Toronto, June 20, 2019 – Operating funding for the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport has been set at $60 million for 2019-20.

The government understands how valuable arts, culture and tourism are in building a strong, prosperous economy while making valuable contributions to the quality-of-life in our province’s communities. The government has asked OAC to focus its operations and grant programs on the most impactful, measurable and tangible outcomes for communities, businesses and the people of Ontario.

OAC has looked carefully at all of its costs and reduced its administrative expenditures to maximize investment in grants to the arts and culture sector. Executive compensation has been frozen.

OAC’s operating grants will be subject to an across-the-board (ATB) reduction, effective immediately, that will treat all professional arts organizations fairly and equally, in every part of the province. This means that all organizations that receive operating grants will move to a new funding base which is 92% of last year’s grant. As has been the case in previous years with ATB reductions, we are doing our part to best support the Government of Ontario’s efforts to operate within the current fiscal climate. From this new base, organizations that are in year 1 of the operating stream or those that are assessed annually, may see their grants increase slightly, or decrease, based on this year’s assessment.

Five project grant programs will not be accepting new applications for 2019-20:

  • National and International Residency Projects
  • Ontario Dances
  • Publishing Organizations Projects
  • Theatre Training Projects
  • Travel Assistance: Ontario Contact/Contact Ontarois

OAC has looked closely at all activities and made decisions that are transparent, fair to all applicants, and protect the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s vital arts infrastructure. These decisions were made in the context of OAC’s core business, which is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians, and in accordance with OAC’s strategic plan, Vital Arts and Public Value, which emphasizes public investment in Ontario’s most vital, or highly-assessed, arts organizations and arts activity.

OAC is the government’s primary agency investing in not-for-profit arts organizations and professional artists in communities across the province. All granting decisions are through peer assessment, and are the responsibility of OAC, which operates at arm’s length from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

For more information

Kirsten Gunter
Director of Communications
416-969-7403 | toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058, ext. 7403
[email protected]