HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia theatre coordinator says the provincial government’s cuts to the arts sector are “cruel” and “misguided.”

Lily Falk, coordinator of the Perform! program, says the recently announced cuts in the provincial government’s budget will not only eliminate her job and the entire program, but could harm the students who most benefit from arts programs.

“Having arts (in schools) increases positive school culture, it increases kids’ ability to be engaged in work,” Falk said. “Really foundational things like math and reading and science, arts education ends up impacting those as well.”

Falk says Perform! gets $65,000 annually from the province.

In the most recent budget, that grant funding was cut entirely.

The $1.2-billion budget tabled by Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives this week cuts about $130 million combined from more than 280 government grants. It reduces or eliminates funding for scholarship programs, arts funding and Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian programs.

Perform!, which has been around since 1999, employs about 40 artists who travel to schools around the province to teach performing arts and serves roughly 14,000 students every year.

Earlier this week, NDP MLA Susan Leblanc questioned Culture Minister Dave Ritcey about the cuts during a legislative question period.

“I want the minister to explain what more this program needs to do to prove its value, and I want him to explain how, if this budget is about defending Nova Scotians, how can he justify those job losses?” Leblanc asked.

“These are tough situations, tough decisions to make,” Ritcey said. “We’ll continue to invest in arts, just like we do in every part of the education system.”

Ritcey’s department cut the Creative Industries Fund from $1.9 million to $1.1 million. Along with arts programs, that fund supports publishing, fashion and music programming in the province.

Falk says arts programs are already underfunded, and this round of cuts could be devastating.

“It’s $65,000 with such a deep impact. I actually cannot think of a better bang for your buck.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2026.

– With files from Devin Stevens.

Emily Baron Cadloff, The Canadian Press