TORONTO — The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today released its findings from a first-of-its-kind, in-depth survey of racialized creators, organizations and production companies in Canada’s screen industry.
The survey was conducted online between December 21, 2020, and February 16, 2021, by Ipsos Research and provides a picture of the current financial and personal status of racialized stakeholders in the country’s audiovisual industry.
“Producing the first quantitative report like this is an important step for the CMF. It highlights both the inequities in the system and the barriers that prevent racialized producers from fully participating in the industry,” said CMF equity and inclusion program manager Diego Briceño, in a press release. “The Canada Media Fund is committed to gathering information like this on an ongoing basis to help make better informed decisions going forward. We want to make up for lost time and to do all we can to promote greater inclusion for them on and behind our screens.”
The financial difficulties faced by racialized producers were indicated by many of the findings in the Ipsos report, including:
- 38% of producers have personal incomes of less than $30,000 a year before taxes
- 40% of companies have annual operating budgets of less than $50,000
- Average annual operating budgets are 28% lower for businesses owned by women
- One-third of businesses rely on six or more sources of funding
In addition to financial indicators, the report also provides a thorough snapshot of racialized production operations in Canada, including:
- Half or more of the employees self-identify as racialized individuals in 81% of the companies
- Most or all of current projects in seven out of 10 companies involve Afro-descendant or other racialized individuals
- 90% of companies create content in English, 30% of them create in French, 40% create in foreign languages
Some of the issues raised by survey participants include limited access to training and career development programs, and difficulties in having their projects evaluated and assessed by industry decision makers.
The CMF has launched the Pilot Program for Racialized Communities to support the growth of English and French-language audiovisual production companies owned and controlled by members of racialized communities. The closing date for applications for this program is June 17, 2021.
To access the Ipsos report, please click here.
