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Winnipeg, MB – $5.7 million in grants have been awarded to 166 arts and cultural organizations and 81 individual artists through the Manitoba government’s Arts and Cultural Sustainability Funds.
The Government of Manitoba announced the new investment in the arts and cultural sector on March 26th, 2021. Administered by the Manitoba Arts Council, these funds help arts and cultural organizations and individual artists throughout the province to recover from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Arts and Culture Sustainability Funds provide much needed support to a sector that has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cathy Cox, Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage. “So many artists and organizations have worked hard to engage their audiences during this difficult time and these funds will help to support the resiliency of our venerable cultural institutions and ensure that Manitobans can return to the events, performances, and cultural experiences that they love.”
Ranging from $2,000 to $300,000, grants from the Arts and Cultural Sustainability Funds support adaptation, safe re opening and sustainability for this vital sector, which, on account of the pandemic, was one of the first to close and last to open.
“The Manitoba Arts Council was pleased to administer these funds on behalf of the Manitoba government,” said Randy Joynt, Executive Director, Manitoba Arts Council. “The applications demonstrate the incredible breadth and depth of arts and culture in our province, and this investment will go a very long way to ensuring a healthy, sustainable sector for artists, cultural workers, citizens and visitors to Manitoba.
“The Arts and Culture Sustainability Fund will be critical in ensuring that we can continue planning for our February 2022 festival and adapt as needed toward a safe reopening,” said Darrel Nadeau, Executive Director of Festival du Voyageur.
“Manitoba Arts Council has given our fledgling organization a chance to become grounded in Northern Manitoba,” said Andria Stephens, Co-Founder of Mall of The Arts in Thompson. “The enthusiasm from the results of our workshop programming, has become so contagious that we are now helping to create a Northern Art Strategy. This will benefit and empower communities in and around Flin Flon, The Pas, Churchill, Thompson, and we hope more! Thank you MAC for seeing us!”
According to Statistics Canada, the arts and cultural sector in Manitoba is a 1.6 billion dollar industry that represents 2.4% of Manitoba’s economy (GDP) and employs more than 20,000 people.
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The Manitoba Arts Council is an arm’s-length agency of the Province of Manitoba, established in 1965 “to promote the study, enjoyment, production and performance of works in the arts.” The Council makes awards to professional arts organizations and individuals in all art forms including theatre, literature, dance, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, or the graphic arts, and includes other similar creative or interpretative activity, including arts education.
For more information, please contact:
Elyse Saurette
Communications Coordinator
Manitoba Arts Council
(204) 945-0646
esaurette@artscouncil.mb.ca
