“Today, I was pleased to announce that the Ontario government is increasing support for the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) from $60 million last year to $80 million in 2020-21. This represents $50 million in additional funding over four years.
As the primary funder of our professional non-profit arts sector, the OAC brings value to our province. This additional funding will help it further support the arts throughout Ontario and across a wide range of disciplines and activities, including arts education, community arts, dance, literature, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts, as well as Indigenous and Francophone arts. It will also support OAC’s priority groups, and allow it to provide across-the-board increases to high-performing arts organizations.
This investment aligns with the goals of Ontario’s Culture Strategy, which our government launched in July 2016. We know from our engagement on the Strategy that people in this province recognize the important contribution of the arts. A thriving arts sector is important to our quality of life and to the social well-being of our communities. It brings us together, helps us understand one another’s cultures and express what it means to be Ontarian.
I am proud of our government’s commitment to the arts and that through this support we are ensuring the success of the province’s thriving arts sector for years to come.
All my best,”
Eleanor McMahon
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport