Summary of the Evaluation of the Canada Arts Training Fund 2018-19 to 2022-23

Evaluation Services Directorate
19 December 2023

On this page

• Overview
• Findings
  • Relevance
  • Equity
  • Effectiveness
  • Efficiency
• Recommendations

List of acronyms and abbreviations

CATF

Canada Arts Training Fund

Alternate format

Summary of the Evaluation of the Canada Arts Training Fund 2018-19 to 2022-23 [PDF version - 355 KB]

List of tables

• Table 1: contribution amounts ($ millions) and number of organizations funded
• Table 2: number of funding applications by fiscal year
• Table 3: proportion of organizations funded (%)
• Table 4: percentage of graduates who found work (%)

Overview

The Canada Arts Training Fund (CATF) provides financial support to the highest level arts training organizations in Canada.

The CATF contributes to the development of artists in their various artistic disciplines, helping them prepare for a national or international career in the arts.

The evaluation examined the program’s relevance, equity, effectiveness and efficiency from 2018-19 to 2022-23, with a focus on access for equity groups and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Relevance

The evaluation found that the CATF remains relevant and essential to the arts and culture ecosystem by ensuring that artists have access to high-quality training.

The main need of recipient organizations is the development of student entrepreneurial and digital skills.

The number of organizations funded and the amount of funding for the CATF increased over the evaluation period.

Fiscal year	Contribution amounts (M$)	Organizations funded
2018-19	22.7	36
2019-20	22.8	35
2020-21	22.8	37
2021-22	22.8	39
2022-23	25.2	41

Source: Grants and Contribution Information Management System data and internal administrative data from the CATF

Note: Does not include funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The CATF ensured that recipient organizations continued to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing specific funding. 33 organizations received $7.7 million. The longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still present for some recipient organizations.

Demand for CATF funding was strong and increased throughout the evaluation period.

Fiscal year	Total applications	Applications accepted
2018-19	34	27
2019-20	25	17
2020-21	37	31
2021-22	47	42
2022-23	54	35

Source: Grants and Contribution Information Management System data

Note: Does not include applications for funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of applications accepted does not equal the number of organizations funded by fiscal year due to the multi-year funding contribution agreements.

Equity

The mandate of the CATF to fund high-calibre organizations is rooted in a Eurocentric paradigm that continues to limit access for equity groups.

The CATF increased both funding levels and the number of equity group organizations funded by waiving certain eligibility criteria.

Fiscal Year	European tradition	Indigenous	Racialized	People with disabilities
2018-19	78	8	11	3
2019-20	77	9	11	3
2020-21	75	11	11	3
2021-22	72	13	13	2
2022-23	71	12	12	5

Source: Grants and Contribution Information Management System data and internal administrative data from the CATF

Effectiveness

The CATF generally achieved its desired results over the short, medium and long term.

CATF recipient organizations provide high-quality training due, in particular, to the quality of their staff, the selective admission of their students and the recognition of their students and graduates.

Most graduates from CATF recipient organizations obtained work in their field.

Fiscal Year	Graduates who found work
2018-19	85
2019-20	78
2020-21	74
2021-22	89

Source: Internal CATF data

The satisfaction rate among employers of artists trained by CATF organizations is:

• 93% in 2015
• 90% in 2019

Source: Survey of Training of Professional Artists in Canada: Perceptions of Employers (2015, 2019)

CATF funding allowed recipient organizations to be viable and develop better programming. The Program contributes to Canadians recognizing and benefiting from the work of professional Canadian artists.

7 out of 10 Canadians feel that artistic and cultural events are important to their quality of life.

Source: Survey on Access and Availability of Arts and Heritage in Canada (2020-2021)

The evaluation identified some performance measurement issues. These issues impacted the ability to measure and report certain results.

Efficiency

In general, the CATF is delivered efficiently:

• The process for allocating funds is clear and rigorous.
• Communication from program staff to recipient organizations is appreciated.
• Funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were delivered efficiently.
• The contribution’s administrative ratio of 3.91% is lower than the two previous evaluations (3.93% in 2019 and 5.79% in 2014).

Issues remain for some CATF administrative processes:

• The admission criteria are not flexible enough, particularly for equity groups.
• Reporting and funding application are cumbersome processes.
• The service standard for funding decisions was not met due to the particularly demanding context: the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional funding in 2022–23.

Recommendations

Considering the findings, the evaluation recommends that the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs:

1. Continue the work undertaken since the last evaluation to ensure better access for equity groups, by reviewing:
   1. the Program’s structure, to reconcile the CATF mandate and the priority of supporting training organizations for equity groups;
   2. the logic model and indicators related to expected results, taking into account the realities of equity groups.
2. Review the funding application and reporting processes to reduce the administrative burden and improve the client experience and the quality of the data collected.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, 2024
Catalogue No.: CH7-19/2-2024E-PDF
ISBN: 978-0-660-70784-6