Summary Report: Profile of COVID-19 CMF Emergency Relief Funds Recipients – Companies Owned by Black People and People of Colour

The events of the past two years have increased awareness of the need to address systemic and structural barriers of racism. Many organizations have taken steps towards making change, including the implementation of policies and the collection of information and data to provide a base understanding of underrepresented communities and the issues they face in order to develop possible ways to address them.

In early-to-mid 2020, the Government of Canada designated funds to support cultural, heritage and sport organizations through the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. $13.3M of this fund was devoted to underrepresented groups, including media companies owned and led by Black people and People of Colour (BPOC). The program, called the COVID-19 CMF Emergency Relief Funds – Allocation for Companies Owned by Black People & People of Colour (“BPOC Allocation”), was delivered through the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

The CMF, as a part of the BPOC Allocation Funding, conducted the first-of-its-kind collection of in-depth data and information among its funding recipients. The CMF commissioned Ipsos to collect data from funding recipients through an online questionnaire. The goal of the questionnaire was to collect individual- and corporate-level information to better understand the profile and current situation of companies owned by Black People and other People of Colour in Canada’s screen industries.

The result of this research endeavour is a comprehensive profile on Black- and People of Colour-owned production companies. Click 'Download this report' below to read the report.