HOW WE ADVOCATE

The Hamilton Arts Council is the leading advocate for the arts in the Hamilton region. We believe that a city in which the arts thrive is one that is a better place to live for both artists and the wider community. For this reason, we are committed to promoting and protecting the interests of the arts.
 

• We proactively celebrate the vitality of the arts in Hamilton and aim to keep our artists’ accomplishments at the forefront of civic awareness
   

• We encourage our members and the wider community to add their voices to ours when issues of importance are at stake in Hamilton
   

• We speak to the importance of supporting the arts at City Council by encouraging improved funding and policies to support the work of the arts community
   

• We are mindful of issues that impact the success of the arts and look to other communities for examples of best practices that could benefit Hamilton
   

• We respond to challenges that arise within our arts community and lend our support towards effective solutions

FUNDING AGENCIES

While the Hamilton Arts Council is not a funding body, we are available to provide advice on matching your project to the appropriate funding agency. Artists and organizations seeking funding for their projects are encouraged to pursue the following options:
 

Ontario Arts Council currently offers more than fifty granting programs to individual artists, collectives, ad hoc groups and organizations in twelve sectors.
 

Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national, arm’s-length arts funding agency. They award grants to individual artists and arts organizations and award fellowships and prizes to some 200 artists and scholars.
 

Ontario Trillium Foundation supports eligible organizations through investments in community-based initiatives in various areas including arts and culture.
 

Incite Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to revolutionizing support for the arts in the Hamilton Community. The foundation, generously funded by a private donor, strives to enrich the lives of Hamiltonians and visitors by championing visual and performing arts charitable institutions in the area.
 

Building Communities through Arts and Heritage is a program of Canadian Heritage that supports opportunities, through festivals and other events and projects, for local artists and artisans to be involved in their community and for local groups to commemorate their local history and heritage.
 

Culture Development Fund is a grant program of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport that seeks to strengthen cultural organizations and their leadership, helping them to increase their knowledge and skills. Please note that this is a new granting program that replaces the Cultural Strategic Investment Fund and the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund.
 

Celebrate Ontario is an annual grants program that supports tourism by assisting festival and event organizers to develop new and improved experiences to attract more tourists and increase visitor spending.
 

The Ontario Music Fund is aimed at strengthening and stimulating growth in Ontario's music companies and supporting this growing sector. The Fund is designed to drive activity and investment and to support Ontario's music companies and organizations in expanding their economic and cultural footprints within Canada and around the world.
 

bravoFACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) has distributed tens of millions of dollars in grants to Canadians for the production of short-form projects for film and television.
 

Theatre Ontario provides grants to Ontario theatre artists and practitioners through two programs: the Professional Theatre Training Program and the Youth Theatre Training Program.
 

FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) is dedicated to providing assistance toward the growth and development of the Canadian music industry and offers artists a range of programs for areas ranging from recording to business development.

COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCILS

The Hamilton Arts Council is one of many community arts councils operating throughout Ontario.

Below you'll find a list of other community arts councils throughout our province.
 

Almaguin Highlands Arts Council - www.ahartscouncil.org                     
Hazel Hornibrook, Chairperson - hazeys@hotmail.ca

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Arts Council Haliburton-Highlands - www.haliburtonarts.on.ca                                 
Donna Gagnon, Coordinator - donna@haliburtonarts.on.ca

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Arts Etobicoke - www.artsetobicoke.com                     
Louise Garfield, Executive Director - louise@artsetobicoke.com

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Arts Council Windsor & Region - www.acwr.net                                        
Michelle Le Chien, Executive Director - info@acwr.net

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Arts Council Sault Ste. Marie - www.ssmarts.org                                                    
Sandra Houston, Executive Director - arts@ssmarts.org

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Arts Council of Northumberland - www.northumberlandarts.ca          
Contact - artsinfo@northumberlandarts.ca

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Arts Ottawa East - www.artsoe.ca                                        
Christine Tremblay, Executive Director - christine@artsoe.ca

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Arts Council of Muskoka - www.artscouncilofmuskoka.com  
Sandra Turnball, Chairperson - villageplace@muskoka.com

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Arts Kingston - www.artskingston.ca                          
Karen Dolan, Executive Director - karen@artskingston.com

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Brighton Arts Council - http://www.brightonartscouncil.com/
Contact - info@brightonartscouncil.com

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Council for the Arts in Ottawa - www.ottawaartscouncil.ca                      
Peter Honeywell, Executive Director - peter@ottawaartscouncil.ca

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Conseil des arts de Hearst - www.conseildesartsdehearst.ca 
Valérie Picard, Administratice générale - adj@conseildesartsdehearst.ca

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Fort Erie Arts Council - www.forterieartscouncil.com
Contact  - artscouncilforterie@gmail.com

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Guelph Arts Council - www.guelpharts.ca                             
Sonya Poweska, Executive Director - ed.gac@sentex.net

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Lakeshore Arts - www.lakeshorearts.ca                        
Susan Nagy, Executive Director - lakeshorearts@bellnet.ca

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London Arts Council - www.londonarts.ca                             
Andrea Halwa, Executive Director - ahalwa@londonarts.ca

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Minto Arts Council - www.mintoartscouncil.ca                                   
Wesley Bates, President - Wesley@wesleybates.com

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Mississauga Arts Council - www.mississaugaartscouncil.com
Linda Thomas, Executive Director - linda@mississaugaartscouncil.com

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Nipissing Arts Council - www.nipissingartscouncil.com   

Oakville Arts Council - www.oakvillearts.com                        
Megan Whittington - mwhittington@oakville.ca

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Orillia & District Arts Council - www.orilliaartscouncil.ca
Contact - admin@orilliaartscouncil.ca

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Prince Edward Country Arts Council - www.pecartscouncil.org                   
Tracy Douglas, Administrator - tracydouglas@sympatico.ca

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Quinte Arts Council - www.quinteartscouncil.org             
Carol Feeney, Executive Director - feeney@quinteartscouncil.org

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Scarborough Arts Council - www.scarborougharts.com              
Tim Whalley, Executive Director - ed@scarborougharts.com

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Scugog Council for the Arts - www.scugogarts.ca                              
Carey Nicholson, Executive Director - redhouse@sympatico.ca

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South Simcoe Arts Council - www.southsimcoeartscouncil.com                 
Lynda Mitchell, Executive Director - lyndamitchell@rogers.com

Sudbury Arts Council - www.sudburyartscouncil.org
Contact - sac.communicate@gmail.com

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Urban Arts Community Arts Centre - www.urbanartstoronto.org              
Marlene McKintosh, Executive Director - marlene@urbanartstoronto.org

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Waterloo Regional Arts Council - www.artsportalwr.ca                          
Martin deGroot, Executive Director - mdg131@gmail.com

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York Region Arts Council - www.yorkregionartscouncil.com  
Nancy Bodi, Executive Director - nancybodi@rogers.com