Cultural Investment Program

General eligibility

• Be active in St. Catharines
• Provide programming or services that are open to the public and publicized city-wide
• Have a diversified revenue base (Culture Days Activity Program excluded)

General ineligibility

Some activities are beyond the scope of the SCCIP. No activities will be funded retroactively. Grants are not available for:

• Civic departments, boards, commissions or advisory committees, City programs or projects (i.e. libraries, community centres)
• Social service, religious, or sports organizations
• Educational institutions (schools, colleges etc.)
• Club or community centre programs
• Conferences, conventions or banquets
• Scholarships, prizes and awards
• As donations (including the waiving of fees and charges)
• Groups raising funds for non-cultural causes
• Uniforms or personal equipment
• Deficit reduction
• Projects that are political or religious in nature, or that further related doctrine

Sustaining Core program

• Carousel Players, an award-winning professional theatre for young audiences' company, committed to presenting inspiring and creative plays for ages 4 to 18 in theatres, schools and other performance venues. Approved for: $49,000

• Chorus Niagara, an auditioned 100-voice mixed choir with singers who come from all walks of life and represent all ages from 18 to 80. Approved for: $18,500

• The Foster Festival, a professional theatre company producing the plays of Norm Foster, who is internationally renowned for his skill in examining extraordinary moments in the lives of ordinary people. Approved for: $24,500
• Niagara Artists Centre (NAC), a member-focused and community-minded arts organization, recognized in both Niagara Region and the broader contemporary arts community for the high quality, boundary-pushing work they program. Approved for: $47,500
• The Niagara Symphony Orchestra, a fully professional orchestra of over 50 musicians that provides diverse programming as an anchor organization at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Approved for: $61,000

Sustaining Midsized program

• The Avanti Chamber Singers, an award-winning, 30-plus mixed voice choir who have been performing in St. Catharines since their inception in 2006. Approved for: $5,500
• The Gallery Players of Niagara, one of Niagara’s most prominent presenters of classical chamber music, with intimate and diverse concerts that range from baroque repertoire on period instruments to commissions and performances of new Canadian works. Approved for: $12,500

• The Niagara Youth Orchestra, an orchestra that provides high-quality musical training to young musicians across the Niagara Region through professional coaching, rehearsals, and performances. Approved for: $5,000

• Rodman Art Institute of Niagara (RAiN), an organization that stewards the community’s art collection through engagement with the visual arts and creative experiences. Approved for: $27,500

• Suitcase in Point, a multi-arts organization that produces original satire and innovative multidisciplinary events in St. Catharines. Approved for: $32,000

• The Willow Arts Community, a multidisciplinary arts and mental health organization that provides free art classes, publication, and exhibition opportunities to adults with lived experience of mental health / addictions. Approved for: $27,500

Sustaining Festival program

• Cicada Music and Arts Festival, an event that showcases a diverse lineup of talented Canadian folk, indie, roots, and world musicians who have garnered local and international recognition. Approved for: $24,500
• The Mighty Niagara Film Fest (Niagara Artists Centre), a festival that presents films made about or in Niagara, by filmmakers with connections to the region, as well as films that are considered of interest to Niagara audiences. Approved for: $7,500
• Niagara Children’s Festival (Carousel Players), a month-long celebration of arts & culture for young people, featuring Canadian and International professional live theatre, puppetry, circus arts, music and interdisciplinary arts. Approved for: $5,000

Arts Development program

September 2025 Deadline:

• Aeris Körper Contemporary Dance – Peggy: Dance Film Creation: Artistic Associate Skye Rogers will produce a dance film, exploring the fictional story of a woman struggling to cope with her intersecting oppressions. Approved for: $4,300

• Birch Lane Productions – The Audition: Birch Lane Productions (BLP) is a St. Catharines-based ad-hoc film collective. Their project is to hire local professional artists to complete post-production for their short film “The Audition”. Approved for: $3,000

• Cicada Music & Arts – Cicada Emerging Artists’ Showcase: This project will provide a professional development platform for emerging musicians in St. Catharines and the Niagara region. Approved for: $3,000

• Essential Collective Theatre – The Secrets Beneath: A Welland Canal Chapbook: This project will allow Essential Collective Theatre to produce a chapbook – a short book of poetry – that is based on audience feedback from The Welland Canal Reading Series presented by ECT in 2024.  Approved for: $3,000

• Matter of Black Community Services - Emancipation Day STC 2026: Matter of Black will celebrate Black history within the Niagara region by bringing Emancipation Day events and performances to St. Catharines through a range of free activities from July 24 to August 1, 2026. Approved for: $9,000.00

• Niagara Jazz Festival – World Music on the Beach: The Niagara Jazz Festival will present a vibrant celebration of global culture, music, and community, taking place in Lakeside Park on July 19, 2026. Approved for: $6,850

• St. Catharines Poetry Slam – Monthly Slam Series: The St. Catharines Poetry Slam will run a monthly poetry slam series, inviting touring poets to perform in St. Catharines and provide more opportunities for local poets to have a full-length paid feature set. Approved for: $3,200  

May 2025 Deadline:

• Essential Collective Theatre – The Salon Series: A community engagement program that ECT is undertaking to develop a series of 1-2 person plays. Approved for: $4,000
• Half Blind Owl – The Slate Festival 2025: A one-day performance festival for emerging artists, featuring live music and an opportunity for multiple emerging artists to showcase excerpts of their new plays. Approved for: $2,500
• retrograde: dance in motion – Artistic and Community Development: This project entails hosting Community Workshops for the public, as well as collective jams with dancers from their network. Approved for: $5,500
• St. Catharines Poetry Slam – Poetry Workshop Series: St. Catharines Poetry Slam will run five different workshops from different local poets, providing attendees with more tools to bring to their own craft. Approved for: $2,156

Culture Builds Community program

September 2025 Deadline:

• Bridges Niagara – Newcomer Women’s Art and Storytelling Project: Bridges Niagara will run a year-long community arts initiative that empowers newcomer women and female-identifying individuals in St. Catharines and the Niagara Region to share their stories through various forms of creative expression. Approved for: $4,650

• Melissa Cammisuli – Art in Glengarry Park: Local artist Melissa Cammisuli will plan and organize a mini-arts market in or near Glengarry Park to engage residents in artistic experiences. Approved for: $3,000

• Michelle Nicholls – Her Studio Collective: Michelle Nicholls is a local artist with over 20 years experience, who will bring together St. Catharines-based, female-identifying visual artists through monthly gatherings designed to foster creativity, skill-sharing, and peer support. Approved for: $3,000

• SOFIFRAN – 2026 Festiv’Ebene Festival and Book Fair: SOFIFRAN is a non-profit community organization, created in 2007 by Francophone immigrant women living in the Niagara region. They will produce these two cultural events in March 2026 at various locations in downtown St. Catharines, including the Niagara Artists’ Centre and Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. Approved for: $9,500

• Suitcase in Point – Scratch Nights: Suitcase will organize a six-month performance series dedicated to cultivating artistic innovation, supporting made-in-Niagara creation, and fostering inclusive cultural experiences in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. Approved for: $5,500

• Willow Arts Community – New Expressions Through the Performing Arts: A project that will bring together songwriters, musicians, and the Indigenous community for a meaningful collaboration. Original works stemming from this programming will be shared and celebrated at Willow’s 2026 Year End Showcase. Approved for: $8,500

May 2025 Deadline:

• Centre Communautairé Le Griffon – 50e Célébration Franco-Ontarienne Flag: A series of events celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag, planned to coincide with province-wide celebrations. Approved for: $5,000

• Luis Martin Flores – Day of the Dead Festival: Organized by multidisciplinary artist Luis Martin Flores, in collaboration with Mexican art creators and musicians, the 5^th Annual Festival will feature the creation of Ofrenda de Dia de Muertos, an art exhibit, live music, a costume contest and traditional Mexican food. Approved for: $3,000

• Jenn Judson – Collage+: Local artist Jenn Judson will run a year-long series of interdisciplinary workshops designed to expand the possibilities of collage and to foster collaboration and artistic experimentation. Approved for: $1,500

• Niagara Regional Native Centre – Traditional Lacrosse Event: This project will see Haudenosaunee Knowledge Keepers display handmade lacrosse sticks and share the cultural and spiritual meaning of lacrosse with both minor and junior-level athletes—bridging generations and deepening community understanding of the game’s origins. Approved for: $4,344

• Silver Spire United Church – Fun Home: A production of the multi award winning play based on Allison Bechtel's graphic novel of the same title. Approved for: $2,000

Culture Days Activity program

• Brandon Agnew – Songwriting Workshop: Learn tips and tricks from local songwriters in a safe community space where one-on-one and group support will be offered. Approved for: $600

• Brock's MIW School Arts Club – Brock Arts Club Hub: A hub of diverse, small arts activities to share the work of Brock’s student artists with the community. Approved for: $1,800

• The Brown Homestead – Tales and Trails: Autumn Adventures at The Brown Homestead, a multi-session interactive program designed to engage children in hands-on, nature-based learning experiences. Approved for: $450

• Luis Martin Flores – Day of the Dead Mexican Arts and Crafts Workshop: A family-friendly event where you will learn how to create Calaveritas de Azucar (sugar skulls) to understand the significance of this tradition. Approved for: $650

• Heather Habgood – Quilting for Love: Help to choose fabric and sew a unique 3’ x 5’ quilted pride flag to celebrate love, identity and community. Approved for: $900

• Michelle Nicholls – Mixing Medias Visual Arts Workshop: An exploration of mixed media through collage, printmaking, mark-making, paint, textiles and texture. Approved for: $900

• Rodman Art Institute of Niagara – RAiN or Shine, Art in the Heart Tours: A series of in-person tours of public art in downtown St. Catharines, including public murals, sculptures and regular art exhibitions. Approved for: $900

• Ebru Winegard – Threads of Culture: Participants of all backgrounds and skill levels can explore the ancient art of weaving. Approved for: $800