SCCIP funding supports arts and culture sector with post-pandemic programming and activities

The City of St. Catharines continues to offer ongoing supports to help strengthen the arts and culture sector, as it prepares for COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

At its June 14 meeting, St. Catharines City Council approved $289,715 in St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP) funding, with $10,715 going towards 16 applicants for the Culture Days Activity Program, and $279,000 being allocated to eight organizations through the Sustaining – Core and Midsized Program funding. This is just the first two rounds of funding through SCCIP, which provides an opportunity for artists, not-for-profits and arts and cultural organizations to submit requests for municipal funding through six programs.

“The arts and culture sector in St. Catharines has been severely affected by COVID-19, with a significant impact on many artists’ and arts organizations’ abilities to carry out their work, especially those relying on audience-based performances or festivals,” said Phil Cristi, Director of Community, Recreation and Culture Services. “As we continue with pandemic recovery, we know how critical SCCIP is to help grow and sustain the individuals and organizations at the heart of the sector. In turn, it generates a combination of economic and cultural vitality as well as grassroots experiences and events that are meaningful to a broad range of members of our community.”

Funds from the Culture Days Activity Program will support activities created for Culture Days, set to take place Sept. 24 to Oct. 24. The nation-wide annual event promotes free access to arts, heritage and culture experiences and is aimed at promoting engagement to a broad audience. The 16 applicants will help build momentum for the event, which last year saw nearly 200 events hosted online and in person across the City – putting St. Catharines at the top of national rankings. Successful applicants will offer diverse experiences throughout the City, offering applicants a variety of opportunities to access programming in consideration of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

The Sustaining Funding programs support St. Catharines-based, professional non-profit arts organizations with a mission to develop, create, produce and deliver their work to the community. The overall investment in the eight organizations provides the most significant economic return of all SCCIP funding, generating full-time, part-time and contract jobs, and the staff and volunteers of these organizations provide a foundation to the cultural sector that serves cultural sustainability through a wide variety of partnerships and contributions.

Funding for the other SCCIP programs will be announced later this year. An intake for the Arts Development and Culture Builds Community programs closed last month, but a new intake for applications will open this summer for those two programs, as well as the Sustaining – Festival program. Details on the SCCIP funding programs, eligibility, applications, and more can be found at www.stcatharines.ca/SCCIP.

Contact:

citizensfirst@stcatharines.ca