Value Alberta Venues campaign
West Anthem launching #ValueABVenues campaign to draw attention to Alberta’s live music venues in crisis
West Anthem is engaging in conversation with Alberta’s struggling music venues, exploring new policies that will support the long-term resilience of our music industry infrastructure and Alberta’s economy.
Alberta’s live music venues are in crisis. As an industry centred around gatherings, venues were among the first businesses to close and will be among the last to resume normal operations. Meanwhile, operators are still required to pay significant fixed costs. With little certainty about when live music events will go “back to normal”, the Canadian Live Music Association anticipates that up to 70% of venues across the country will permanently close without additional support.
“Our industry has experienced complete devastation from the pandemic, and we will be among the last to come back. As we move forward working with the government to better understand our industry, we need support to ensure the survival of our ecosystem's infrastructure to ensure that the foundation of the industry, the people, are able to remain in place so we do not suffer an industry brain drain. When the infrastructure and the foundations crumble, we do not get this back.”- Tyson Boyd, Owner and Operator, Starlite Room
Live music venues are a key piece of infrastructure for the province’s music industry, a foundational component and contributor to an industry that produced over $3 billion in economic output in 2017. Music venues need Alberta’s support to maintain this investment, so that live music can again be counted on to deliver on the economic recovery of the province post-Pandemic. Now, more than ever, live music venues need support to continue making these contributions to our province’s culture and economy when it is time for recovery. West Anthem, in partnership with venues across the province, have been exploring meaningful emergency relief policies that could significantly ease the burden on venues and help live music survive this pandemic. These include, but are not limited to:
Expanding the eligibility criteria of provincial and other support programs to include for-profit music venues.
Explore programs to insulate venues from increasing operational costs as we work towards recovery.
Explore an Alberta Live Music Support Fund to provide emergency relief to venues and artists, and financial assistance for pandemic retrofitting.
In the coming months as the economy begins to recover and venues can present live shows again, venues have suggested additional steps that could be taken to ease the cost of re-opening and strengthen the creative sector to become a pivotal part of Alberta’s economy:
Launch a live venue group insurance plan to give venues access to insurance coverage that is no longer being offered through private insurers during the pandemic.
Review Alberta’s conservative capacity limits when it is safe to reopen.
Partner with West Anthem to create an economic strategy table on creative industries to facilitate dialog, resource sharing, and stakeholder engagement on growing the sector and maintaining global competitiveness.
Live music venues are integral to Alberta’s culture and identity. They are essential gathering places for cultural communities, they bring travel and tourism to Alberta, and they support the attraction and retention of young workers in the province. Venues also contribute to Alberta’s economy through employment, providing starting points for up-and-coming artists, and through tourism spending.
“Live music venues contribute to the cultural vibrancy and diversity of this province and are a critical part of the music ecosystem in Alberta,” said Andrew Mosker, Chair of West Anthem. “It is time to recognize this sector of the music industry and its importance within our creative industries as a whole. Ensuring sustainability of live music will help to accelerate Alberta’s recovery and position the province as cultural and industry leaders in Canada.”
In the coming months, West Anthem will continue engaging with Alberta’s music venues to come up with creative solutions to the challenges they face. We will be using the hashtag #ValueABVenues to highlight these recommendations and continue dialog on how to support our venue infrastructure. To join the conversation, please use #ValueABVenues.
Media Contact:
Kaley Beisiegel, West Anthem, Lead Consultant
e. kaley@westanthem.com
p. 780-264-3650
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About West Anthem
West Anthem is a non-profit, non-governmental organization created to share information and foster new conversations that highlight the cultural, social and economic benefits as well as the necessary strategies required for developing music cities in Alberta. West Anthem commissions research studies, produces events, and provides advice to the private and public sectors regarding the development, sustainability, and resilience of the music industry in Alberta. West Anthem’s volunteer steering committee is comprised of individuals who work full-time and/or have significant experience working in the music industry in Alberta. For more information, please visit westanthem.com.
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WHAT IS THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT VENUE COALITION (CIVC)?
CIVC is a collective group of independent venues, agencies, promoters, production companies & festivals, working alongside the Canadian Live Music Association and other Canadian industries, businesses, and non-profits that are advocating for emergency support funding & an economic recovery plan in the live music & touring - Heritage Arts & Culture industry of Canada.
We aim to collectively work together to build a stronger, safer and better supported Canadian music ecosystem, through advocacy and education.
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