Funding local artists – over $5 million since 20022 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutesDo you know the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund?
Arts and culture are an important part of any community. No matter what you enjoy – music, sculpture, theatre, film – art brings us joy and helps us understand the world.
Back in 2002, the Region of Waterloo started a new program to support creative projects by and for the people in our community. The Arts Fund gives twice-yearly grants to support local artists’ excellent work in dance, film and video, music and recording, performance, theatre, visual arts, and multimedia, writing and publishing, and more. It helps bring projects to life that might not otherwise exist.
The program has grown tremendously! The first year saw the Fund award $81,000 – in 2022, it gave away $450,000! After 20 years, the Arts Fund has supported 943 projects, for a total of $5.3 million invested in Waterloo Region’s artistic endeavors.
Another round of applications just closed earlier this month. What new creative projects are on the way?
We shared this story and video last month on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The creation of our Arts Fund in 2002 is just one of 50 Region of Waterloo milestones that we’re highlighting this year.
Why? Because our community reached an important anniversary in 2023 – we turned 50! In 1973, our current Region of Waterloo municipality was formed. The anniversary is a chance to look back at where we’ve come from, celebrate how far we’ve come, and look ahead to where we’re going.
Check out these other great milestone stories from the past month:
- Region of Waterloo launches Ontario’s first water protection strategy in 1994 (read it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram)
- Region begins to transform landfill gas into green energy in 1993 (read it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram)
- Historic local Carnegie libraries mark their centennials in 2013 and 2015 (read it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram)