The Ontario government is supporting the arts sector with a one-time investment of $25 million to help artists and arts organizations survive the COVID-19 pandemic, remain solvent and prepare for a time when they can fully re-open their facilities, resume full programming and welcome back their visitors and audiences.
“Arts organizations make an important contribution to our province, providing thousands of jobs for musicians, writers, painters, actors, dancers, stagehands and the many others working behind the scenes,” said MPP Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture. “They entertain us, but they also play an important role in the mental health and well-being of Ontarians and an equally important role in the province’s economic and social recovery. Providing the help they need is a critical part of our plan to support individuals, families and job creators impacted by the virus, while laying the foundation for a strong economic recovery.”
Through the funding, $24 million will be provided to 140 arts organizations, including:
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- Varley Art Gallery, Markham
- MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie
- Robert McLaughlin Gallery
- 4th Line Theatre, Millbrook
- Mariposa Folk Foundation, Orillia
- Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Port Dover
- London Arts Council, London
- Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa
- *All 140 major and core arts organizations approved for funding is shown in the table below.
Additionally, $1 million will provide much-needed support directly to artists and creators from across the province. More information on this, including eligibility requirements and application deadlines, will be available soon on the Ontario Arts Council website.
“The impact of this critical investment cannot be overstated – it will allow arts organizations like the TSO to serve Ontarians through music and arts programs that help sustain and strengthen communities,” said Matthew Loden, CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “Keeping our 92 member orchestra together throughout the pandemic to share our music when people needed it most was always our priority, and we are immensely grateful to Minister Lisa MacLeod and the government of Ontario for recognizing and celebrating our contribution and service to our province.”
This arts funding initiative is part of the government’s 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, the next phase of a comprehensive action plan to respond to the devastating health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
Photo: “The impact of this critical investment cannot be overstated – it will allow arts organizations like the TSO to serve Ontarians through music and arts programs that help sustain and strengthen communities,” said Matthew Loden.
| Organization | Location | Funding Amount |
| 4th Line Theatre | Millbrook | $61,980 |
| Aboriginal Experiences, Arts and Culture | Stittsville | $46,089 |
| Agnes Etherington Art Centre | Kingston | $155,882 |
| Annick Press Limited | Toronto | $37,728 |
| Art Gallery of Burlington | Burlington | $24,533 |
| Art Gallery of Guelph | Guelph | $71,598 |
| Art Gallery of Hamilton | Hamilton | $234,837 |
| Art Gallery of Peterborough | Peterborough | $60,504 |
| Art Gallery of Windsor | Windsor | $214,412 |
| Art Gallery of York University | Toronto | $69,658 |
| Art Museum at the University of Toronto | Toronto | $39,304 |
| Biblioasis Inc. | Windsor | $53,749 |
| Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto Mississauga | Mississauga | $16,640 |
| Blyth Festival | Blyth | $153,388 |
| Brott Music Festival | Hamilton | $69,569 |
| Buddies in Bad Times Theatre | Toronto | $176,765 |
| Canada’s Ballet Jörgen | Toronto | $199,965 |
| Canada’s National Ballet School | Toronto | $567,163 |
| Canadian Art Magazine | Toronto | $96,014 |
| Canadian Children’s Book Centre | Toronto | $70,331 |
| Canadian Film Institute | Ottawa | $26,674 |
| Canadian Music Centre | Toronto | $101,367 |
| Canadian Opera Company | Toronto | $1,868,109 |
| Canadian Stage | Toronto | $671,774 |
| Carrefour francophone de Sudbury | Sudbury | $34,459 |
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | Sudbury | $62,414 |
| CityFolk | Ottawa | $73,598 |
| Coach House Books | Toronto | $45,478 |
| Cormorant Books Inc. | Toronto | $33,209 |
| Craft Ontario | Toronto | $88,817 |
| Crow’s Theatre | Toronto | $38,445 |
| Dancer Transition Resource Centre | Toronto | $49,503 |
| DAREarts | Toronto | $36,854 |
| De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Storytellers | Wikwemikong | $265,473 |
| Dundurn Press Limited | Toronto | $40,350 |
| ECW Press | Toronto | $92,168 |
| Factory Theatre | Toronto | $168,853 |
| Fall for Dance North Festival | Toronto | $60,000 |
| Gardiner Museum | Toronto | $68,356 |
| Grand Theatre | London | $297,921 |
| Great Canadian Theatre Company | Ottawa | $191,830 |
| Groundwood Books Limited | Toronto | $91,944 |
| Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra | Hamilton | $111,114 |
| Harbourfront Centre | Toronto | $534,477 |
| Hillside Festival | Guelph | $73,193 |
| Hot Docs | Toronto | $81,810 |
| House of Anansi Press Inc. | Toronto | $90,674 |
| imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival | Toronto | $81,108 |
| Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival | Toronto | $62,442 |
| Inuit Art Foundation | Toronto | $52,009 |
| James Lorimer & Company Ltd. Publishers | Toronto | $26,504 |
| Kids Can Press Ltd. | Toronto | $47,112 |
| Kingston Symphony Association | Kingston | $68,150 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery | Kitchener | $128,855 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra Association | Kitchener | $380,291 |
| Koffler Centre of the Arts | Toronto | $66,870 |
| La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins | Ottawa | $103,068 |
| Lighthouse Festival Theatre | Port Dover | $71,858 |
| London Arts Council | London | $45,011 |
| Luminato | Toronto | $99,573 |
| MacLaren Art Centre | Barrie | $180,944 |
| Magazines Canada | Toronto | $93,437 |
| Magnus Theatre Company | Thunder Bay | $135,228 |
| Mariposa Folk Foundation | Orillia | $47,574 |
| McMaster Museum of Art | Hamilton | $49,350 |
| MonstrARTity | Mississauga | $39,008 |
| Mouvement d’implication francophone d’Orléans | Orléans | $15,518 |
| Multicultural Arts for Schools & Communities (MASC) | Ottawa | $124,929 |
| Museum London | London | $176,247 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada | Toronto | $52,763 |
| Music and Beyond | Ottawa | $62,906 |
| National Ballet of Canada | Toronto | $1,982,623 |
| National Youth Orchestra of Canada | Toronto | $88,268 |
| Niagara Symphony Association | St. Catharines | $52,061 |
| Oakville Galleries | Oakville | $106,534 |
| Opera Atelier | Toronto | $224,085 |
| Ottawa Art Gallery/La Galerie d’art d’Ottawa | Ottawa | $119,929 |
| Ottawa Chamber Music Society (Ottawa Chamberfest) | Ottawa | $117,656 |
| Ottawa Jazz Festival Inc. | Ottawa | $117,109 |
| Outside Looking In | Ohsweken | $32,280 |
| Owlkids Books Inc. | Toronto | $83,054 |
| Pajama Press | Toronto | $33,414 |
| Prologue to the Performing Arts | Toronto | $165,266 |
| RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest | Ottawa | $54,450 |
| Red Sky Performance | Toronto | $68,515 |
| Regent Park School of Music | Toronto | $60,462 |
| Robert McLaughlin Gallery | Oshawa | $90,578 |
| Royal Conservatory of Music | Toronto | $278,239 |
| School of Toronto Dance Theatre | Toronto | $59,137 |
| Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival | Toronto | $59,471 |
| Second Story Press | Toronto | $62,969 |
| Shaw Festival | Niagara-on-the-Lake | $999,593 |
| Sistema Toronto | Toronto | $48,760 |
| Sketch Working Arts for Street-involved and Homeless Youth | Toronto | $108,438 |
| Soulpepper | Toronto | $493,449 |
| Soundstreams Canada | Toronto | $101,254 |
| Station Gallery | Whitby | $38,047 |
| Stratford Festival | Stratford | $1,818,592 |
| Stratford Summer Music | Stratford | $42,883 |
| Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir | Toronto | $373,849 |
| Talk Is Free Theatre | Barrie | $29,059 |
| Tapestry Opera | Toronto | $116,828 |
| Tarragon Theatre | Toronto | $242,852 |
| Textile Museum of Canada | Toronto | $129,897 |
| The Aga Khan Museum | Toronto | $53,972 |
| The Musical Stage Company | Toronto | $44,412 |
| The Power Plant | Toronto | $259,907 |
| The Remix Project | Toronto | $40,797 |
| The School of Dance | Ottawa | $63,965 |
| Theatre Aquarius Inc. | Hamilton | $261,461 |
| Theatre Centre | Toronto | $53,315 |
| Théâtre français de Toronto | Toronto | $168,014 |
| Theatre Orangeville | Orangeville | $84,531 |
| Theatre Passe Muraille | Toronto | $116,828 |
| Thousand Islands Playhouse | Gananoque | $242,226 |
| Thunder Bay Art Gallery | Thunder Bay | $125,438 |
| Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra | Thunder Bay | $230,534 |
| Tirgan | Thornhill | $45,484 |
| Toronto Children’s Chorus | Toronto | $52,850 |
| Toronto Dance Theatre | Toronto | $160,869 |
| Toronto Downtown Jazz Society | Toronto | $82,426 |
| Toronto Fringe | Toronto | $90,812 |
| Toronto International Festival of Authors | Toronto | $117,235 |
| Toronto International Film Festival | Toronto | $249,529 |
| Toronto Summer Music Festival | Toronto | $52,273 |
| Toronto Symphony Orchestra | Toronto | $1,646,998 |
| Unity Charity | Toronto | $59,243 |
| University of Ottawa Press | Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa | Ottawa | $15,962 |
| University of Toronto Press | Toronto | $87,229 |
| Varley Art Gallery | Markham | $32,968 |
| VIBE Arts | Toronto | $76,842 |
| Volcano Theatre | Toronto | $26,036 |
| The Walrus | Toronto | $92,103 |
| Weengushk Film Institute | M’Chigeeng | $50,000 |
| Why Not Theatre | Toronto | $26,201 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University Press | Waterloo | $27,450 |
| Windsor Symphony Orchestra | Windsor | $207,169 |
| Woodland Cultural Centre | Brantford | $60,192 |
| Workman Arts | Toronto | $50,508 |
| Young People’s Theatre | Toronto | $464,960 |
