The following information presents a clear and accurate picture of EC3’s programs, services and activities in 2023 and 2024. It includes activities currently underway to support some 2025 programs.
If any cuts are made to EC3’s 2025 Operating funding ($1000,000), or their grant programs and Artsweek funding ($77,000), the impact would be the loss of all the programs listed below in 2025, all the creative content they generate for their festivals and concert halls (no EC3 funded new films, books, dance, theatre, music, about 50 new projects) etc. No arts festival, no Peterborough Arts Awards, Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts, no student bursaries, professional development projects, new DEI initiatives, cultural incubators, poet laureate events or residencies. This will be magnified by cuts to Service Grants and Community Investment Grants.
EC3 operations are already on a skeleton financial framework. EC3 would have to return the funding it has received from Canadian Heritage for Artsweek 2025, from the DBIA and the Ontario Arts Council, because they would not be able to meet programming commitments and might compromise future funding. These losses would have a negative economic and community well-being impact.
Competitive Grants, Bursary and Commissions Programs: Developed and delivered all 25 elements of between 4 and 5 of these programs each year, including development, fundraising, outreach, application assessment and adjudication, granting, reporting, evaluation and tracking for: Bierk Art Bursary Program, Peterborough Arts Awards, Artsweek 2023 and preliminary 2025, Grants for Individual Artists 2023 and 2024, Poet Laureate 2023 and 2024/2025. Approximately 150 grants etc. Program review and change approvals.
Professional Development Workshops: Developed and delivered 9 professional workshops on Zoom and in community spaces, documented and archived on web site, 2 more coming.
Artsweek 2023: Produced and delivered 10-day, multidisciplinary free festival, taking place around the City, featuring 100 artists in 80 events, with 50 partners, including granting, commissioning, curating, scheduling, marketing, web site, media, logistics and event management and administration, media, documentation, and archiving.
Artsweek 2025: Fundraising, program planning and development and call for applications, commissioned projects, partnership development, staffing, web site, venue booking (all in progress)
Poet Laureate Program 2023 and 2024: Supported all aspects of 2 Poet Laureate Programs and their legacy projects as well as Council, Civic Awards, and community engagement projects, document, and archive
Bierk Art Bursary Program: Ongoing development and production of the program beyond the competition, the partnerships (AGP, CFGP) and stewardship, new initiatives in planning stages. Delivered in both 2023 and 2024. 3 bursaries
Grants for Individual Artists 2025: Ongoing development and revenue generation, program delivery and stewardship of the program, support to individual grant recipients, program evaluation. 30 grants.
Peterborough Arts Awards: Back in 2024 after our sponsors postponed in 2020-2023 due to Covid and it was replaced by special Covid programs (Peterborough Arts Alive, Micro Grants etc.). Call for Nominations, workshops, fundraising, jury, advance production planning, venues, caterers etc., marketing (in progress). 6 awards
Mayors Luncheon for the Arts: 2024 planning and production work including program development, booking artists, venue, catering, contracts etc., volunteer committee, marketing, sponsor stewardship,. Lunch (130) and entertainment, speakers, and performances, videos.
Cultural Incubators: Development of 2 events, one AI and one TBD for end of March.
Downtown Artist in Residence Program: Negotiations with DBIA and additional funding for space, promotion and selection, support artist.
Spotlight on Black Artists: Enhance and upgrade program annually additional artists and fees, new curator, and outreach etc., marketing and promotion, documentation, and archiving. Black History month event planning in progress. Pau curators and artists.
Annual Dedicated Arts Programming: Curate/hire curators and pay artists for online programming projects for Black History Month, PRIDE x 2, Truth and Reconciliation Day, National Indigenous Day, International Poetry and Jazz Day, International Day of the Artist, add one annually, part of DEI initiatives.
Research, News, Outreach, and Information Sharing: EC3 produces and distributes 24 Bulletins, Alerts and Media Releases each year, and provides updated information on our website. Our web site is updated constantly.
Marketing and Communications: Program promotion and activities on all social media and traditional platforms, use of city promo tools and postcard and posters for all programming and services.
Community Connections, Outreach, and Inclusion: EC3 Board and staff attend dozens of events and activities each year, share connections and information and ensure all our programs and activities are open, transparent, and continuously moving forward on all aspects of DEI etc. All our programs are reviewed annually to ensure they meet best practice standards for openness and inclusion. Our work brings together artists and organizations, both amateur and professional, in all disciplines, contemporary and traditional forms, emerging to senior artists, from a variety of local communities.
Strategic Leadership and Advocacy: Participation in Association of Arts Councils of Ontario, Business, and the Arts, OAC advocacy as requested, provincial budget hearings as requested, City of Peterborough budget advocacy x 2, support for City on ACAC, New MCP Sub Committee, Public Art program advice and juries. Quaker Park Programming advisory, Civic Awards, information, and knowledge sharing as required. Community connecting and partnership building as required. Partnered with AGP on all aspects of new Pilot program Grants to Professional Arts Organizations and Arts Collectives.
Fuze Consulting Services: Provide mentoring, information, networking, advice, and support to: United Way, Trent University, Community Health Centre, and others, multiple local arts organizations, and individual artists in 2023 and 2024.
Special Project: Worked in a 50/50 partnership with AGP colleagues on the research, community consultation, design, and development of Grants to Professional Arts Organizations and Arts Collectives. EC3 drafted all the primary documents, did the strategic forecasting, and participated in all the meetings with City staff on program development and delivery. Met all deadlines and completed all necessary documents. Program postponed by City staff.
Organizational and Financial Management: Exemplary financial management, diverse and well-balanced Board that meets 10 times a year, active advisory group, worked with staff to locate lost reporting documents and ease City staff transitioning. All required reporting.
Since 2014 EC3 has raised over $600,000 in self-generated revenue in addition to City funding. In the past three months we confirmed a $5,000 private donation to GFIA program, $25,000 for Bierk Art Bursary (fund held by CFGP), Canadian Heritage Grant of $9,500 for Artsweek 2025, $14,500 in operating grant from OAC, and approximately ($25,000) in cash for PAA award winners and runners-up, talent and complimentary tickets). This money goes out into the community to enhance the programs the City funds, support artists, young people, make Artsweek free etc.
City funding keeps EC3, and helps us keep other artists and arts organizations, competitive in fundraising efforts, (leveraging other grants, corporate, sponsors and private donors), and in tourism, business, and physician attraction markets.Downtown vitality, economic development, community wellbeing and mental health all benefit from these investments by the City, and will suffer (disproportionately), if grants are cut, due to collateral damage and ripple effects.
EC3 receives an A rating from the Ontario Arts Council and the highest grant in our category ($14,500).There are no other sources of operating funding available to municipal arts councils.
EC3 does not receive any funding from the County, although some of our programs are open to the county residents.
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