The #FairnessForArtsON initiative is a call for action to address regulatory fairness in Ontario’s reopening plan to support the Arts and Culture sector that is currently at stake.
Bandology supports the Fairness for Arts Ontario movement endorsed by wide variety of organizations and performers, including the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Live Music Association, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Stratford Festival. The performing arts industry has suffered greatly due to the pandemic and we are saddened to see it not be properly addressed in the government’s reopening plan.
In Canada, “the arts, entertainment and recreation sector accounted for 25,3% of the employment decline in the whole economy (-598,300) since the beginning of the pandemic” (Capacoa). It is imperative that the arts and culture industry be given improved guidelines for reopening so that performing artists and musicians alike can get back to practicing their crafts safely.
You can help by contacting the Premier, elected MPP’s, the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries and local municipal leaders by phone or by writing them letters, as well as by raising awareness on social media using the hashtag #FairnessForArtsON. In letters to your politicians, make sure to include that you want a response back and leave your number; there is a higher chance that they will get back to you to address your concerns.
To learn more about this plea for regulatory fairness, check out the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology or this article in the Toronto Star to understand why this call to action is so important for performing artists.
Canadian Association for the Performing Arts. (n.d.). Covid Impact Statistics. https://capacoa.ca/en/research/covid-impact-statistics/