Music Canada applauds BC Liberals recommitment to BC Music Fund in 2017 platform

Music Canada applauds British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberal Party’s recommitment to the B.C. Music Fund in the party’s 2017 election platform. The platform, titled ‘Strong BC, Bright Future’, commits to invest an additional $15 million in the BC Music Fund over the next three years.

The BC Music Fund was launched by Premier Clark in 2016, with a $15 million grant as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect and promote the province’s music industry. Administered by Creative BC, the Fund has various streams to support the province’s music ecosystem, including Sound Recording, Live Music, Research, Industry Initiatives, Careers of BC Artists, Music Company Development, as well as new Innovation and Signature Artist Programs that were announced last week.

“I am delighted to see Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberals pledge an additional $15 million to the BC Music Fund in their 2017 platform,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “The Government of BC has shown a belief in the power of music as a driver of employment and tourism, as well as pride in its incredible local artists, studios, labels, cultures and industry. I applaud this proposed BC Music Fund extension, along with other recommendations from Music Canada’s BC music report, like red tape reduction, that have already been implemented.”

The B.C. Liberal platform highlights the fact that with 24,800 artists, British Columbia is home to more artists per capita than any other province. The platform notes that B.C. is the third largest centre for music production in Canada, with more than 80 independent labels, 123 studios, and hundreds of music publishers, managers, and other businesses involved in the sector.

A comprehensive BC Music Strategy was one of the recommendations from the BC’s Music Sector – From Adversity to Opportunity report that was released by Music Canada last year. The report examined the province’s music assets and provided recommendations to position the province to compete in an increasingly global marketplace while also creating more opportunities for emerging BC artists to succeed and earn a living from their music.