Ontario’s arts sector is receiving a big boost from the provincial government.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Premier, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) will be issued $50 million in additional funding over the next four years. This is in addition to the existing governmental amount, bringing the total to $80 million per year by 2020-21. The news was announced concurrently on August 29th by Premier Kathleen Wynne and Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, at Toronto’s Berkeley Street Theatre.
The added arts funding will bolster the OAC’s commitment to its priority groups (Artists of Colour, Deaf Artists and Artists with Disabilities, Francophone Artists, Indigenous Artists, New Generation Artists aged 18 to 30, and Artists Living In Regions Outside Toronto), as well as top up allowances for all high-performing arts organisations in the province. Individual Ontarian artists and smaller arts organisations will also see increased financial support.
In 2016–17, the OAC funded 1,657 individual artists and 1,098 organizations in 212 communities across Ontario. The Council also administers privately funded prizes, awards and scholarships on behalf of the government.
“This funding increase is fantastic news not only for Ontario’s artists and arts organizations, but for all citizens of this province,” remarked OAC Chair Rita Davies in a statement. “Ontarians recognize the important connection between the arts and the values we hold dear—from building a shared sense of community, to helping us understand each other’s cultures. This new funding will help Ontario’s vital arts community thrive and continue to do its important work.”
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