Cultural Investment Program | City of St. Catharines

The St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP) is designed to support the creative sector and strengthen the overall cultural ecosystem in the City of St. Catharines. The program invests in arts and cultural activities to enhance our public life in the community.

SCCIP has seven different program streams each with their own distinct priorities, eligibility, and evaluation criteria. Core and midsized arts organizations and festival producers can apply for Sustaining funding grants. Small and emerging arts organizations, and culture-related projects, can apply for Development funding grants. Arts organizations of all sizes can apply for Facility Access Funding to support costs associated with producing or presenting events at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

All applications to SCCIP that are received by the City will be reviewed following the procedures and specifications outlined within the SCCIP Policy. This formal process for reviewing and allocating designated funds provides for an efficient, consistent and equitable determination of recipients.

SCCIP for 2025 was funded through a diverse range of sources, which included the Tax Levy, Civic Project Fund, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Ticket Surcharge, and Special Events Parking Fee Redirect. These contributions collectively formed the program's budget of $400,000. You can view a detailed breakdown of the funding here.

Sustaining funding

Learn about Sustaining funding, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and how to apply to Core, Midsized and Festival funding programs.

Development funding

Learn about Development funding, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and how to apply to Arts Development, Culture Builds Community and Individual Artist Micro Grant Programs.

Facility Access funding

Learn about Facility Access funding, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and how to apply to the PAC Facility Access Program.

Eligibility

To ensure that you find the most suitable program for your project and to ensure eligibility, we request that all applicants contact our staff and discuss your plans and application before applying. This preliminary step allows us to better understand your project and guide you through the application process.

We recommend familiarizing yourself with the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Policy. This policy provides comprehensive information about our programs, eligibility criteria, and the evaluation process. We recently updated this policy, and it will be available in early 2026 for download. In the meantime, please contact our staff for more information.

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

Application deadlines

2026 deadlines for SCCIP applications are as follows:

April 2: Sustaining Core and Midsized Programs
April 30: Arts Development and Culture Builds Community Programs
Sept. 17: Arts Development, Culture Builds Community and Sustaining Festival Programs

Typically, online applications for each program open six to eight weeks prior to the deadline.

Review and evaluation process

As part of the City’s revised SCCIP Policy (adopted in fall 2025), SCCIP review committees shall be comprised of individuals that reflect, as best as possible, a diversity of knowledge, experience and perspective in the areas of arts and culture and, ideally, both professional and community practice. Review committees will include at least five individuals, including two members of the City’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee.

The City is therefore seeking applications from interested members of the arts community to sit on SCCIP review committees this spring. For more information, please visit the Calls to Artists page on the City's website.

Approved funding

Congratulations to all 2026 SCCIP funding recipients from the April application intake.

2026 Sustaining funding recipients

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: $65,000
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: $20,000
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: $25,250

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: $79,500

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: $65,000

Sustaining Midsized program

Avanti Singers, an award-winning, 30-plus mixed voice choir who have been performing in St. Catharines since their inception in 2006. Approved for: $15,000

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: $16,000
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: $12,000
Suitcase in Point, a multi-arts organization that produces original satire and innovative multidisciplinary events in St. Catharines. Approved for: $40,000

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: $45,000

Sustaining Festival program

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: $20,000

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: $10,000

2026 Development funding recipients

Arts Development program

April 2026 Deadline:

Avanti Singers – 20^th Anniversary Project: In recognition of the choir’s 20th anniversary, Avanti is commissioning a piece to be performed at its celebratory concert on February 20, 2027. Approved for: $5,500

CPR Films – Chasing Light: CPR Films is creating a documentary following Dillon McKenzie, a new Canadian and hip-hop artist living with blindness. Approved for: $3,000

Alexa Fraser Ad Hoc Group – “Bernie the Quokka” Puppet Show: Alexa Fraser, along with collaborators Joe Lapinski and Monica Dufault, will develop the show “Bernie the Quokka” into a performance-ready production for young audiences. Approved for: $3,000

Half Blind Owl – The Slate Festival 2026: A performance festival for emerging artists, featuring live music and an opportunity for multiple emerging artists to showcase excerpts of their new plays. Approved for: $5,000
Studio Kim Odine – Winter Voices: Studio Kim Odine will convene a small-scale vocal caroling ensemble with the aim of developing a cohesive, costumed presentation for the holiday season. Approved for: $2,500
Summer Freak Fest Niagara – Summer Freak Fest: A two-day, alternative, youth‑focused music and culture festival that amplifies marginalized and emerging voices in St. Catharines. Approved for: $3,000

Culture Builds Community program

April 2026 Deadline:

Si Calaycay – Building Belonging Through Theatre: Theatre artist Si Calaycay will lead a structured and accessible series of workshops for racialized and immigrant residents of St. Catharines to develop social and creative skills through improvisation. Approved for: $3,000
Luis Martin Flores – Day of the Dead Festival 2026: Organized by multidisciplinary artist Luis Martin Flores, in collaboration with Mexican art creators and musicians, the 6^th Annual Festival will feature the creation of Ofrenda de Dia de Muertos, a mariachi band, an art exhibit, live music, a costume contest and traditional Mexican food. Approved for: $4,730
Habitat for Humanity Niagara – ReStore Creations - Summer Workshop Series: Habitat for Humanity Niagara will run a series of hands-on workshops that guide local kids (aged 4 to 14) in transforming donated and discarded items from the ReStore into functional art. Approved for: $4,400

Silver Spire United Church – Every Brilliant Thing: Silver Spire’s director of theatre, John Sweeny, will lead a collaborative creation and presentation of workshops, open rehearsals and five theatrical performances of the script Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan and Johny Donahoe. Approved for: $2,400