EC3 in the News: KawarthaNOW
June 5th, 2020
“Peterborough Arts Alive Fund will provide $10,000 COVID-19 relief grants to local arts organizations,” KawarthaNOW.
Posted in Media Coverage
June 5th, 2020
“Peterborough Arts Alive Fund will provide $10,000 COVID-19 relief grants to local arts organizations,” KawarthaNOW.
Posted in Media Coverage
June 3rd, 2020
Media Release – June 3, 2020
For Immediate Release
Peterborough, ON – The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (Community Foundation) have joined forces to launch a fundraising campaign for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund, an EC3 initiative to provide Strategic Recovery and Resilience Grants to professional arts organizations with charitable status in Peterborough and the surrounding region. This fund will provide grants of up to $10,000 each to local arts organizations working in any discipline and in any capacity (creation, production, exhibition, presentation, performance, etc.) to assist them in managing the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic, respond creatively to the current situation and prepare to effectively reopen/relaunch when they can.
The initial idea came from local arts supporter Deborah Berrill leading a group of private donors who, along with EC3 Executive Director Su Ditta, EC3 Board member Peg McCracken and the Community Foundation, are hoping to raise $100,000 for the Peterborough Arts Alive 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 are suffering as facilities close, exhibitions are cancelled, audiences drift, box office revenues disappear and fees and commissions evaporate. These grants will allow the arts community to pivot, adapt, collaborate, plan and retool for the current situation.” Bill Kimball, President, EC3
“Local artists and arts organizations provide Peterborough with an amazing cultural life, one that we appreciate even more right now as their work lifts our spirits, offers us meaning and brings us together. It’s so important that we support them through this difficult period, so they can keep doing what they do best.” Deborah Berrill, Educator and Arts Supporter
“We live in an extraordinary community that combines an outstanding tradition of philanthropic giving with a passion for the arts and respect for the outstanding artists and arts organizations that create the vibrant cultural life we are so fortunate to enjoy here. To start the campaign for the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund with such a generous donation is inspiring beyond measure and we are very grateful.” Su Ditta, Executive Director, EC3
Details of the grant program will be announced shortly.
People who wish to contribute to the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund and support local arts organizations can do so online at: https://cfgp.ca/project/arts-alive-fund/ or by mailing a cheque payable to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough to the Foundation at: 261 George St. North, Suite 202, Peterborough, ON, K9J 3G9.
For Further Information Contact:
Su Ditta
Executive Director, EC3
705 749 9101
electriccitycc@gmail.com
www.ecthree.org
See our COVID-19 Updates page for more COVID-19 updates and resources for artists and ACH workers, and our Peterborough Arts Alive page for our COVID-19 response and recovery programs.
Posted in Media Release, COVID-19
May 14th, 2020
Hello,
The COVID-19 crisis has put pressure on many artists and arts, culture, and heritage (ACH) organizations to rapidly adapt their way of working, and their way of reaching out to audiences, sponsors, and donors. Some of these challenges are technological – how to adapt to a digital-first model – and some are wider, requiring organizations to make fundamental decisions about how to be successful in the midst of a pandemic.
Everyone is facing these challenges at the same time, and there are a plethora of resources and guides to help artists and ACH organizations with the transition: how to adapt workflow, how to reach an audience, how to reach donors and funders, how to do digital conferencing, how to move programming online and more.
In a previous Bulletin, we highlighted a number of local programs helping artists and ACH organizations get online. This Bulletin will highlight more resources available across the internet to help artists and ACH organizations adapt, survive, and thrive during the pandemic.
Business/Arts’ new series How are you Adapting? features interviews with arts leaders about how they’re adapting their programming and business models in light of COVID-19.
Charity Village provides advice on volunteer management during a public health emergency.
Community Foundations of Canada has advice on dealing with COVID-19 as a community foundation. Check the ‘Additional Resources and Guides’ section at the bottom for links relevant to any non-profit organization.
Polling company Gallup offers some research-based advice on how to create a successful remote work environment.
Keela, makers of a software suite for non-profits, is hosting a free, month-long webinar about how non-profits can adapt to these challenging times. Recommended by Charity Village.
The Leadership Emergency Arts Network (LEAN) is grassroots, pro bono response network to help Canadian professional non-profit arts organizations (big and small) deal with what is coming at them during this crisis.
Charitable donation platform Canada Helps has a webinar on Online Fundraising in a Virtual World, as well as 7 Creative Virtual Fundraising Ideas You Can Use To Replace Your Cancelled Event.
Check out Check out Charity Village’s article Five Things Fundraisers Should be Doing Right Now.
Microsoft is offering a free, six-month trial of the premium tier of their digital collaboration and conferencing tool Microsoft Teams.
Performing arts non-profit service organization Ontario Presents is making their conferencing service available free of charge to Ontario-based artists and arts organizations.
TechSoup, a charitable group that offers discounts on digital products, has deals available on popular digital conferencing tool Zoom for Canadian charities and non-profits.
Locally, the Peterborough Innovation Cluster is offering a number of courses for organizations affected by the pandemic, including one on Digital Marketing and Selling During COVID-19.
Artwork Archive offers a list of digital tools for artists to run a remote career during COVID-19.
Digital Main Street has a Digital Starter Kit for Small Business full of tips and tools for getting business started online.
Shopify’s Shopify Academy provides training on setting up an online store.
CBC Arts offers a long list of social media challenge projects and hashtags that artists can participate in.
CBC Music provides advice on how to successfully host a live music event from home.
International Council of Museums has advice on How to reach – and engage – your public remotely.
Zoom’s Best Practices for Hosting a Digital Event.
CARFAC has released recommended practices for paying artists during the COVID-19 crisis.
Here are a few large lists of resources from Canadian and international ACH and charitable organizations, with information on a wide variety of topics:
Association of Fundraising Professionals
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.
It’s a tough time for sure. Everyone is feeling the pressure. Hope these tools help along the way. 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
May 13th, 2020
Hello all,
During these strange times, it can be a struggle for many organizations to reach their audiences, and, needless to say, it would be really helpful to get some cash flowing.
EC3 has been working with the DBIA, and the Chamber of Commerce to make sure local arts organizations can take part in many of their initiatives to support local groups stay in touch and connect with their audiences. EC3 has worked closely with these organizations to ensure there is space in these programs for artists and ACH (arts, culture, and heritage) organizations.
Locally, the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development have stepped up with programs to assist local businesses and organizations with getting online and getting noticed online.
This Bulletin provides an update on these programs and how you or your organization can take part. (And, of course, if you’re interested in supporting local business and organizations yourself, follow the links below and lend your support.)
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.
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s new Gift Card Program, run through FanSaves Helps, serves as a central hub where people can support Peterborough and area businesses and non-profit organizations by purchasing gift cards and offering donations.
Participants can offer gift cards to be redeemed for event tickets, merchandise, or any other goods or services your organization provides. The program can also be used by organizations without purchasable goods or services, to receive donations.
This program is open to Chamber members and non-members alike.
Here are the steps to register:
If you have any questions, please contact Siam Grobler, Member Relations at the Chamber at siam@peterboroughchamber.ca.
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has also set up a gift certificate program, through the website SupportDowntownPtbo.ca.
Any DBIA member can apply to be listed, and so can anyone who falls within the DBIA mandate – being anyone who leases or owns commercial space in the downtown. The DBIA has confirmed that this includes not-for-profits, artist studios, etc. as well as for-profit businesses.
In addition, the DBIA has set up a new site, TheBoro.ca, which serves as a central directory listing for local businesses either selling goods online during the pandemic (including any gift certificates set up with either of the above program), or who are streaming events online. The same rules apply for membership as above.
For more information about either of these programs, please contact Joel Wiebe, Communications Manager at the DBIA at joel@downtownptbo.ca.
The DBIA, in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, are bringing back Digital Main Street. This program offers free online consultancy sessions with digital marketing specialist Sofie Andreou. Andreou can assist with setting up a website or online store, digital marketing, social media management, improving Google search rankings, and other online services. Andreou is available throughout the month of May, but sessions are booking up fast.
This program is available to anyone – businesses, non-profits, charities, or individuals – with digital marketing needs in Peterborough City or County.
Book an appointment through 123 Digital Power.
And if your organization does set something up online that EC3 can help signal-boost, please let EC3 know and share the link with us, so EC3 can promote it through our website and social media channels.
Please stay well and let us know how we can help.
TRACK THE IMPACT.
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
April 29th, 2020
Hello all,
The current pandemic may have shut down pretty much every venue and canceled or postponed more great events than we can count, but Peterborough artists and arts organizations are still hard at work. They’re finding innovative ways of bringing art and entertainment into people’s homes, often inviting audiences to participate along with them.
This Bulletin provides a list of digital arts events and live streams from Peterborough City and County artists. If there’s anything we’ve missed, please email us at electriccitycc@gmail.com and we’ll add it to this webpage and include it in future Bulletins.
We know you are enjoying all this great work from local artists, often at no cost, so please remember that artists are struggling extra hard during COVID-19 and need your support now more than ever!
Many of the artists and arts organizations below have Patreons, Kickstarters, donation buttons, memberships, merch for sale, and other ways to lend your support. Please support our local artists, so they can keep making art!
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.
Please stay well and let us know how we can help.
Track the Impact and get in touch.
April is National Poetry Writing Month, and the Peterborough Poetry Slam is posting a poetry writing prompt every day on their Facebook page. If you want, you can also share your creations on the SlamPTBO #NaPoWriMo2020 30/30 Facebook group.
4th Line Theatre‘s annual Artists Talk series, which honours the achievements of women in the Canadian theatre landscape this year, is going online this spring, with a series of free, live stream artist talks and a play reading. Check out this Facebook post for a list of talks and how to sign up.
Every week, Public Energy is streaming a new performance from their archives in the Rewind Room. Follow along on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or Public Energy’s website.
Two offerings from The Theatre on King. First, their Cut & Paste Theatre Project is an attempt to put on a play from home, with each actor recording their part from home, to be edited together later on. They just selected Macbeth as their play, and are currently looking for actors. Follow along (or join in!) on the Cut & Paste Theatre Project Facebook group. Second, the Theatre has uploaded almost 60 videos of past performances to YouTube, which you can watch from the comfort of your home.
ACME Art & Sailboat Company has moved the planned First Friday May opening for Teresa Van Neste’s exhibition Organized Chaos online, with an online exhibition and auction, and a Zoom opening reception on May 1. Follow Teresa on Facebook for details.
Aging Activisms has set up a new site, Co-Creating During COVID, an inter-generational place where they are encouraging people to share art, music, recipes, poetry, and other creative endeavours. Submit your own, or take a look through their extensive galleries.
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is offering a number of stay-at-home activity options during the pandemic. You can visit their current exhibitions virtually through photo and video galleries on their website. They have a call for submissions for Our Heroes!, a digital art gallery tribute to local heroes during COVID. They’re offering an online version of their monthly Family Sunday drop-in experience this Sunday, May 3 at 1pm. And they’ve posted a number of family activities on their AGP Studio Online site.
The Art School of Peterborough’s Together We CREATE is a weekly paint-from-home streams taking place every Friday night. Find out more here.
Subscribe to Artspace’s newsletter for access to their Flashback: From the Archives series, highlighting hidden gems from the Artspace vault. The current edition features an interview with Dorothy Caldwell. Artspace has also partnered with Public Energy to present Company Town, an exhibition online (and in person in mid-July) about the legacy of General Electric in Peterborough.
The SPARK Photo Festival has been delayed, but the Festival is posting virtual photography exhibits, including the Motion juried exhibit and a special Earth Day 2020 exhibit.
Local musician Rick Fines has been going live on his Facebook page with live music and music lessons.
Folk/country singer Melissa Payne is going live on her Facebook page twice a week: Saturdays at 8pm, and a kid’s show Sundays at 11am.
13-year-old Peterborough fiddler Irish Millie Shadgett is doing live streams on Facebook and Instagram every Friday at 6:30pm and Saturday morning at 10am.
The Peterborough Singers have been posting a number of videos to their Facebook page, including past performances and new music.
The Morrow Park Farmers’ Market may be closed for the moment, but market busking mainstay Benj Rowland is still going live with music on his Facebook page every Saturday morning from 9:30am to 12:30pm, as well as doing a stream of original music every Tuesday from 5pm to 7pm.
Ken Tizzard’s Whiskey Wednesday concerts may be on hold right now as bars are closed, but he’s hosting a digital version on his Facebook page every Wednesday at 7:30pm.
The Electric City Singers are a new local choir for young people who have started regularly uploading performances to their Facebook page.
Local filmmaker Lester Alfonso is digitally premiering new work every month through his Highlights Newsletter. Sign up here.
ReFrame Film Festival has launched ReFrame At Home, a new digital service that allows audiences to watch documentary films and support ReFrame at the same time.
Trent University is offering Trent Talks, a weekly interactive video series about issues during COVID-19 hosted by Trent chancellor, Dr. Stephen Stohn and featuring a range of guests. See their website for programming details.
Peterborough Independent Podcasters has put together a COVID-19 playlist of favourite episodes curated by their podcast hosts. And explore the many, many podcasts in their network for hours of entertainment.
Trent Radio’s office and recording studio may be closed, but broadcasts continue nonetheless. This season of radio programming, appropriately titled Season Bizarre, features an extensive schedule of daily radio recorded from home. Check their website for the full schedule and streaming options.
Know of any more local arts live streams or digital events? Send us an email at electriccitycc@gmail.com and we’ll add it here.
And again, please donate and support these artists in any way you can. Together we can keep Arts Alive in Peterborough!
See our COVID-19 Updates page for more COVID-19 updates and resources for artists and ACH workers.
Posted in COVID-19, Bulletin, EC3 Announcement
April 27th, 2020
“Peterborough-area professional artists have until Monday night to apply for micro subsistence grant,” KawarthaNOW.
Posted in Media Coverage
April 24th, 2020
Hello all,
We are now in Week 6 of COVID-19’s Canadian shutdown. As the pandemic stretches on, and the shutdown shows signs of continuing for quite a while, governments and other organizations continue to release more programs of support for struggling Canadians.
EC3 is working with colleagues across the country, in every discipline and with both governmental and non-governmental organizations, to lobby on behalf of our sector and our local ACH (arts, culture, and heritage) community. EC3 is also developing our own response, through the Peterborough Arts Alive program, and we are closely monitoring the situation to find other programs that could benefit ACH workers.
This Bulletin will provide an update on EC3’s Micro Subsistence Grants, the first program in our Peterborough Arts Alive initiative; information on the provincial/municipal Emergency Assistance program that may benefit ACH workers who still don’t qualify for CERB; and a roundup of recent announcements from the federal government that could affect artists and ACH workers.
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.
Please stay well and let us know how we can help.
EC3 has released new criteria for our Micro Subsistence Grants program. This program, the first in our Peterborough Arts Alive series of COVID-19 response initiatives, will provide essential funding for local professional artists struggling due to the pandemic.
Please see this page for details.
For those who do not qualify for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), the Ontario government has announced the Emergency Assistance program. Individuals who have been laid off or who are unable to work due to COVID-19 may receive up to $1,170 and families with two children could receive up to $2,000 for a 48-day period, if eligible.
The program is administered by the Ontario government, but Peterborough City and County residents can get help applying for it through the City of Peterborough’s Social Services division. See here for details on the program, and here for information about how the City can help you apply.
Today (April 22), Prime Minister Trudeau announced a number of programs to benefit students in Canada. Read more here. The new initiatives include:
Here is quick rundown of recent announcements from the Canadian government that could affect artists and ACH workers. See our previous Bulletin for more details on these initiatives.
A reminder to track the impact that COVID-19 is having on your artistic practice and/or your organization. If you can, take a moment to send an email to electriccitycc@gmail.com describing these effects. This information will prove invaluable in demonstrating how COVID-19 has hit the ACH sector, and in advocating for more supports.
Be safe, stay healthy, and please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Su Ditta and the EC3 Board and staff
Su Ditta
Executive Director
Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
electriccitycc@gmail.com
www.ecthree.org
(705) 749-9101
See EC3’s COVID-19 Updates page for links to resources and the latest updates from EC3.
Posted in Uncategorized, COVID-19, Bulletin
April 19th, 2020
“Town Ward: B!KE’s shop is closed for now, but it’s still pedalling online,” The Peterborough Examiner.
Posted in Media Coverage
April 17th, 2020
A Message from EC3Hello All,
This continues to be a strange and stressful time for people across the country, and in particular for artists and ACH (arts, culture, and heritage) workers and organizations. There continues to be a flurry of announcements about new COVID-19 support and recovery programs and changes to existing assistance programs.
EC3 is working with colleagues across the country, in every discipline and with both governmental and non-governmental organizations to lobby on behalf of our sector and our local ACH community. This includes working with the Canadian Arts Coalition, Business/Arts, Canadian Heritage, the City of Peterborough, and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, to name just a few. We are starting to see some positive results.
Please stay well and let us know how we can help.
This week EC3 launched the Peterborough Arts Alive Micro Grants Program to assist professional artists in Peterborough and Peterborough County, and we will be making announcements about several other initiatives next week.
On April 17, during his daily press conference, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $500 million will be going to the arts, culture, and sport sectors through Heritage Canada.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Stephen Guilbeault has said that they are still working to “fine tune” the specifics, but that money will be given out to groups including industry non-profits, national sports organizations, television production houses, music associations and media organizations. Guilbeault also acknowledged that other already-announced programs aren’t tailored for the specific mode of work of ACH and sport workers, and this program will aim to correct that. Read more here. Follow our social media channels for updates as we find out more.
Please be sure to check the EC3 Facebook page, @ECThreePtbo on Twitter, and EC3’s COVID-19 Updates page, where we are providing daily updates on programs and services available for ACH workers and organizations.
This Bulletin provides a roundup of recent announcements from the Canadian government and other organizations that could benefit ACH workers and organizations.
The Government of Canada has announced several extensions of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), the taxable benefit that provides $2,000 every four weeks for up to four months for eligible workers who have lost their income due to COVID-19. See here to find out more and apply for the benefit.
A number of these extensions could help assist artists and ACH workers affected by the crisis:
Watch this video from Stephen Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, about how the changes to the CERB will affect artists:
I know that many artists and creators are still unsure about how the #CERB can help them.
I hope this video helps! #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/yHXS7dWXFT
— Steven Guilbeault @ 🏡 (@s_guilbeault) April 16, 2020
The Government of Canada has announced two programs that will help businesses, not-for-profits, and charities affected by the COVID-19 crisis to pay their workers and avoid layoffs.
The 75% Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) provides a subsidy of up to 75% of wages for workers at eligible entities – individuals, taxable corporations, partnerships consisting of eligible entities, non‑profit organizations and registered charities. (Public-sector institutions do not qualify.) The entity must have suffered a drop of at least 30% in gross revenue in April 2020, or 15% in March 2020. See here for more details.
This is in addition to the previously announced 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers, which is available for all employers, regardless of lost wages. See here for more details.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development has also put out a very helpful guide on assistance programs for businesses – see here.
The Government of Canada has also announced extensions of the Canada Summer Jobs program, to help employers provide employment to young Canadians. See here for more information on these changes.
The changes include:
There are a number of new funds and grants being announced by arts organizations and private funders across Canada to help artists and ACH workers. We listed a number of these in our Financial Updates Bulletin, but here are some new ones that have come across our desk.
A reminder to track the impact that COVID-19 is having on your artistic practice and/or your organization. If you can, take a moment to send an email to electriccitycc@gmail.com describing these effects. This information will prove invaluable in demonstrating how COVID-19 has hit the ACH sector, and in advocating for more supports.
Be safe, stay healthy, and please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Su Ditta and the EC3 Board and staff
Su Ditta
Executive Director
Electric City Culture Council (EC3)
electriccitycc@gmail.com
www.ecthree.org
(705) 749-9101
See EC3’s COVID-19 Updates page for links to resources and the latest updates from EC3.
April 13th, 2020
“Peterborough cultural industries are being battered by COVID-19,” CHEX/Global.
Posted in Media Coverage