Photo from West Anthem's 2023 Report and Streety release/ Andrew Mosker, President and CEO, National Music Centre; Chair, West Anthem Steering Committee (left), Patti Pon, President and CEO, Calgary Arts Development, Executive member of RISE UP Calgary (middle), Lisa Jacobs, BMT, MTA, Musician, Music Therapist (right)/ Photo by Keith Driver
Music is one of the heartbeats of any vibrate community and according to a new report from West Anthem, the music industry contributes $1.7 billion dollars to Alberta’s GDP.
In Calgary there is a flourishing ecosystem of strong musical talents throughout the industry and is a wide range of venues and support available in the city to help a musician become successful without leaving the city.
On May 28, West Anthem held a gathering at Mickey’s on 12 Avenue to unveil its 2023 report which not only lighted various statistics of the city’s music industry, but it also voiced the importance of venues who hold live music.
According to the report from West Anthem, as of 2023, there are approximately 4,700 professional music creatives based in Calgary alone.
However, since its last report in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, there where 67 multi-purpose venues (performing arts theatres, community halls, rec centres, venues for hire in Calgary which has been reduced to 58.
Many of the numbers have dropped across the board as many business had shut their doors as they where unable to recover.
Patti Pon President & CEO of Calgary arts and develop explains how music plays a part in growing a healthy city.
Part of helping the industry grow will be the development of a directory which shows the many different ventures and spaces that offer live music in the city and doesn’t shy away from all genres.
The three pillars of creating Calgary’s music scene to be more recognized as a place where music is alive depends on Infrastructure, Regulatory and Government Support, and the People of the Greater Community.
To read the full report on West Anthem’s strategy for the city of Calgary, visit their website.
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