Updated AFA response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Alberta has declared a state of public emergency under the Public Health Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit Alberta.ca for updates and information on actions the government is taking to protect Albertans and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.​

To our arts community,

As of March 17, 2020, the Government of Alberta is implementing measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including new restrictions on mass gatherings, which is significantly impacting arts and culture events, programming, and activities.

The AFA recognizes this is an extremely difficult time for artists and arts organizations in our province, and we remain committed to supporting members of Alberta’s arts community who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are actively and as quickly as possible assessing options to best support artists and arts organizations during this time:

• We have updated our website to provide additional information and details to our arts community.
• This page includes a form you can complete about the impacts this crisis is having on your business to assist us in our ongoing response. Operating grant clients will have already received a similar form directly from your grant consultant.
• We are making adjustments to grant reporting and intake timelines where necessary on a case-by-case basis and are posting information about changes to our website.
• We are keeping in close contact with our federal and municipal funding partners in an effort to work together to share information and ideas.
• Specific resources and information to assist you, including available financial supports, can also be found under these useful links.

We will continue to post information and updates there as they become available.

During this difficult time, we encourage fair compensation and reasonable accommodations be provided for individual artists and cultural workers whose contracts and gigs are being postponed or cancelled at this time. It is so important to recognize that an artist’s income can be irregular at the best of times, and it is anticipated that the response to COVID-19 will likely be a prolonged undertaking.

The health and well-being of Alberta artists and arts organizations and the public as a whole is of primary importance to the AFA. As an agency of the Government of Alberta, we are working directly with the Ministry to provide updates, share information, and discuss ways government and the AFA as its conduit, can continue to address this situation.

Your friends at the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

View our earlier message from March 13, 2020.