Federally-backed study on social impact of arts to be used to justify funding
OTTAWA — As the federal government looks to new ways to fund social programs, the arts community is looking for new ways of its own to justify why it deserves money.
Officials in the arts sector and Canadian Heritage quietly decided last year they need to measure social impacts of investments in culture and the arts, such as their effects on well-being, and willingness to pay for a show or service.
They agreed to have a third-party conduct a study that would be a first for Canada by putting a more critical eye to claims linking social benefits to cultural activities.
The details of the arts project are contained in a project proposal obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.