Report demonstrates economic impact of arts funding in Saskatchewan

People need to understand that the arts have a significant economic impact in the province. A report, released in 2023, showed that for every $1 million invested by the province, SK-Arts-funded organizations were able to leverage over $2 million from the federal government, $1.8 million from the private sector, $1.75M from the municipal government, as well as generating $1.2 million in earned revenue.

The Economic Impact of Arts Organizations Funded by SK Arts, released by Saskatchewan Arts Alliance (SAA), in November 2023, demonstrated the economic contributions made by funded arts groups. The report, based on Statistics Canada input-output multipliers, showed that for every dollar invested by the provincial government, arts organizations generated another $13.70 of economic output.

“People involved in the arts inherently understand the benefits they bring to our quality of life, but there is an ongoing challenge to articulate those benefits to others in a measurable way,” says Em Ironstar, executive director, SAA. “This is something that we needed to be able to accurately talk about... what the arts and culture contribute to the economy of our province.”

The SAA decided to develop the economic impact report to help assist in advocating for increased resources for the arts, says Ironstar. Many arts organizations continue to face financial struggles and more discussions are needed to demonstrate the value of investment in the arts.

“Without those investments at every level, from federal funding to private sector funding, an arts organizations’ ability to leverage additional dollars is really weakened,” Ironstar says.

Since its publication, the SAA has been bringing the report to MLAs across the province, using the data as a starting point to build new relationships with government officials. “We’ve had really meaningful conversations that start from a common starting point of economic impact,” Ironstar says. Going forward, there are plans for SAA to continue building these relationships across the province as part of its advocacy work, aided by further research into the economic impact of the arts.

“It is really important to invest in these arts organizations and experiences, and in the cultural life of our province,” Ironstar says. “This research is building the tools that we need to have these conversations.”