SAA Responds to CTF’s Misleading Claims on Arts Funding
Our Response to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Statement on SK Arts Funding
*Add your voice to our letter-writing campaign to advocate on a fully funded SK Arts!
*Catch our Executive Director, Em Ironstar, on the topic: CBC Radio, August 5, 2025.
July 31, 2025
The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance (SAA) strongly rejects the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s recent statement mischaracterizing public investment in the arts. Their framing of SK Arts grants as “wasteful spending” is not a serious fiscal critique – it’s political theatre that mocks artists and distorts the reality of how public funding serves the public good.
Let’s be clear: SK Arts-funded organizations are an economic driver, generating over $92 million in economic output annually, with $74 million of that impact occurring within Saskatchewan alone. According to the latest data from Statistics Canada (2023), the arts and culture sector contributes over $1 billion in GDP and supports nearly 13,000 jobs across the province.
Public investment in the arts is just that: an investment. It builds long-term infrastructure in rural and urban communities, strengthens tourism, supports mental health and education, and boosts civic engagement. Funding programs like those run by SK Arts aren’t handouts – they’re foundational to ensuring artists can develop their practice, reach audiences, and contribute meaningfully to community life. The returns are social, cultural, and economic.
Saskatchewan artists are teachers, neighbours, culture keepers, and entrepreneurs. Their work shapes how we understand ourselves and each other. From small towns to northern communities, arts programs bring people together, create jobs, and enrich everyday life.
This is not a sector of elites. Artists in Saskatchewan work in every corner of the province, often with limited resources, delivering programming that brings people together. In fact, 85% of Saskatchewan residents say that arts experiences are a valuable way of connecting people from different languages and cultural traditions. The same percentage believes arts and culture make their communities better places to live.
Taking grant descriptions out of context may make for good headlines, but it doesn’t reflect the reality of artistic work. Whether exploring identity, telling overlooked stories, or creating space for community expression, these projects reflect a wide range of creative voices in Saskatchewan. Supporting artists at all stages of their careers – including during research and development, is how great work gets made.
The reality is that SK Arts funding has not kept pace with inflation. In 2009, SK Arts received $8.5 million in provincial funding. Adjusted for inflation, that would be approximately $12.3 million today. Instead, funding has remained flat or declined, hovering below $7 million since 2017. The SAA has calculated that it would take approximately a $6 million increase, just 0.03% of Saskatchewan’s annual budget, to restore funding to sustainable levels.
It’s also important to put SK Arts funding in context. Arts organizations in Saskatchewan are not dependent on a single source of government support. In fact, only 12% of their total revenue comes from the provincial government. The rest is drawn from a highly diversified base: 25% from the federal government, 22% from the private sector, 21% from municipalities, and over 15% from earned revenue like ticket sales, merch, and program fees. The same is true for individual artists. This means Saskatchewan’s arts sector is already doing what taxpayers want—working hard, raising their own funds, and leveraging government support into far greater impact. Public investment through SK Arts acts as catalyst funding, helping artists and organizations unlock additional revenue from other sectors and levels of government. Cutting this modest investment would have outsized ripple effects across the entire ecosystem.
And let’s talk about audiences. It’s easy to mock view counts on YouTube, but they can be misleading. Live events, concerts, festivals, school workshops, Indigenous storytelling programs, exhibitions in libraries and community halls—these are where the arts meet people. Research shows that cost is the top barrier preventing more people from attending arts events in Saskatchewan. That’s why public funding is essential. It keeps events affordable, supports local artists, and ensures access for everyone, not just those who can pay full price.
We support SK Arts and its peer-reviewed, arms-length adjudication process. Artists in Saskatchewan don’t need to justify their work to ideologically driven lobbyists. They are workers, creators, educators, and contributors to our public life.
Public arts funding is an investment in who we are and who we want to be. Saskatchewan deserves a vibrant, accessible arts sector that reflects the full diversity and creativity of its people. That’s not a waste – it’s a priority worth defending.
More on the Topic:
In response, the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance is launching a public letter-writing campaign calling on the Government of Saskatchewan to increase SK Arts’ base funding by $6 million.
What is the value of Supporting the Arts, Blue Sky with Sam Maciag. August 7, 2025.
SAA Executive Director, Em Ironstar, on the topic: CBC Radio, August 5, 2025
Canadian Taxpayers Federation has 5 members — why should we care what they think?
