City provides critical assistance for the cultural sector
New grants program launched to support cultural organizations impacted by COVID-19
We are particularly keen to support groups and programs that champion equity, as well as groups who have played, and continue to play, a critical role in the city’s cultural and economic vitality or have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.
Branislav Henselmann, Managing Director of Culture Services
We're launching a new one-time grants program to provide financial and in-kind support to the arts and culture sector.
The COVID-19 Cultural Impact Critical Assistance (CICA) program aims to provide one-time funding for cultural nonprofit organizations that have been most impacted by COVID-19 and those who provide critical programs, services, and space to some of the most impacted artists and groups in the city.
The funding is aimed at supporting continuity or adaptation of operations, programs, services, as well as re-opening or restart planning and implementation. The program will also support critical cultural space projects that support restart and recovery in a safe way. It can also allow access to the Vancouver Civic Theatre venues in new ways such as support for livestreaming or recording events.
Supporting the arts and culture sector
This new grants program builds upon City efforts to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on the arts and culture sector, including:
- Repurposing operating funds to allow groups to adapt their programs, operations, and projects to continue to provide vital services and support to the sector
- Cultural Infrastructure grants to support cultural spaces and recovery
- Emergency Affordable Spaces operating grants to cultural spaces at risk
- Support to local COVID-related funding programs including the Vancouver Foundation Arts Culture and Community Benefit (ACCB) Fund, and the BC Arts Council Pilot Microgrants Program for artists, with assessment and cash resources respectively
- Weekly COVID-19 newsletters
- Advocacy efforts with the Province and Federal governments for capital projects
CICA grants are open to all Vancouver-based arts and cultural nonprofit organizations, including groups that already receive funding from the City of Vancouver and those that have never applied or received funding before. Most of these one-time grants will be up to $25,000.
The program was informed by community input gathered through the City’s new culture plan Culture|Shift, the impact to the local arts and culture sector, and other external COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives.
How to apply
To apply, organizations must complete a brief Expression of Interest (EOI) form before November 4, 2020. These submissions are the first in a two stage process for consideration of funding, therefore we encourage organizations to submit their EOIs as early as possible in order to complete an application, where applicable, before November 18th.
Quotes
Branislav Henselmann, Managing Director of Culture Services
“The organizations that will benefit from these new grants are an integral part of the richness and diversity of Vancouver,” said Branislav Henselmann, Managing Director of Culture Services. “We are particularly keen to support groups and programs that champion equity, as well as groups who have played, and continue to play, a critical role in the city’s cultural and economic vitality or have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.”