Cultural venues in New Brunswick: Groundbreaking research now complete
With the goal of contributing to an understanding of the contributions of cultural venues to the cultural community and all New Brunswickers, as well as venues’ financial situations and community engagement, a major research project has now come to a close.
We are very pleased to share the final report on the impacts and challenges of cultural venues in New Brunswick. The report contains a summary of findings regarding venues’ financial health, human resources, community engagement, perspectives on Truth and Reconciliation, support for artists, attendance and marketing activities, physical condition, and perspectives on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Three research elements informed the final report. Much more detail about them is available in separate reports:
- A survey of cultural venues.
- Interviews with operators of cultural venues.
- Analysis of census and other data on the arts and culture, including a statistical profile of the 2,700 professional artists in the province. Kelly Hill presented some key findings from this part of the study on January 31, 2024.
Our hope is that this research will inform the province’s arts, culture, and heritage sector for the next decade. There is no other thorough source regarding the current challenges and importance of New Brunswick’s cultural venues.
The project’s partners will use the results to further their information sharing, policy, and advocacy activities for the betterment of the sector as a whole. The partners are ArtsLink NB, Association acadienne des artistes professionel.le.s du Nouveau-Brunswick (AAAPNB), and the Owens Art Gallery at Mount Allison University. The project’s Steering Committee included Julie Whitenect of ArtsLink NB, Anne-Cécile Grunenwald of AAAPNB, and Emily Falvey of the Owens Art Gallery. Laurence Dubuc (AAAPNB) and Emma Hassencahl-Perley (visual artist, curator, and educator) also contributed to the earlier stages of this project.
The project was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, and the Government of New Brunswick.
