Executive Summary:

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Background:

Council approved the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program as part of the 2020 budget process.

The grant program invests in the soul of our City by providing financial assistance to locally-developed arts, culture and heritage projects that provide exciting, surprising and meaningful opportunities to strengthen our creative community. This funding initiative supports the City of Windsor's priority to build a strong and stable creative community that contributes to a prosperous creative economy and to making Windsor an amazing place to live.

The program seeks to promote innovation and support new, dynamic efforts in the creative community; develop unique cultural resources to enhance the health and vitality of our communities and the quality of life of our people; encourage participants in the creative community to stay and continue to create and work in Windsor; make arts, culture and heritage central to the lives of all our people; increase public awareness and access to the creative sector; celebrate diversity by recognizing our rich creative community; and value creativity by promoting and supporting arts, culture and heritage.

The key priorities of the program are to increase Windsor's attractiveness, affordability and quality of life; support the development of new audiences; increase the supply of skilled cultural workers; nurture creativity and imagination through arts, culture and heritage projects; encourage the inclusion of diverse cultural groups; and increase public access to the creative community.

Since the program launch in 2014, the ACHF has awarded $566,800 to 242 arts, culture and heritage projects in Windsor. This funding has supported emerging, mid-career and professional artists producing work in and for Windsor. Over the course of thirteen funding rounds, the program has supported projects resulting in arts programming for low-income residents; arts mentorship programs across many genres; local projects achieving success on the world stage; the creation of cultural assets unique to Windsor; and immeasurable support for grass-roots arts organizations and individual artists at the start of their creative careers.

The City has an opportunity to utilize the ACHF, following its mission and processes, to support the creative community during the COVID-19 crisis.

Discussion:

The evolving COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the City of Windsor's creative community. Those working in the local arts, culture and heritage sector provide our community with the stories, places and spaces, locally-produced products and experiences that help shape our vibrant city. Like everyone else at this time, Windsor's creatives are facing difficult days, decisions and financial realities.