Canada – Suicide prevention and support
As you’ve heard many times over the past few days, information on the situation is changing rapidly and daily. CARFAC is doing everything we can to support artists by collaborating with our colleagues in the arts sector as well as Government, to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to those who have lost wages, fees and royalties, and work opportunities because of various closures.
CARFAC National staff are continuing to serve our members and the public and we can be contacted directly by email:
- Shewit Kalaty, Director of Artist Services
- Renuka Bauri, Director of Communications and Advocacy
- April Britski, Executive Director
Phone calls to the National office will not be answered but we will be checking messages. Please include your name, phone number, and email address so that we can respond accordingly.
Stay safe, everyone!
Photo: Stephanie Obodda (Some rights reserved)