The CIVC has an important mission!

The Canadian Independent Venue Coalition was formed by hundreds of concert venues, booking agencies, independent promoters/presenters, production companies, and independent music festivals from across Canada have come together to save music venues. They are donating thousands of hours of their time and immeasurable resources to the #SupportCanadianVenues movement.

The CIVC movement is asking for decisive government support for independent concert venues, for which the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified an important and systemic financial fragility. The movement is Canada-wide and covers countless spaces that together define Canadian culture.

Recent industry research indicates that 96% of the independent music industry across Canada, including over 90% of independent venues, will disappear in a matter of months in the absence of a very significant financial aid package.

CIVC is asking the federal government to commit substantial emergency funding and an economic stimulus plan for the unfunded live music and touring sector in Canada. The Canadian Independent Venue Coalition maintains that without this assistance, there will be no live music industry to come back to when venues are finally allowed to re-open.

The CIVC is also calling on people to share the website (supportcanadianvenues.ca in English and souteneznosscenes.ca in French) and social media with friends and colleagues, with the hashtag #SupportCanadianVenues in English and #SoutenezNosScènes in French. Public engagement, sharing this cause, and writing political representatives (see the action page) will be crucial to the movement’s success, as will be the voices of  Canadian artists, whose careers could not have developed, evolved or flourished without the partnership of venues across the country, from coast to coast to coast, who are now at risk of closing for good.

• In the midst of a complete shutdown – that is, with no income for an indefinite period of time for independent venues – specific federal support is needed. 
• We need the public and artists alike to voice what live venues mean to them. Our continued existence is essential to people’s lives and well being.
• We need to educate the government on the role that independent concert venues play in the economic and cultural life of our country. Without us, there is no live music industry in Canada – this is the naked truth.
• Live music venues will be the last to re-open. We need to be in a position to do so as soon as it is safe, and with the public’s confidence in our ability to offer safe and incredible events.

One of the reasons you come to our awesome independent Ad-free online magazine is to discover new Montreal talent and enjoy concert reviews and other entertainment gems. If you’ve ever gone to an awesome concert – like the ones found in our Entertain Us section, then you know the importance of protecting the venue industry!

Let’s support the Canadian Independent Venue Coalition so we don’t have to always listen to online live music.

QUICK SOCIAL LINKS for the CIVC

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Youtube