SCCIP funding continues to support arts and culture sector

The City of St. Catharines continues to offer ongoing supports to help strengthen and build the arts and culture sector locally.

At its June 22 meeting, St. Catharines City Council approved $449,280 in St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP) funding, with $14,530 going to four applicants for the Culture Builds Community Program; $412,750 being allocated to 12 organizations through the Sustaining – Core, Festival and Midsized Program funding; and $22,000 awarded to six applicants through the Arts Development Program.

“Every year, SCCIP investment directly impacts the growth and development of the creative sector by fostering participation in arts, heritage, and cultural experiences, and communicating the experiences and value of culture to the residents of St. Catharines,” said Ashley Judd-Rifkin, Culture Coordinator for the city.

The Sustaining Funding programs support St. Catharines-based, professional non-profit arts organizations with a mission to develop, create, produce and deliver their work to the community. The overall investment in the 10 organizations and two festivals provides the most significant economic return of all SCCIP funding, generating full-time, part-time and contract jobs, and the staff and volunteers of these organizations provide a foundation to the cultural sector that serves cultural sustainability through a wide variety of partnerships and contributions.

This year applicants to three programs, the Sustaining Core, Midsized and Festival Programs, were eligible to apply for three years of funding. As a result, six of the ten applicants opted to submit three-year funding requests, and received in-principle approval from Council for 2027 and 2028 funding years, helping inform funding recommendations in the City’s upcoming multi-year budgets while also providing arts and culture organizations with a more stable foundation for long-term budgeting, programming, and organizational development.

"Multi-year funding to arts and culture organizations reinforces the City’s commitment to supporting the sector long-term,” said Judd-Rifkin. “Knowing they have stable funding for three years allows organizations the time to plan and grow their operations sustainably while providing exceptional artistic programming to St. Catharines residents."

This funding approved June 22 was for the first two rounds of SCCIP, with another intake in September. Details on the SCCIP funding programs, eligibility, applications, and more can be found at www.stcatharines.ca/SCCIP.

2026 SCCIP Funding Approvals: Rounds One and Two

Sustaining – Core Program

·         Carousel Players (CP) - $65,000.00

·         Chorus Niagara - $20,000.00

·         The Foster Festival - $25,250.00

·         Niagara Artists’ Centre (NAC) - $79,500.00

·         Niagara Symphony Orchestra - $65,000.00

Sustaining – Midsized Program

·         Avanti Singers - $15,000.00

·         The Gallery Players of Nigara - $16,000.00

·         Niagara Youth Orchestra - $12,000.00

·         Suitcase In Point Multi-Arts Company - $40,000.00

·         Willow Arts Community - $45,000.00

Sustaining – Festival Program

·         CP – Niagara Children’s Festival - $10,000.00

·         NAC – Mighty Niagara Film Festival - $20,000.00

Arts Development Program

·         Avanti Singers - $5,500.00

·         CPR Films - $3,000.00

·         Alexa Fraser Ad Hoc Group - $3,000.00

·         Half Blind Owl - $5,000.00

·         Studio Kim Odine - $2,500.00

·         Summer Freak Fest Niagara - $3,000.00

Culture Builds Community Program

·         Si Calaycay - $3,000.00

·         Luis Martin Flores - $4,730.00

·         Habitat for Humanity Niagara - $4,400.00

·         Silver Spire United Church - $2,400.00

Total: $449,280