Please donate to the emergency fund for our Hamiltonian artists!
100% of contributions are allocated directly to artists who apply to the fund.
We have suspended applications for funds as of now, in order to make sure we can meet the needs of the artists who have already applied for assistance.
APPLY FOR RELIEF (Currently Closed)
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamilton Arts Council (HAC) presents the Hamilton Artist Relief Fund and Online Performance Series.
HAC understands that the outbreak of COVID-19 presents extraordinary challenges for artists and arts organizations in Hamilton, with unprecedented loss of revenue from performances, community events, education and professional presentations.
The Hamilton Artist Relief Fund is focused on raising and distributing emergency relief funds for artists struggling during this difficult time and providing a curated online platform for local artists to present and perform to a virtual audience. 100% of the donations collected for the Relief Fund will be distributed directly to artists in need.
Artists are a big part of what makes this city great. Visual artists, musicians, DJs, actors, directors, writers, spoken word artists, teaching artists, all rely on people being able to access their work through events that have now been cancelled. Please consider donating here. Every penny counts, and every penny makes a difference.
Are you a practicing artist in need of support? Relief funding can be accessed through a simple application form. Please submit your CV and a declaration of artistic projects and earnings lost due to the pandemic. Relief fund amounts start at $100 to a maximum of $1,000 based on individual needs.
The Hamilton Artist Relief Fund Online Performance Series is about uniting our community through a curated online platform that commissions artists to present and perform while raising funds. In preparation for this initiative, we initiated a survey to gauge the impact of this crisis on Hamilton’s arts community, determining that the need is significant and urgent.
Our live video performance series of 40-60-minute presentations will feature Hamilton's talented artists as we all work to raise funds for the Hamilton Artist Relief Fund. The Hamilton Arts Council will be offering $250 to each performer. Videos will be shared across all HAC social media platforms, along with daily video updates of our fundraising efforts.
Video performances will air most days Tuesday-Friday in the afternoon through Facebook Live. Stay tuned on Instagram and Facebook to receive updates on scheduling and how you can participate!
UPCOMING LIVESTREAMS
PAST LIVESTREAMS
HEATHER VALLEY
Heather Valley is a Hamilton based Americana singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Desert Message, was released in November 2019.
LOGAN STAATS
Ingrained with the mentality that anything is possible when you put your heart and soul into it, Staats is hell bent on raising the bar for indigenous/mainstream crossover music.
BOXCAR BEN
Boxcar Ben is Hamilton’s heaviest one-man blues rock band, incorporating a multitude of sounds together to share his global journey.
LTtheMONK
LTtheMonk is a hip-hop artist originally from London, England, now living and performing in his adopted home of Hamilton, the city that also inspired his latest album release 'Kinks, Drinks & Hip-Hop'.
DAVE GOULD
Dave Gould is a Hamilton artist who explores many art mediums. He is a singer/songwriter and builder of exotic instruments including the Electric Caribou Antler Harp. Gould creates music with artists internationally.
STEPHEN NEAR
Stephen Near is a writer, performer and educator living in Hamilton. His plays have been performed across Canada and he is completing his first novel.
ALEX WHORMS
A piano has 88 keys: singer-songwriter Alex Whorms intends to play them all. Alex performs “beautifully crafted pop songs” (The Hamilton Spectator) with “real, honest purity” (CBC Hamilton).
RUTH SUTHERLAND
Celtic harper/singer/songwriter, Ruth Sutherland has released 4 award winning CDs and has played to sold out shows around the world. Ruth is known for her original songs, her interpretations of traditional celtic songs, beautiful renditions of Gaelic songs, and her traditional harp playing.
ANNE BOKMA
Anne Bokma is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of My Year of Living Spiritually: From Woo-Woo to Wonderful—One Woman's Secular Quest for a More Soulful Life published by Douglas & McIntyre in October 2019.
MOTHER TAREKA
Mother Tareka is a Syrian Palestinian MC, saxophonist, flautist, and looper who makes conscious HipHop Funk Arabesque Afrobeat influenced music.
CHRIS MCKHOOL
Chris McKhool is hailed as a “Children’s musical star” (National Post) and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people” (Mississauga Living Arts).
WAX MANNEQUIN
Chris Adeney's music veers from scrappy prog oddness and distressed folk to absurdist stadium metal, all with a drunk, dark humour that borders on outright Dadaism.
DAVID LLOYD
David Lloyd is a screen and stage actor.
STYLO STARR
Stylo Starr is a visual alchemist, known primarily for her multi-layered collage work, which has been featured both locally and internationally.
KARMA KAMELEON
Karma Kameleon is a local drag performer who describes herself as the best parts of the great divas but mostly the worst parts of Céline.
EMMA RUSH
Emma Rush is a world-renowned classical guitarist known for her innovative repertoire, expressive playing, and superb command of the instrument.
JUDE JOHNSON
Jude Johnson is a singer songwriter/artist with 10 recordings released. She has been performing for 45 yrs for children and adults alike.
SKY GILBERT
Sky Gilbert is a poet, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, theatre director, and drag queen extraordinaire. He has had more than 40 plays produced, and written 7 critically acclaimed novels and three award winning poetry collections.
VALERIE TRYON
Valerie Tryon’s brilliant career as a celebrated concert pianist has spanned almost 80 years. She was one of the youngest students ever to be admitted to the Royal Academy of Music where she received the highest award in piano playing and a bursary which took her to Paris for study with the distinguished pianist/teacher Jacques Février.
TINA COLE
Known affectionately as “Mama Swag”, Tina is a business leader and visionary, who brings her tenured success to the Entertainment Industry.
TINY BILL CODY
Tiny Bill Cody is the performance alter ego of Tor Lukasik-Foss, a Hamilton artist whose creative practice has integrated music, performance, story-telling and visual art.
B.A. JOHNSTON
BA Johnston is an entertainer from Hamilton ON. His music has often been described as "not for everyone".
NEENA ROSE
Neena Rose has emerged onto the music scene with a magnetism not encountered every day. She has received extensive early support from media and playlisters. The future looks bright!
LORI YATES
Lori is an award-winning singer/songwriter, alt-country pioneer, new age country punk, head genius at Creative Genius Songwriting, and a lifer.
JOSH TAYLOR
Josh Taylor is a dancer, choreographer and Artist-Educator. He is the proud Owner and Artistic Director of Defining Movement Dance where he instructs youth and adults in Hip-Hop, Street Dance & Latin Dance.
TREVOR COPP
Trevor is an actor, director, choreographer, professional Mime, a regional American Style Latin Dance Champion, and has taught/coached physical Theatre for over a dozen professional Theatre companies and University Theatre programs.
LIZ BUCHANAN
Liz Buchanan is a local actor and director whose company 9M Theatre has presented several productions, including King Lear, Macbeth, The Most Massive Woman Wins and an original play: The Director's Cut for the 2018 Hamilton Fringe Festival.
ALYSSA NEDICH
Alyssa Nedich is a choreographer, dancer and educator from Hamilton Ontario. She is the founder of To the Pointe Dance Project. She is incredibly passionate about improvisational movement.
PIP
Pip has 26 albums, registered some 300 songs with SOCAN, been nominated 5 times for the Hamilton Arts Award in Music, and won the Wire Magazine Award for songwriting in 1996.
MICHELLE TITIAN
Michelle’s songs are an open and unashamed exposure of her battle with alcohol and depression, her journey to recovery and the love she feels for her life now.
TOM WILSON
Wilson's eclectic musical style has ranged from the psychobilly/R&B sounds of the Florida Razors, to the western/roots style of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and the funk/blues inspired rock of Junkhouse.
DEEPS
It’s Deeps’ style that might initially ingratiate him with an audience, but Deeps has found his own voice nestled somewhere betwixt Gram Parsons, Van Morrison and John Mellencamp.
ESHE YILDIZ
Eshe is the director & owner of Mahasti–The Bellydance Emporium, and has been bellydancing since 2002. In 2019 she won a Hamilton Arts Award in the Dancer/Performing Artist category.
TERRA LIGHTFOOT
Terra Lightfoot is a Juno and Polaris Music Prize nominated guitar player, singer and songwriter living and working in Hamilton, Ontario.
SPONSORS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
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