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Canadian Artists Network

presents

The Year of the Senior Artist 2030

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YSA 2030 is a transformative national initiative spearheaded by the Canadian Artists Network to spotlight, support, and empower professional senior artists across Canada.

Moving beyond celebration, this year-long series of events is a direct call to action. The initiative includes national research to dismantle systemic financial and social barriers. At the same time, it showcases the mastery and experience of senior artists from diverse cultural communities. Finally, the series engages arts audiences in vital conversations about the present and future circumstances of Canada’s senior artists.

YSA 2030: Our National Cultural Voice

The Vision Spearheaded by the Canadian Artists Network, YSA 2030 is a landmark national initiative designed to spotlight elder creators and their critical place in our country’s cultural landscape. The Crisis Facing Canada’s Creators While the arts sector serves as a massive economic driver, the artists who give it foundational strength are facing severe systemic hardship
Economic Matrix Data Point
Annual GDP Contribution Arts and culture inject $65 billion into Canada’s economy.
Artist Average Income Just $30,200 per year according to Hill Strategies’ 2024 data.
National Income Gap Artist earnings sit a stark 39% below the national average.
Poverty Levels The majority of professional senior artists live below the poverty line.

A Dual Mission: Celebration & Action

A Year-Long Celebration

      • Nationwide Showcases: Arts presenters, galleries, festivals, and venues across Canada will actively feature professional senior artists across all creative disciplines.
      • Diverse Spotlights: Dedicated programming will amplify Francophone, Indigenous, rural, urban, and equity-deserving creators whose work shapes our cultural identity.
      • Creative Lifespan: Events will feature seminal retrospectives as well as vibrant new works by these same artists.

A Strategic Call to Action

      • Research-Driven Policy: YSA will engage public and private institutions and individuals in dialogue and data collection for the Senior Artists’ Research Project 2(SARP 2) and the 2030 Evaluation Report. We are long overdue. The last in-depth research project on senior artists in Canada was done in 2011, the Senior Artists’ Research Project, SARP 1.
      • Concrete Recommendations: Data will be used to build actionable legislative and systemic solutions for future generations.
      • Targeted Interventions: Policy development will directly address severe senior artist crises, specifically financial insecurity, housing deficits, healthcare access, and social isolation.

Strategic Objectives & Community Pillars

Backed by key leading cultural organizations, YSA 2030 is structurally focused on:

    • Intergenerational Continuity: Promoting mentorship, shared wisdom, and intergenerational learning between elder leaders and upcoming generations.
    • Advocacy & Policy Reform: Encouraging forward-thinking public policies that legally recognize and support the ongoing contributions of older Canadians.
    • Preserving Legacies: Preserving the stories and amplifying the distinct cultural heritage of historically impactful creators.

National Endorsements & Backing

Creativity has no age limit. Senior artists remain essential contributors to Canada's artistic excellence, social equity, and cultural identity.

100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women

I wholeheartedly endorse the Year of the Senior Artist 2030 and encourage governments, cultural institutions, arts organizations, and communities across the country to participate in this important national celebration. By honouring our senior artists, we celebrate not only their achievements but also the enduring strength, diversity, and independence of Canada's cultural voice for generations to come.

Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine PC, CM, O. Ont, CBE

Join The Movement

Your participation adds credibility, political momentum, and public weight to this urgent cultural shift. We invite you to stand alongside us to ensure that Canada’s senior creators are not merely celebrated, but fully supported, empowered, and valued as vital lifelong contributors to our nation.

Stand With Canada's Senior Artists

Submit Your Official Endorsement for YSA 2030

Join leading organizations like the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women in lending your voice to this vital movement. Your endorsement builds the public momentum needed to drive real policy change.

Data Source Breakdown