A Candidates Meeting on Arts, Culture, and Heritage in Peterborough–Kawartha

Hello everyone,

It’s federal election season, and a key time for the arts, culture, and heritage sector. Many organizations are still under significant threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the next several years will be key to rebuilding our sector better and stronger than before.

That’s why EC3 is very glad to announce the return of Artsvote Canada, a candidates meeting in Peterborough–Kawartha specifically about issues relevant to the arts, culture, and heritage community, taking place next Thursday, September 9 at 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we aren’t able to invite you to join us in person for the meeting at Showplace’s Nexicom Lounge, but we encourage everyone to tune in to the simultaneous livestream, which will be on EC3’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Several members of the Artsvote Canada 2021 Coalition and a panel of experts will be on hand to ask the candidates questions. There will also be an opportunity for viewers at home to submit questions.

Thanks coalition partners, the candidates, and Showplace Performance Centre!

See full details HERE.

“Photos: Artist Brad Brackenridge performs Vertep puppet-based multimedia performance in Peterborough” by Clifford Skarstedt, Peterborough Examiner.

Government Assistance Updates, Local Arts Events, Legal Advice, Grant Deadlines, and More

Hello everyone,

We so hope that you’re finding time to enjoy the summertime weather and the relaxed public health regulations, and that you’ve been able to get out to some of arts events that are starting to happen around town.

In this Bulletin, we have a roundup of updates from the arts and culture sector: updates on government assistance programs (for organizations and for individuals), information about a local arts event, a list of upcoming grant deadlines, an organization offering legal advice for artists, and some suggestions for other newsletters to subscribe to if you want even more arts sector news.

Government Program Extensions

Last week, the Government of Canada announced extensions to a number of COVID-19 relief programs.

For employers: The eligibility period for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and Lockdown Support have been extended until October 23, 2021, and the rate of support employers and organizations can receive during upcoming periods has been increased.

For individuals: The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), have been extended, also until October 23, 2021. The maximum number of weeks available for CRB has been increased by an additional 4 weeks, to a total of 54 weeks, at a rate of $300 per week, and the government has clarified the rules surrounding availability for those who have exhausted their employment insurance (EI) benefits.

Canada Recovery Hiring Program

For the employers out there: as the wage subsidy (CEWS) winds down, the federal government has also introduced a new program, the Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP), that extends worker benefits until November 20.

CRHP is in many ways similar to CEWS – it’s a wage subsidy for organizations who experienced a revenue drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s calculated in 4-week periods, and it has a similar application process. The primary difference is that CEWS provides a higher maximum subsidy, but calculates the subsidy rate based on the organization’s revenue loss, while CRHP provides a flat amount. This handy chart is a good overview of how the two programs compare, and this page goes into more depth about it.

CRHP is available now, and employers can choose whether they want to apply to CRHP or CEWS (but not both). Use the online calculators to compare the subsidy amounts, and choose the one that’s better for your organization.

See here for more information on the program and to apply.

Precarious 3 Festival

In upcoming local arts events news, August sees the start of the Precarious3 Festival. This new iteration of the Precarious Festival consists of a series of nine residencies by local artists in a wide range of disciplines, taking place at The Theatre on King over the next several months.

It kicks off with the Artsweek SHIFT²-supported residency by theatre-dance artist Jenn Cole, taking place August 15 to 31. Head to The Theatre on King’s website for full festival details, and check out the poster below:

Click image for full size

Ontario Artists’ Legal Access & Support Network

Are you in need of legal advice as an artist? The Ontario Artists’ Legal Access & Support Network is a collaboration between CARFAC Ontario artists and ALAS (Artists’ Legal Advice Services) lawyers.

Here is how they describe themselves:

Our Support Network consists of:

• Access to one-on-one meetings with volunteer lawyers coordinated by ALAS to discuss issues such as copyright, contracts, and entertainment law. Lawyers provide free initial summary legal advice and information (usually during a half hour appointment) to help artists begin to better understand specific legal issues and challenges.
• Non-legal peer-support from a CARFAC Ontario practicing artist to help navigate access barriers throughout your engagement with the Access & Support Network. The peer-support also aims to encourage and help artists by pointing them towards various resources and services available to them.
• Group workshops or drop-in sessions with volunteer lawyers, where artists can discuss a variety of general issues and receive basic legal information. Workshops and sessions aim to foster open discussion about common legal issues and challenges faced by many artists, generally within a group dynamic, without addressing any one artist’s specific legal concerns.
• Online webinars on specified legal concerns affecting artists of all disciplines.

This collaboration has been formed to provide free legal advice and information, non-legal peer support, and resources for artists related to their practices, particularly including those artists who lack access to these kinds of support because of overlapping systemic barriers such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, and/or misogyny. We also acknowledge that these barriers can be compounded by mental health issues, disabilities, poverty, legal/immigration status, access to education, experience in the justice system, among other ongoing barriers. Our intention is to support artists through a holistic lens of support and care. Our programs will be developed on a needs-based basis, and we are available to connect with you individually so that we can understand the issues you’re facing, and how we may be able to provide support.

To find out more or inquire about specific issues affecting yourself or your group, collective or community, check out the Network’s website, or contact Camila at outreach@carfacontario.ca or (647) 697-0033.

Further Reading

Trying to keep up to date on the latest arts sector news? Of course you are – you’re currently reading a newsletter titled ‘Arts Sector News Roundup.’ But if you’re looking for even more information, we suggest subscribing to the following newsletters. These are excellent resources, put out by interesting and relevant national arts service organizations, that are always packed full of useful advice, news, grant opportunities, webinar announcements, think-pieces, and more:

• Mass Culture
• Village Vibes (from Charity Village)
• Akimbo
• Business/Arts

Upcoming Grant Deadlines

Here are some important grant deadlines coming up soon:

• Aug 31: Museums Assistance Program: Canada-France Agreement (Canadian Heritage)
• Sep 02: Literary Creation Projects: Works for Publication (OAC)
• Sep 08: Arts Abroad: Circulation and Touring / Residencies (Canada Council)
• Sep 15: Indigenous Artists in Communities and Schools Projects (OAC)
• Sep 15: Indigenous Arts Projects (OAC)
• Sep 15: Music Creation Projects (OAC)
• Sep 15: Canada Periodical Fund: Business Innovation (Canadian Heritage)

Please stay well and let us know how we can help.
TRACK THE IMPACT.

As always, keep checking the EC3 Facebook page, @ECThreePtbo on Twitter, @ec3ptbo on Instagram, and the COVID-19 Updates page on EC3’s website, where we are providing daily updates on programs and services available for ACH workers and organizations.

Be safe, stay healthy, and please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Su Ditta and the EC3 Board and staff

Contact
Su Ditta
Executive Director
Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
electriccitycc@gmail.com
www.ecthree.org
705 749 9101

“Puppeteer Performs for Solo Audiences” by Harrison Perkins, CTV Toronto.

“How Deborah Berrill’s idea grew into a $100,000 fund supporting 15 Peterborough arts organizations” by Bruce Head, KawarthaNOW.

“15 Peterborough arts groups receive pandemic boost from Arts Alive Fund” by Vikram Nijhawan, Peterborough Examiner.

Hello everyone,

We hope you are all finding some time to unwind a bit this summer and take in some arts events as COVID-19 health and safety restrictions begin to ease.

EC3 and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough are pleased to announce that the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund has awarded $104,500 in COVID-19 Strategic Recovery and Resilience Grants to 15 local arts organizations.

The Peterborough Arts Alive Fund is one of several initiatives EC3 designed to provide critical support to professional arts organizations and individual artists during the pandemic. This fund provides grants of up to $10,000 each to local arts organizations working in any discipline and in any arts capacity (creation, production, exhibition, presentation, performance, education, etc.) to assist them in managing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, respond creatively to the current situation, prepare to effectively reopen when they can, and ensure a sustainable and resilient future.

Grants awarded range between $2,500 and $10,000 and support projects in artistic creation and development, PPE and public health upgrades, management and staff training/coaching/expert consulting, technology and digital upgrades, marketing and communications development, and staffing. Applications were reviewed and evaluated by a five-member peer assessment jury who recommended the grant amounts.

Organizations receiving grants though the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund include:

• 4th Line Theatre
• Kawartha Youth Orchestra
• Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
• P.R. Community Student Association (Sadleir House)
• Artspace Peterborough
• Peterborough County Children’s Chorus
• Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
• Peterborough Theatre Guild
• ReFrame Film Festival
• Showplace Peterborough Performance Centre
• SPARK Photo Festival
• The Art School of Peterborough
• The Peterborough Singers
• The Theatre on King
• Trent Radio

For a full list of grant recipients and projects please see the ‘News & Information’ section of the EC3 website or follow this link.

Thank You!

There are so many people to thank for this project: all of the amazing individual private donors who contributed to the fund, stepping up to support the arts during an incredibly challenging time; our incredible partners at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, who administered the fund and helped with fundraising; local arts supporter Deborah Berrill, who came up with the idea for the fund, made an initial contribution and supported additional fundraising; and the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance, for their enthusiastic fundraising support.

Special thanks and our heartfelt appreciation go out to the City of Peterborough for its very generous contribution of $40,000.

“COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the arts community. This is a sector that makes an enormous contribution to the quality of life in Peterborough, and plays a profound role in our social and economic well-being. Both organizations and individual artists suffered as facilities closed, exhibitions were cancelled, audiences drifted, box office revenues disappeared and artists’ fees and commissions evaporated. These grants allow the arts community to pivot, adapt, collaborate, plan and retool for the current situation and post-COVID-19 success.” Bill Kimball, President, EC3

“We live in an extraordinary community that combines an outstanding tradition of philanthropic giving, civic pride in and municipal financial support for, the local arts sector. It is this passion for the arts and respect for and commitment to the outstanding artists, arts organizations and volunteers that create the vibrant cultural life we are so fortunate to enjoy here. Our work on the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund was inspiring beyond measure and we are very grateful to everyone who made this program possible and for the tenacity and creativity of the entire Peterborough arts community.” Su Ditta, Executive Director, EC3

Next up on the EC3 agenda: the Peterborough Poet Laureate Program.

“Peterborough Arts Alive Fund Awards $104,500 to 15 Local Arts Organizations,” PTBOCanada.

Peterborough, ON – The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is pleased to announce that the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund has awarded $104,500 in COVID-19 Strategic Recovery and Resilience Grants to 15 local arts organizations.  This fund was made possible through a partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP), who joined forces with EC3 to raise funds and collaborate on the granting process.

The Peterborough Arts Alive Fund is one of several initiatives EC3 designed to provide critical support to professional arts organizations and individual artists during the pandemic. This fund provided grants of up to $10,000 each to local arts organizations working in any discipline and in any arts capacity (creation, production, exhibition, presentation, performance, education, etc.) to assist them in managing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, respond creatively to the current situation, prepare to effectively reopen when they can, and ensure a sustainable and resilient future.

Grants awarded range between $2,500 and $10,000 and support projects in artistic creation and development, PPE and public health upgrades, management and staff training/coaching/expert consulting, technology and digital upgrades, marketing and communications development, and staffing. Applications were reviewed and evaluated by a five-member peer assessment jury who recommended the grant amounts.

The initial idea came from local arts supporter Deborah Berrill, leading a group of private donors who, along with EC3 and the CFGP, collaborated on the efforts that raised $104,500 for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund. EC3 is also very grateful to the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance for fundraising support and particularly to the City of Peterborough for its generous contribution of $40,000 to the fund.

“COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the arts community. This is a sector that makes an enormous contribution to the quality of life in Peterborough, and plays a profound role in our social and economic well-being. Both organizations and individual artists suffered as facilities closed, exhibitions were cancelled, audiences drifted, box office revenues disappeared and artists’ fees and commissions evaporated. These grants allow the arts community to pivot, adapt, collaborate, plan and retool for the current situation and post-COVID-19 success.” Bill Kimball, President, EC3

“We live in an extraordinary community that combines an outstanding tradition of philanthropic giving, civic pride in and municipal financial support for, the local arts sector. It is this passion for the arts and respect for and commitment to the outstanding artists, arts organizations and volunteers that create the vibrant cultural life we are so fortunate to enjoy here. Our work on the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund was inspiring beyond measure and we are very grateful to everyone who made this program possible and for the tenacity and creativity of the entire Peterborough arts community.” Su Ditta, Executive Director, EC3

“Local artists and arts organizations provide Peterborough with an amazing cultural life, one that we appreciated even more during the pandemic as their work lifted our spirits, offered us meaning and brought us together. It’s so important that we continue to support them through this difficult period and into the future, so they can keep doing what they do best.” Deborah Berrill, Educator and Arts Supporter

Organizations receiving grants though the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund include:

• 4th Line Theatre
• Kawartha Youth Orchestra
• Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
• P.R. Community Student Association (Sadleir House)
• Artspace Peterborough
• Peterborough County Children’s Chorus
• Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
• Peterborough Theatre Guild
• ReFrame Film Festival
• Showplace Peterborough Performance Centre
• SPARK Photo Festival
• The Art School of Peterborough
• The Peterborough Singers
• The Theatre on King
• Trent Radio

For a full list of grant recipients and projects please see the ‘News & Information’ section of the EC3 website or follow this link.

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is a not-for-profit service organization supporting the arts and culture community in Peterborough and the surrounding region. EC3 provides strategic leadership, research, resources and connections that build and strengthen the sector.

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For Further Information Contact:
Su Ditta
Executive Director, EC3
705 749 9101
electriccitycc@gmail.com
www.ecthree.org

The following are the results of the Petebrorough Arts Alive Fund: COVID-19 Strategic Recovery & Resilience Grants program.

Thank you to our partner on this project, the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.  Thank you as well to the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance for their fundraising support, to the City of Petebrorough for their contribution to the Fund, as well as to our generous private donors.

4th Line Theatre ($10,000)

• ‘Bloom: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable’ cast recording
• Barnyard Sessions: four live Songwriters Circle events

Kawartha Youth Orchestra ($6,000)

• Health and safety barriers for woodwind instruments
• Health and safety training for staff and volunteers
• Management and coaching training for staff and board
• Collaborative projects with other arts organizations, including professional instrumental teaching

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre ($10,000)

• Video series showcasing local artists (and the facility)
• Upgrading facility’s network infrastructure

P.R. Community and Student Association (Sadleir House) ($2,500)

• Upgrades to live streaming equipment

Peterborough Artist Inc. – Artspace ($6,800)

• Consultation on board training and development
• Management training program for new co-directors

Peterborough County Children’s Chorus ($4,500)

• Marketing and promotion: improving virtual presence by hiring videographer and photographer to create visuals
• Rent for temporary larger rehearsal space

Peterborough Symphony Orchestra ($7,500)

• Consultancy for restructuring as smaller professional orchestra
• Implementation of consultant’s recommendations

Peterborough Theatre Guild ($4,500)

• Purchasing PPE and cleaning supplies
• Costs related to upcoming production: production costs, building materials, marketing campaign, hiring choreographer/acting coach and director/special effects advisor

ReFrame Film Festival ($10,000)

• ‘PTBO Portraits’: series of 3 short documentary profiles of local artists and activists by local filmmakers
• Hiring Health and Safety Officer for 2022 festival
• Anti-oppression training for staff and board

Showplace Peterborough Performance Centre ($10,000)

• Preparation for re-launch, including: deep cleaning of facility, rehiring employees, adding signage and protective barriers, purchasing PPE and sanitizer

SPARK Photo Festival ($5,500)

• Reinstating stipend for Festival Director
• Digitizing catalogue and guide
• Print materials and signage

The Art School of Peterborough ($6,900)

• Creation of strategic plan
• Website upgrades, including online Launch Gallery shop

The Peterborough Singers ($4,300)

• Choral commission of new works to be performed at first show back
• Equipment for recording, photographing shows

The Theatre on King ($10,000)

• Development of two productions: ‘Kitten with a Crucifix’ and ‘Titty Cakes (Saint Agatha’s Breasts),’ including livestreaming costs and social media integration

Trent Radio ($6,000)

• Implementing COVID safety/hygiene protocols at facility
• Mentorship program working with and providing recording equipment for 6 local emerging musicians