Cultural Funding Framework Review

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Background

Each year, the City of Ottawa invests in the local non-profit arts, heritage, and culture community through 17 funding and awards programs. These programs support public programming and services that benefit Ottawa residents and visitors to the city. The funds are distributed within a framework that was first approved in 2002 and is referred to as the “Cultural Funding Framework”. This Framework, and subsequent reports to Council, determine how cultural funding and award programs are administered and distributed to Ottawa’s cultural community. They also outline program objectives, who is eligible for funding, and how funding decisions are made.

A lot has changed in Ottawa since 2002 and the City of Ottawa is now reviewing its Cultural Funding Framework that is administered through the Cultural Funding Support Unit. In order to do so, we need to learn more about what culture means to you and your community. We also want to know how our programs can better support you in delivering or accessing cultural activities in Ottawa. Based on the community’s feedback, the Cultural Funding Support Unit will put forward a new Cultural Funding Framework and Policy that will guide our Unit in supporting culture in today’s Ottawa.

To learn more about our programs and the values that guide us, please visit our website.

If you have any questions, please contact infoculture@ottawa.ca.

Background

Each year, the City of Ottawa invests in the local non-profit arts, heritage, and culture community through 17 funding and awards programs. These programs support public programming and services that benefit Ottawa residents and visitors to the city. The funds are distributed within a framework that was first approved in 2002 and is referred to as the “Cultural Funding Framework”. This Framework, and subsequent reports to Council, determine how cultural funding and award programs are administered and distributed to Ottawa’s cultural community. They also outline program objectives, who is eligible for funding, and how funding decisions are made.

A lot has changed in Ottawa since 2002 and the City of Ottawa is now reviewing its Cultural Funding Framework that is administered through the Cultural Funding Support Unit. In order to do so, we need to learn more about what culture means to you and your community. We also want to know how our programs can better support you in delivering or accessing cultural activities in Ottawa. Based on the community’s feedback, the Cultural Funding Support Unit will put forward a new Cultural Funding Framework and Policy that will guide our Unit in supporting culture in today’s Ottawa.

To learn more about our programs and the values that guide us, please visit our website.

If you have any questions, please contact infoculture@ottawa.ca.

Community Engagement

Update - September 19, 2024

There has been a change to the timeline of this project. 

The Cultural Funding Framework and Policy report will now be going forward to Committee and Council in early 2025. This will not impact the implementation timeline of this project and there are no changes to cultural funding programs for the 2025 intake cycle.  

Update – June 27, 2024

We have uploaded the presentations shared at the public meeting earlier this month. A more fulsome report on what we learned will follow in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, please reach out to us any time at infoculture@ottawa.ca if you have any questions or concerns.

Update – May 24, 2024

 Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on culture in Ottawa and how the City can best support it. We would like to share with you what we learned and how we plan to incorporate your suggestions into the new Cultural Funding Framework. We hope you can join us in one of the following virtual meetings:

Tuesday, June 11: 6 pm to 7:30 pm (click here to join the meeting)
Friday, June 14: 12 pm to 1:30 pm (click here to join the meeting)

The “What we learned report” will be posted online on Engage Ottawa by the end of June.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us any time at infoculture@ottawa.ca.

We are now in the community engagement phase of this project. There are many ways to connect with us to talk about how the City of Ottawa’s cultural funding programs can support culture.

Below is a list of upcoming engagement sessions and focus groups. All sessions are bilingual unless otherwise indicated. For additional support, please reach out any time by contacting infoculture@ottawa.ca. 

  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - English Theatre (English-only) 
    • September 6, 2023, 2 pm to 4 pm 
    • Location: Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Avenue

  • Session Focus: Heritage Funding Program - Indigenous applicants
  • Session Focus: Heritage Funding Program
  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - Arts Events and Arts Festivals
    • September 26, 2023, 2 pm to 4 pm 
    • Location: Ottawa City Hall, Richmond Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West

  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - English Literary Arts and Ottawa Book Awards
    • September 27, 2023, 11 am
    • Location: Ottawa City Hall, Honeywell Room, 110 Laurier Ave West

  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - French Literary Arts and Prix du livre d'Ottawa
  • Session Focus: Creation and Production Fund - French
  • Session Focus: Creation and Production Fund - English
  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - Dance (organizations)
  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - Amateur Arts (organizations) 
  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - Visual Arts (organizations) 
  • Session Focus: Arts Funding Program - Cultural Facilities Fund (Major Capital Projects)

Drop-in Sessions 

We wanted to let you know that between now and the end of November, we will have weekly conversations that are open to the community. You can connect with us either virtually or in person. Here are the details:

Virtual drop-in sessions are held every Wednesday from noon to 1 pm on MS Teams. Click here to join the meeting (to call in by phone, dial +1 613-319-1080, 728517173#). 

If you prefer to talk in person, we will be available every Friday from noon to 1 pm at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue). Just enter the building through the main entrance on Daly Avenue, and you’ll find us in the shared workspace on your left. 

If you have any questions, please contact infoculture@ottawa.ca.

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Page last updated: 13 Jan 2025, 10:23 AM