What's New > CITT/ICTS Submits First Brief for Federal Pre-Budget
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CITT/ICTS submitted its first Federal Pre-Budget 2026 brief, which focuses on the Live Performing Arts Accelerator (LPAA) and calls for increased investment in the Canada Council for the Arts.
Summary of the Submission:
INTRODUCTION
CITT/ICTS (Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology / Institut canadien des technologies scénographiques) is a national, member-based, not-for-profit arts service organization. Its mission is to actively support the development of technical arts professionals within the live arts and performing community across Canada, ensuring a vibrant, sustainable, and safe environment for all involved. CITT/ICTS has five regional sections (Alberta, Quebec, the Prairies, British Columbia, and Ontario) and offers accessible professional development opportunities across the country in English and French.
CITT/ICTS members represent a wide range of expertise that spans the technical side of the performing arts sector (e.g., production managers, stage carpentry, lighting, sound, video, wardrobe design and architecture). Technical artists are often unseen by audiences attending events, but the roles they play are essential. Whether it’s sound engineers enabling audiences to hear each note, lighting designers creating immersive atmospheres, or set designers building the world in which a performance unfolds, the contributions of CITT/ICTS’ members are vital to the success of any live performing arts production.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada invests in and implements the Live Performing Arts Accelerator, a labour-based live performing arts tax credit for performing arts organizations (both nonprofit and commercial), to increase capacity, cultural sovereignty, and economic growth in the Canadian live performing arts industry.
• Recommendation 2: That the government of Canada provide an additional $140 million annual investment to the Canada Council for the Arts, starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, to stabilize and strengthen Canada’s arts sector.
CONTEXT FOR LIVE PERFORMING ARTS ACCELERATOR & CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
Tariffs, economic downturn, cuts to college programs, and a shifting political climate are collectively placing strain on Canada’s live events and performing arts sector. As a result, there is an increased need for capacity-building initiatives to strengthen the sector, particularly from a labour perspective. Ensuring a pipeline of properly trained backstage professionals is crucial to addressing the current labour shortage and maintaining the high quality of productions presented across Canada, from coast to coast to coast.
The Live Performing Arts Accelerator Program would enable commercial and non-profit organizations to receive a tax credit on labour, that they would then commit to reinvesting back into Canadian productions, thereby creating more jobs for Canadian backstage professionals and creating a better pipeline for creative and technological talent that is desperately needed. [...]
Read the complete submission:
Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming 2026 Federal Budget
By: Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology / Institut canadien des technologies scénographiques (CITT/ICTS)