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Collaboration Agreement For The Development Of Arts and Culture In The Francophone Minority Communities Of Canada 2024–2028

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Collaboration Agreement For The Development Of Arts and Culture In The Francophone Minority Communities Of Canada 2024–2028 [PDF version - 203 KB]

Agreement signed on the 31st day of October 2024

Between the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Société Radio-Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, and Telefilm Canada (hereinafter the “federal institutions,” represented by their respective delegates) of the one part, and the Fédération Culturelle Canadienne-Française (hereinafter, the “FCCF,” represented by the chair of the FCCF), of the second part.

Whereas culture, including the arts, is one of the sectors essential to enhancing the vitality of Canada’s Francophone and Acadian communities;

Whereas all the participants in this Agreement recognize that arts and culture are engines of economic and social development, strengthen the capacity of citizens and the vitality and identity of Francophone and Acadian communities, and contribute significantly to the development of the country;

Whereas under section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development, taking into account their uniqueness, diversity and historical and cultural contributions to Canadian society, and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society;

Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to protecting and promoting the French language, recognizing that French is in a minority situation in Canada and North America due to the predominant use of English;

Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to advancing formal, non-formal and informal opportunities for members of English and French linguistic minority communities to pursue quality learning in their own language throughout their lives, including from early childhood to post-secondary education;

Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of protecting and promoting strong artistic and cultural institutions, including FCCF member community organizations, that act as pillars of cultural development on the ground in Francophone minority settings;

Whereas federal institutions must, in accordance with section 41 of the Official Languages Act, take positive measures to ensure the implementation of the above-mentioned Government of Canada commitments;

Whereas the FCCF’s network comprises representatives of national theatre, publishing, song/music, media arts, visual arts, as well as a group of performing arts presentation networks, and representatives from 11 provinces and territories in Canada working directly to foster cultural and artistic development in the Canadian Francophonie (see list in Annex 1);

Whereas the FCCF mobilizes key players from the artistic and cultural sector of the Canadian Francophonie and champions an innovative vision for the sustainable cultural development of that Francophonie;

Whereas the FCCF and its members, given their expertise concerning the needs, challenges and realities associated with artistic and cultural development on the ground, are legitimately positioned to inform the Government of Canada’s priorities for action and promote the full diversity of Francophone cultural expression in Canada and abroad;

Whereas an assessment of the Agreement and its coordination mechanisms, such as working groups, has demonstrated the value of a coordinated approach and active collaboration between the various stakeholders;

Whereas the signatories agree on the principle of contributing resources in support of this Agreement in order to provide the necessary impetus for its overall implementation, to support the work of finding solutions, the taking of concrete positive measures, and collaborating on the sharing of evidence-based data; and

Whereas the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council for the Arts, the National Film Board of Canada, the Société Radio-Canada, Telefilm Canada and the FCCF wish to strengthen their cooperation by renewing this Agreement.

Now therefore, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1 – Background

1.1 Background of the Agreement

In 1998, a first Agreement for the Development of Francophone Arts and Culture in Canada, also known as the Multiparty Cooperation Agreement on Culture, was signed by the federal institutions—Canadian Heritage, the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council for the Arts—and the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française for an initial term of three years, which was subsequently extended a number of times to 2009.

The Société Radio-Canada and the National Film Board of Canada both became signatories to the Agreement, respectively in 2000 and in 2002. In 2009 Telefilm Canada also joined the group of signatories.

The year 2023 marked 25 years of collaboration under the Agreement.

This Agreement is further to an assessment to which all the signatories contributed; they unanimously wish to renew this Agreement for a four-year term.

2 – Agreement objectives

2.1 The purpose of this Agreement is to strengthen coordination and collaboration between the participants while facilitating the fulfillment of their obligations under the Official Languages Act to take concrete positive measures to support the sustainable cultural development of Francophone minority communities and enhance their vitality. The coordination of its various mechanisms facilitates an ongoing dialogue between representatives of federal arts and culture institutions and representatives of organizations working directly on the ground in these communities.

2.2 As part of their mandates, the signatories shall act collectively, wherever possible, to better address the issues and priorities of the Francophone minority community artistic and cultural sector, and to work in concert to strengthen the capacity for artists and the diversity of Francophone cultural expression to flourish in their home communities, across Canada and around the world.

3 – Artistic and cultural sector strategic collaboration themes

In the context of their respective mandates and programs, the signatories shall ensure the implementation of concrete positive measures associated with the strategic collaboration themes set out below, and identify priorities for action based on the terms and conditions set out in Annex 2.

The strategic collaboration themes are as follows:

  1. Canada-wide access to arts and culture for citizens, through improved distribution and increased promotion of artists and cultural products;
  2. Support for the creation of original French-language content in all disciplines and from all regions of the country;
  3. Discoverability, i.e., the visibility and promotion of Francophone content and artists from Francophone minority communities to expand their reach in Canada and elsewhere in the world;
  4. The development of markets and audiences, in Canada and abroad, for Canadian Francophonie arts and culture;
  5. Full recognition of the essential work of artists, artistic and cultural organizations, and artistic practice in the broad sense, as well as the approach to cultural mediation, in order to develop and promote the diversity of cultural expression of the Canadian Francophonie;
  6. Strengthening of the human and financial capacity of the artistic and cultural ecosystem of the Canadian Francophonie to enable its organizations to carry out their regional and disciplinary mandates, work to include all forms of diversity and support institutional completeness in Francophone minority communities;
  7. Support for the professional development and ongoing training of artists and cultural workers in Francophone minority communities;
  8. Production of research, analysis and evidence-based data, in support of partner discussions concerning access to programs and the impact of the positive measures implemented;
  9. Access to and optimal use of artistic and cultural places and infrastructure in the Canadian Francophonie, and sustained support for their environmentally-responsible operation; and
  10. Ongoing support for the digital shift taking place in the artistic and cultural ecosystem, including skills development and optimization of creative technologies, professionalization, and the dissemination of Francophone arts and culture.

4 – Responsibilities of the participants

4.1 Responsibilities of federal institutions

4.1.1 The federal institutions undertake to collaborate, seek synergies, take positive measures and exchange and share information about the strategic themes and priorities for action identified in Article 3, and to contribute resources in keeping with each signatory’s mandate, means, scope of activities and expertise, in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Annex 2.

The Horizontal Policy Directorate of Canadian Heritage and the FCCF, in consultation with the federal institutions, shall coordinate a work process to establish an operational framework for the dialogues and consultations referred to in Annex 2. The purpose of that framework is to develop a meeting schedule that respects the operational realities of all partners. They also work to identify the type of data needed for analyses and the potential resources to support data collection and processing. Finally, they are working to develop evaluation and monitoring mechanisms appropriate to the Agreement.

4.1.2 In carrying out their respective mandates, every federal institution shall, on the basis of analyses, consider the potential for taking positive measures. These analyses shall be founded, to the extent possible, on the results of dialogue and consultation activities, on research and on evidence-based findings.

Wherever possible, the signatories shall submit evidence to support the discussions under the various mechanisms of the Agreement and to assess progress towards the desired impacts in support of development.

The Horizontal Policy Directorate of Canadian Heritage and the FCCF, in consultation with the federal institutions, shall develop a strategy in this regard, the results of which shall be reported to the committee of signatories 12 months after the Agreement comes into force.

4.1.3 The federal institutions undertake to make provisions for their activities related to this Agreement in their respective strategic plans and to report on these as part of the implementation of section 41 of the Official Languages Act.

4.2 Responsibilities of the FCCF

4.2.1 The FCCF undertakes to coordinate the community side of the Agreement, i.e., the stakeholders in the artistic and cultural sector of the Canadian Francophonie, to inform the federal institutions of the needs and realities of Francophone minority communities in order to reach agreement on common priorities and guide positive measures in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Annex 2 of the Agreement.

4.2.2 The FCCF undertakes to incorporate the activities related to this Agreement into its strategic planning and to report on those activities, particularly in its annual reports.

4.3 The roles of the participants are set out in Annex 2.

5 – Assessment

5.1 One year before expiration, an assessment of the implementation of the Agreement shall be carried out through the mechanism set out in Annex 2, to inform the renewal of the Agreement.

5.2 The participants agree that the assessment shall cover the Agreement objectives and be carried out through the mechanism set out in Annex 2.

6 – Term

6.1 This Agreement shall take effect on the date on which it is signed by all the participants and shall terminate, barring its cancellation beforehand, on March 31, 2028.

7 – Amendment

7.1 This Agreement may be amended with the written consent of all the participants or any person duly authorized to represent them, including, but not limited to, any signatories added during the term of the Agreement.

8 – Communications

8.1 The participants agree that it is important to provide the Canadian public with appropriate information about this Agreement and the measures adopted hereunder.

8.2 The participants agree that the full text of this Agreement will be available to the Canadian public.

9 – Annexes

9.1 The following annexes are an integral part of this Agreement:

Annex 1: Members of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française

Annex 2: Mechanisms for the administration, coordination and assessment of the Agreement

In witness whereof, the duly authorized representatives have signed this Agreement.

For the federal institutions

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge
Minister of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages

Christopher Deacon
President and CEO
National Arts Centre

Michelle Chawla
Director and CEO
Canada Council for the Arts

Dany Meloul
Executive Vice-President, French Services
Société Radio-Canada

Suzanne Guèvremont
Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada

Julie Roy
Executive Director and CEO
Telefilm Canada

For the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française

Nancy Juneau
President

Marie-Christine Morin
Executive Director

Heads of FCCF member organizations

Annex 1

Members of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française

Lisa Breton
Executive Director
Alliance culturelle de l'Ontario (ACO)

Carol Ann Pilon
Executive Director
Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)

Clotilde Heibing
Executive Director
Alliance nationale de l'industrie musicale (ANIM)

Carmen Gibbs
Executive Director
Association acadienne des artistes professionnel.le.s du Nouveau-Brunswick (AAAPNB)

Elise Anne Laplante
Co-Executive Director
Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones (AGAVF)

Lindsay Tremblay
Executive Director
Association des théâtres francophones du Canada (ATFC)

Isabelle Salesse
Executive Director
Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY)

Ginette Lavack
Executive Director
Centre culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM)

Jean-François Packwood
Executive Director
Conseil culturel et artistique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CCAFCB)

Dany Rousseau
Co-Executive Director
Conseil culturel fransaskois (CCF)

Marie-Thérèse Landry
Executive Director
Conseil provincial des sociétés culturelles (CPSC)

Luc d'Eon
Executive Director
Fédération culturelle acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FECANE)

Ghislaine Cormier
Executive Director
Fédération culturelle de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard (FCIPÉ)

Edouard Lamontagne
Executive Director
Fédération culturelle de la Francophonie manitobaine (FCFM)

Gaël Corbineau
Executive Director
Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (FFTNL)

Audrey Fournier
Executive Director
Fédération franco-ténoise (FFT)

Raphaël Freynet
Executive Director
Regroupement artistique francophone de l'Alberta (RAFA)

Bruno Boëz
Executive Director
Regroupement des artistes cinéastes de la francophonie canadienne (RACCORD)

Piedad Saenz
Executive Director
Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC)

Erick-Louis Champagne
Coordinator
Réseau national des galas de la chanson (RNGC)

Marie Ève Chassé
Representative
Scènes francophones (SF)

Annex 2

Mechanisms for the administration, coordination and assessment of the Agreement

Committee of signatories

A committee of signatories meets annually to discuss the operation of the Agreement. This committee, co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage and the President of the FCCF, comprises one representative at the executive level designated by each of the participants. This representative becomes the key contact person for the Agreement. If one of the co-chairs cannot be present during a meeting, this role may be delegated to a person from their organization.

In general, and on an ongoing basis, the signatories champion the importance of the Agreement and its objectives within their respective institutions, in addition to engaging their internal teams in implementing positive measures.

During the annual meeting of the committee of signatories, the members of the committee discuss the cross-cutting issues covered by the Agreement, as well as the general progress of the work. They agree on the supports and collaborations to be prioritized in future.

The signatories are expected to prioritize the cross-cutting issues covered by the Agreement, on which there is consensus:

  1. The digital shift
  2. Evidence and research
  3. Positive measures
  4. Labour shortages

These cross-cutting priorities are subject to change as the context, issues and priorities evolve.

The committee of signatories can also create a new working group to study one or more priorities for action (for example: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). It may also terminate the mandate of a working group, by mutual agreement, when that group has finished its work.

Working groups

Working groups are currently active in the following areas: media arts, visual arts, song/music, theatre and publishing. These are major coordinating mechanisms in the Agreement.

These working groups are a forum for coordination and collaboration between Francophone organizations in the artistic and cultural sector and their partners from federal institutions in furtherance of the Agreement objectives. The purpose of their dialogue is to guide the implementation of concrete positive measures in support of the cultural development of Francophone minority communities.

They may be called on to work on the priorities for action identified by the committee of signatories.

These working groups may be interdisciplinary and therefore include external participants—such as, but not limited to, federal institutions—as guests when their contribution is deemed necessary or useful in meeting the Agreement’s objectives.

The FCCF (through its members in the artistic and cultural sector) and the federal institutions concerned participate in the planning and implementation of the work of each working group. Each of the working groups is co-chaired on a voluntary basis by one FCCF representative and one representative from the federal institutions.

The working group co-chairs are responsible for reporting annually to the committee of signatories on the progress of their group’s work and discussions.

The Horizontal Policy Directorate works closely with the co-chairs of the working groups to identify and invite the representatives from the federal institutions and the different sectors of the Department of Canadian Heritage that should participate in these meetings.

The target frequency of working group meetings is at least twice per four-year period of the Agreement, or as needed.

In order to ensure that they have the appropriate tools, the working groups can rely on:

Bilateral meetings with the signatories to the Agreement

In the spirit of cooperation established by the Agreement, the FCCF organizes bilateral meetings with the executives and senior managers of the federal institutions twice per four-year period of the Agreement or as needed. These meetings, attended by the FCCF with a delegation of its members, are an opportunity to review the implementation of positive measures in support of the Agreement objectives, and to prioritize potential future collaboration.

The Horizontal Policy Directorate participates in these meetings as an observer, in its role of overall coordinator of the Agreement

Agreement monitoring and assessment mechanisms

The participants agree to take the measures needed to assess their own initiatives, policies and programs in the context of their respective reporting.

One year before the Agreement expires, an assessment of the implementation of the Agreement will be carried out to inform the renewal of the Agreement. The participants will meet to establish the basis for their future collaboration and assess the results of their collaboration, including the achievement of the Agreement objectives and the implementation of positive measures, as well as to address any other priorities for action identified by the committee of signatories.

In collaboration with the committee of signatories, the Official Languages Branch will be responsible for planning and coordinating the exercise, developing the assessment framework, and ensuring the participation in this assessment of all signatories and other parties involved, which it will identify.

Coordination roles

Canadian Heritage’s Horizontal Policy Directorate is responsible for overall coordination of the Agreement. This includes organizing meetings of the committee of signatories and the working groups, while respecting the monitoring and assessment mechanisms set out above.

The Directorate also provides secretarial support for these meetings, continuously analyzing the results of the discussions between the working groups, including bilateral discussions and meetings of the signatories, as well as ensuring bilateral production of the relevant data by the Agreement’s signatory institutions in connection with the work being done through its various mechanisms. This analysis work informs the necessary follow-ups with the relevant federal institutions and facilitates the exchange of pertinent information between meetings, thereby strengthening collaboration on the implementation of positive measures.

In addition, the Directorate prepares meeting minutes and distributes them to the relevant stakeholders. Once the minutes are approved by the community and the federal institutions, the Directorate shares final versions on the GCcollab platform.

The FCCF coordinates secretarial support for the community side of the Agreement to support the work being done by its members in collaboration with the signatories to find solutions, contribute to the implementation of positive measures, and continue to provide training and information and solicit participation in the various mechanisms of the Agreement.

The FCCF prepares the minutes of the bilateral meetings. Once the minutes are approved by the community and the federal institutions, the FCCF submits them to the Horizontal Policy Directorate of Canadian Heritage.

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