A lot has happened since the Canadian Association of Stand-up Comedians (CASC) was formed in 2017. CASC began as a rallying cry to have stand-up comedy officially recognized as an art form by all levels of government. Its emergence sparked a movement and exposed an immediate need for cohesion and advocacy across the entire breadth of comedic arts in Canada. CASC has since morphed into a professional organization representing all comedians including stand-up, sketch and improv.
We would like to take this time to remind you of what CASC is at its core, and why becoming a member of CASC is an important step for all Canadian comedians to consider.
There are two main objectives for CASC:
While CASC is not a union, we represent comedians at the table when issues arise that either threaten or diminish the work, wellbeing, and opportunities for Canadian comedians. We do this through ongoing advocacy and lobbying with the support of our members and industry peers, and Global Public Affairs, Canada’s leading arts advocacy lobbying consultancy.
What does being a member of CASC get you?
Membership dues also help support ongoing efforts. Currently, in the Spring/Summer of 2020, CASC is working to make sure Canadian comedians are not left behind as the Canadian Government distributes aid throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We are exploring an opportunity to add HAVEN Helpline as a free resource for CASC Members to report harassment/violence in the workplace. Even through these uncertain times, we continue our work to increase labour mobility, demand more Canadian content from our broadcasters, and access to grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Becoming a member of CASC supports these ongoing efforts to improve the viability of the Canadian comedy industry and infrastructures from coast to coast to coast.