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HomeArts, Culture and EventsCultural Investment Program
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Cultural Investment Program

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 new music, arts and cultural activities to revitalize our downtown and enhance our public life in the community.

To stay up to date with SCCIP news, subscribe to our Cultural Funding Newsletter.

Before you apply

SCCIP has six different program streams each with their own distinct priorities, eligibility and evaluation criteria. To make sure you find the right program for your project, we require all applicants to contact our staff to discuss your plans and application before applying.

We also recommend checking out our SCCIP Cultural Investment Policy to learn all about our program, eligibility, and evaluation process.

Application deadlines

Each year we release application materials between February and July. In 2022, application deadlines are: 

  • March 24 - Culture Days Activity Program
  • April 14 - Sustaining-Core and Sustaining-Midsized Programs
  • May 19 - Arts Development and Culture Builds Community Programs
  • September 22 - Arts Development, Culture Builds Community and Sustaining-Festival Programs

How to apply

All applications must be submitted online. Online applications will open in phases starting February 2022. 

If you have any questions about the application process contact our staff.

Are you eligible?

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.

All applicants must:

  • 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 funding excluded)

Sustaining funding eligibility

Learn about our Sustaining funding which has three grant programs as a part of SCCIP – Core, Midsized and Festival.

Core Program

Applications are now closed for 2022

To be eligible for the Core Program, you must:

  • Have a mission to develop, create, produce, present and disseminate artistic work in any artistic discipline
  • Have a mission that is clear and relevant with long-term goals and strategies
  • Be well-established programs and services that are developed and delivered with consistency
  • Be artistically strong with proven impact in the community
  • Have full-time paid professional leadership (artistic or administrative)
  • Be well-developed administrative structures
  • Have stable financial resources and planning
  • Have an active board of directors with a clear governance role
  • Be in existence for at least five years, operate on a year-round basis and be a Federally or Provincially incorporated not-for-profit
  • Have full-time paid professional artistic, curatorial or administrative staff
  • Have operating revenues of no less than $250,000 per year
  • Produce a full season of programming as per industry standards
  • Have significant resources that serve the local arts sector; i.e. facility, equipment, and people
  • Pay principal artistic contributors for their services that follow professional industry standards

If you receive the Core Program funds, you will be ineligible for any other SCCIP program stream. This excludes the Culture Days Activity Program. Capital requirements or festival activities may be considered for additional investment through this program.

For more information, view our Sustaining Core Program Guidelines.

Information for Applicants

Applications must be submitted via our online application. If you require assistance with the online portal, please contact Cultural Services staff at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229.

 

 How to apply
 Please follow each of these steps to complete your application for Sustaining-Core Program funding
Contact staff 
 All applicants must contact Cultural Services staff to review the program and eligibility requirements prior to applying and obtain a budget form. Please contact Ashley Judd-Rifkin, Culture Coordinator, at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229. 
 Prepare your documents

 Gather and prepare the supporting documents required as part of the online application:

  • Applicant Information and Authorization Form with original signatures
  • Completed Activity/Programming List for Current Year and Request Year
  • Up to date CADAC Financial Information Form
  • Up to date CADAC Statistical Information Form (Actuals only)
  • Most recent Financial Statements as approved and signed by Board of Directors. (see Financial information section below)
  • Most recent Annual Report or Minutes from your most recent AGM
  • Organizational Chart– reporting structure; permanent or contract staff and volunteer positions; full-time or part-time
  • Completed list of your Board of Directors – include name, title and length of service
  • Sample promotional materials
  • Where appropriate please include relevant planning documents, in whole or in part, such as strategic plans, marketing plans and/or deficit reduction plans.
  • A completed budget form

If you are making an additional funding request you will also require:

  • Festival budget
  • Marketing plan (may be an outline plan if festival is more than four months out at time of deadline)

If you are a first time applicant you will also need a copy of your organization's Letters Patent or other incorporation documents

 Apply online
 Use the online application to review the terms of funding, provide organizational information and upload your supporting documents. This form will be linked below once applications open for the Core Program in 2023.


Financial Statements and Deficit Reduction Plans

Audited Financial Statements must be signed and approved by your Board of Directors. If your most recent year-end statements are not available at time of deadline, please inform City staff when they will be available and submit when ready.

If you had a deficit of more than 10 per cent of your annual operating budget at your most recent year-end, or if you have an overall net deficit of more than 10 per cent, please attach a deficit reduction plan that includes targets, timelines and responsibilities.

Midsized Program

Applications are now closed for 2022


To be eligible for the Midsized Program, you must:

  • Have a mission to develop, create, produce, present and disseminate artistic work in any artistic discipline
  • Have impactful annual programs or services that are delivered with consistency and are artistically strong
  • Have a paid professional leadership
  • Have developing or stabilizing administrative structures and financial resources
  • Have emerging long-term planning
  • Have engaged Board of Directors
  • Be in existence for at least two years and be a Federally or Provincially incorporated not-for-profit
  • Have ongoing paid professional artistic, curatorial or administrative staff
  • Produce a minimum of three public activities per year
  • Have operating revenues of no less than $30,000 per year
  • Pay principal artistic contributors for their services that follow professional industry standards

For more information, view our Sustaining Midsized Program Guidelines.

 

Information for Applicants

Applications must be submitted via our online application. If you require assistance with the online application, please contact Cultural Services staff at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229.

 How to apply
 Please follow each of these steps to complete your application for Sustaining-Midsized Program funding
Contact staff 
 All applicants must contact Cultural Services staff to review the program and eligibility requirements prior to applying and obtain a budget form. Please contact Ashley Judd-Rifkin, Culture Coordinator, at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229. 
 Prepare your documents

 Gather and prepare the supporting documents required as part of the online application:

  • Applicant Information and Authorization Form with original signatures
  • Completed Activity/Programming List for Current Year and Request Year
  • Completed Financial Information Form (CADAC forms are accepted in lieu)
  • Completed Statistical Information Form - last year’s actuals only (CADAC forms are accepted in lieu)
  • Most recent Financial Statements as approved and signed by Board of Directors. (see Financial and Statistical information section below)
  • Most recent Annual Report or Minutes from your most recent AGM
  • Completed list of your Board of Directors – include name, title and length of service
  • Staff list (programming and administrative) – include full-time, part-time or contract positions, key roles & responsibilities, reporting structure and volunteer positions
  • Sample promotional materials
  • Where appropriate please include relevant planning documents, in whole or in part, such as strategic plans, marketing plans and/or deficit reduction plans
  • A copy of your Letters Patent or other Incorporation Documents (first-time applicants only)
 Apply online
 Use the online application to review the terms of funding, provide organizational information and upload your supporting documents. This form will be linked below once applications open for the Midsized Program in 2023.

 

Financial and Statistical Information

All applications must be accompanied by completed Financial and Statistical Information Forms as provided by the Cultural Services Office. Alternatively, those organizations applying for Ontario Arts Council funding may attach a completed copy of up to date CADAC Financial and Statistical Information Forms to this application instead.

For requests of $10,000 or less from organizations with revenues less than $100,000, un-audited financial statements may be submitted. Review engagements or audited financial statements are preferred when available. For higher requests and revenue levels, review engagements are required (or audited financial statements, when available). Financial statements must be signed and approved by your Board of Directors. 

If you had a deficit of more than 10 per cent of your annual operating budget in your last completed year, or if you have an overall net deficit of more than 10 per cent, please attach a deficit reduction plan that includes targets, timelines and responsibilities.

Festival Program

Application deadline: September 22, 2022

The Festival Program is for professional festivals that:

  • Generate cultural tourism or significant economic impact
  • Contribute to the cultural vitality and diversity of St. Catharines

To be eligible for the Festival Program, the Festival must:

  • Offer unique programming which includes a significant component that takes place in St. Catharines
  • Attract audiences from within and beyond Niagara
  • Engage local artists and businesses in festival activities
  • Be professionally managed with paid staff resources or a dedicated volunteer management team
  • Provide evidence of effective marketing and business planning
  • Have stabilizing administrative structures and financial resources
  • Have grant support from other government sources
  • Have an engaged Board of Directors

You must also meet these eligibility requirements for the Festival Program:

  • Be in existence for a minimum of two years and be a Federally or Provincially incorporated not-for-profit organization or a non-incorporated organization that confirms it operates on a not-for-profit basis
  • Meet the definition of a festival, for more information view our Festival Program Guidelines
  • Provide programming or services that are continuous, open or otherwise accessible to the public
  • Have paid staff, a contracted festival coordinator or a dedicated volunteer management team
  • Have completed two successful festivals prior to application
  • Pay principal artistic contributors for their services that follow professional industry standards
  • Have a revenue base of no less than $30,000
  • Gather funding from other government sources such as Niagara Investment in Culture, Celebrate Ontario or the Department of Canadian Heritage Festival Program
Eligibility exceptions

You may be able to apply if you are a club, community centre, social service, religious or sports organization that has a significant festival that substantially engages broader audiences and meets all other program eligibility criteria. However, the festival cannot be a fundraiser.

For more information, view our Festival Program Guidelines.

The online application will be linked here once it is available in summer 2022.

Development funding eligibility

Learn about eligibility for our development funding program offering three different programs – Arts Development Program, Culture Builds Community Program and Culture Days Activity Program.

Arts Development Program

Application deadline: September 22, 2022

The Arts Development Program supports a range of cultural activities, art forms and art practices. Priority is given to Niagara-based arts creation and diverse cultural traditions. To be eligible for the Arts Development Program, you must be either a(n):

  • Emerging arts organization;
  • Artist ad-hoc group;
  • Arts organization that works on a project-to-project basis; or
  • New arts festival

If you have equipment and small capital costs, we may cover them if you show that this investment will directly serve the priorities of the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Policy.

You must also meet these eligibility requirements for the Arts Development Program:

  • Pay principal artistic contributors for their services that follow industry standards
  • Be in existence for a minimum of one year with evidence of public activity
Repeat applicants

If you're a repeat applicant, you must demonstrate:

  • Organizational evolution
  • Program innovation
  • Creative partnerships
  • Growth in community engagement
Eligibility exceptions

You may also be eligible if you are a:

  • Individual artists leading a community art project that engages the broader community and meets all other program requirements
  • Arts organization and artist ad-hoc group that operates on a not-for-profit basis but are registered
  • First-time applicant that has been in existence for less than a year and can show your two-year trajectory for Sustaining programs

For more information, view our Arts Development Program Guidelines.

 

Information for Applicants

Applications must be submitted via our online application. If you require assistance with the online application, please contact Cultural Services staff at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229.

 How to apply
 Please follow each of these steps to complete your application for Arts Development Program funding
Contact staff 
 All applicants must contact Cultural Services staff to review the program and eligibility requirements prior to applying and obtain a budget form. Please contact Ashley Judd-Rifkin, Culture Coordinator, at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229. 
 Prepare your documents

 Gather and prepare the supporting documents required as part of the online application:

  • Applicant Information and Authorization Form with original signatures

  • Completed Application Form (including Organizational Profile and Project Description)

  • Completed Financial Information Form

  • Two letters of support for the organization and project

  • Sample promotional materials from past events

  • Where available, project planning documents and/or examples of artist’s work (optional)

For Incorporated Applicants:

  • Most recent financial statements approved and signed by your Board of Directors
  • Minutes from your most recent Annual General Meeting
  • A list of your board of directors – include name, title and length of service
  • A copy of your letters patent or other incorporation documents (first time applicants only)

For Non-Incorporated Applicants:

  • In lieu of financial statements a detailed profit and loss summary from the previous year's operations or your most recent project.
  • Brief bios of all members participating in the leadership of the project
 Apply online

 Use the online application below to review the terms of funding, provide organizational information and upload your supporting documents.

The online application will be linked here once it is available in summer 2022.

Culture Builds Community Program

Application deadline: September 22, 2022

To be eligible for the Culture Builds Community Program, you must:

  • Engage residents through community art experiences, neighbourhood cultural activities or experiences that encourage participation, creativity and innovation
  • Be open to artists, cultural organizations and other not-for-profit organizations that can engage residents at a local community level
  • Be able to offer a work of art or a public event
  • Engage under-served local communities to be given priority
  • Be in existence for a minimum of one year with evidence of public activity
  • Engage people from a local community in St. Catharines
  • Pay principal artistic contributors for their services that follow industry standards
Eligibility exceptions

You may be eligible if you are a:

  • Non-cultural organization that is registered not-for-profit and meet all other program requirements
  • Individual artists leading a community art project that engages the broader community and meets all other program requirements
  • Arts organization and artist ad-hoc group that operates on a not-for-profit basis but are registered
  • First-time applicant that has been in existence for less than a year and can show your two-year trajectory for Sustaining programs
  • Individual artists may be eligible for the Culture Builds Community Program

Please note projects that are political or religious in nature, or that further related doctrine, are not eligible to apply.

For more information, view our Culture Builds Community Guidelines.

Information for Applicants

Applications must be submitted via our online application. If you require assistance with the online application, please contact Cultural Services staff at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229.

 How to apply
 Please follow each of these steps to complete your application for Culture Builds Community Program funding
 Contact staff
 All applicants must contact Cultural Services staff to review the program and eligibility requirements prior to applying and obtain a budget form. Please contact Ashley Judd-Rifkin, Culture Coordinator, at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905.688.5601 ext. 5229. 
 Prepare your documents

Gather and prepare the supporting documents required as part of the online application:

  • Applicant Information and Authorization Form with original signatures
  • Completed Application Form (including Organizational Profile and Project Description)
  • Completed Financial Information Form
  • Two letters of support for the organization and/or project, one of which is from within the local community this project will engage
  • Sample promotional materials from past events or similar activities
  • Where available, project planning documents and/or examples of artist’s work (optional)

For Incorporated Applicants:

  • Most recent financial statements approved and signed by your Board of Directors.
  • Minutes from your most recent Annual General Meeting
  • A list of your board of directors – include name, title and length of service
  • A copy of your letters patent or other incorporation documents (first time applicants only)

For Non-Incorporated Applicants:

  • In lieu of financial statements a simple profit and loss summary from the previous year's operations.
  • Brief bios of all members participating in the leadership of the project.

For Community Art Projects Only:

  • Artist statement
  • Bios/descriptions of each of the participating artists
 Apply online

Use the online application to review the terms of funding, provide organizational information and upload your supporting documents.

The online application will be linked here once it is available in summer 2022.

Culture Days Activity Program

Applications are now closed for 2022

The Culture Days Activity Program is for artists, businesses or organizations who wish to run a Culture Days activity in St. Catharines. To be eligible for the Culture Days Activity Program, you must:

  • Respond to the mandate of Culture Days
  • Create public participation in cultural experiences
  • Aim to inspire future involvement in the cultural life of the community

You do not need to meet all the general eligibility requirements of SCCIP. However, activities must:

  • Take place in St. Catharines during Culture Days (September 23 to October 16, 2022)
  • Be free and open to the public
  • Engage the public in hands-on, interactive cultural experiences and encourage continued involvement in local culture
  • Employ and pay local artists and cultural workers
  • Be distinct from normal activities offered by applicant
Eligibility exceptions

For-profit businesses are eligible for this program when all other eligibility requirements are met. Business applicants are eligible for artist fee costs only.

For more information, view our 2022 Culture Days Activity Program Guidelines.

 

Information for Applicants

Applications must be completed using the online application form. If you require assistance with the online portal, please contact Cultural Services Staff at ajuddrifkin@stcatharines.ca or 905-688-5601 ext. 5229

 

Before you begin:

Contact Staff. All applicants must contact Cultural Services staff prior to applying to request a SCCIP Culture Days Activity Program Financial Form. This form is required as part of the online application process.

 

Apply for an In-Person Culture Days Event:
  1. Apply via our Culture Days Activity Program In-Person Activity online application.
  2. Answer all application questions online.
  3. Upload the financial form (required) and any other documents (optional) to the online form.
  4. Submit the completed application online.

Apply for a Digital Culture Days Event:
  1. Apply via our Culture Days Activity Program Digital Activity online application.
  2. Answer all application questions online.
  3. Upload the financial form (required) and any other documents (optional) to the online form.
  4. Submit the completed application online.

 

About Culture Days

Culture Days is a national event held annually at the end of September to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.

General ineligibility

Some activities are beyond the scope of the SCCIP. Those who cannot receive grants from any SCCIP stream include:

  • 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

Application review

Members of the St. Catharines' Arts and Culture Advisory Committee review all applications and make recommendations for investment to City Council. 

The Review Committee uses these evaluation forms when reviewing applications:

  • Sustaining Core Funding Evaluation Guide
  • Sustaining Midsized Funding Evaluation Guide
  • Sustaining Festival Funding Evaluation Guide
  • Development Arts Development Funding Evaluation Guide
  • Development Culture Builds Community Funding Evaluation Guide
  • Development Culture Days Activity Funding Evaluation Guide

Funding projects approved in 2021

View the projects that received SCCIP funding in 2021.

Sustaining funding recipients

The Sustaining Core Program recipients include:

  • Carousel Players - $47,000
  • Chorus Niagara - $17,000
  • Niagara Artists Centre - $49,000
  • Niagara Symphony Orchestra - $63,000
  • Suitcase in Point - $33,000

 

The Sustaining Midsized Program recipients include:

  • Essential Collective Theatre - $33,000
  • The Gallery Players of Niagara - $12,000
  • The Willow Arts Community - $10,000

 

The Sustaining Festival Program recipients include:

  • Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts - $17,500
  • The Foster Festival - $26,500
  • In the Soil Arts Festival (Suitcase In Point) - $15,000
  • The TD Niagara Jazz Festival - $16,000

Development funding recipients

The Arts Development Program recipients include:

  • Roselyn Kelada-Sedra - $4,000
  • Matter of Black - $10,000
  • Music Niagara - $6,000
  • Stolen Theatre Collective - $3,500
  • The Studio - $2,394
  • Willow Arts Community - $8,581

 

The Culture Builds Community Program recipients include:

  • Laurie Sadowski - $2,810
  • Dr. Neivin Shalabi - $3,000
  • Silver Spire United Church - $4,000
  • Start Me Up Niagara - $6,000

 

The Culture Days Activity Program recipients include:

  • Rhiannon Barry - $395
  • Carousel Players - $1,000
  • Dena Colling Gelentso - $647
  • Danny Custodio - $605
  • Renu D'Cunha - $668
  • Essential Collective Theatre - $950
  • David Figueroa - $730
  • Rajshree Jena - $700
  • Janice Low - $513
  • Mexicans In Niagara - $943
  • Jelica Mijanovic - $712
  • Danny Molek - $556
  • Luis Gerardo Molina Gonzalez - $850
  • Dr. Nievin Shalabi - $700
  • Silver Spire United Church - $401
  • John Sweeney - $345
  • Cultural Investment Program
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