The report was produced by a Status of the Artist task force composed of professional artists, as well as stakeholders from the arts and culture community including representatives from the Association acadienne des artistes professionnel.le.s du Nouveau Brunswick, ArtsLink NB, and the New Brunswick Arts Board. In addition, the task force included representatives and subject matter experts from the Departments of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture; Finance and Treasury Board; Executive Council Office; Education and Early Childhood Development; Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour; Social Development; WorkSafe NB; and the Office of the Premier.
The report highlights 24 recommendations, which address the improvement of the socioeconomic status of professional artists.
- Establish a transition committee
- Adopt a definition of professional artist
- Develop and adopt a status of the artist legislation
- Include provisions in a status of the artist legislation
- Recognize invisible work
- Advocate for fair taxation of digital giants
- Revise the copyright act
- Introduce resale rights for visual artists
- Make written contracts mandatory
- Establish minimum fee scales
- Modify tax measures
- Increase funding for arts programs in schools
- Hire New Brunswick artists first
- Strengthen the public art policy for New Brunswick
- Establish an artist-in-residence program and strengthen current program
- Establish a guideline for examining and adapting social protection schemes
- Explore the establishment of a guaranteed annual income program
- Explore a portable benefit model
- Include invisible work in the calculation of pension contributions
- Adapt and strengthen the Canada Pension Plan
- Review and adapt the existing employment insurance measures to professional artists
- Document barriers to childcare accessibility
- Document workplace injuries and sickness and propose means of prevention
- Conduct a feasibility study on career transition programs and services for artists
