$59,000 awarded to 19 recipients in first 2023 round of funding for Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF)
Local artists and creators submitted fifty-six applications in the first round of ACHF funding for 2023. This included fifty applications from individuals and six applications from organizations. Of these, nineteen projects – fifteen grants to individuals, and four grants to organizations – will receive support for arts, culture and heritage projects in the community.
The funding requests totalled about $250,000. With $59,000 available in this round, the competition was high and the jury had to make difficult decisions. The jury was pleased to see thirty of the submissions come from first-time applicants, and excited to be able to select ten of those to receive funding. The jury selected a strong mix of projects across genres including the visual arts, the performing arts, film, music, literary arts and storytelling, podcasts; and some important projects supporting diversity, inclusivity, heritage and the celebration of humanity in the city of Windsor.
The ACHF, approved by City Council, awards grants to individuals and cultural organizations to help stimulate creative and economic growth. Each project could be funded to a maximum of $5,000 in a given round. $118,000 in project funding is available each year, administered through two rounds of $59,000 each. As part of the 2022 operating budget, City Council approved a recommendation to increase funding by $30,800 to a total of $118,000 annually, which represents a 35% increase in funding to the program.
Since the launch of this program in 2014:
806 applications have been submitted for consideration for funding.
412 individual projects have received funding.
$891,000 has been awarded in project funding to local arts, culture and heritage initiatives benefitting our community.
The City extends congratulations to the following 2023 Round 1 recipients:
Shô Art Studios. $5,000. New Canadian Kid by Dennis Foon. Funding for artist fees for a theatrical production.
Kristen Siapas. $5,000. Jazz in the Park. Funding for artist and producing fees, venue costs, and promotion of an outdoor public concert series.
Maryam Safarzadeh. $4,920. Travelling to Persia. Funding for artist fees for a youth arts and culture summer camp experience.
Black Women of Forward Action. $4,500. Our Truth Our Story. Funding for artist fees for six original songs for an original documentary.
Teajai Travis. $4,400. A Blaze of Story Podcast. Funding for artist fees and podcast production costs.
Gemma Eva Cunial. $4,000. Give Me Action. Funding for artist fees, production costs, studio rental and associated costs for a feature film production.
Jamie Greer. $4,000. The History of Pro Wrestling in Windsor, Ontario. Funding for photo licensing, interviews, exhibition memorabilia and more for the next phase of a literary arts and history project.
The Artists of Colour. $4,000. Never-Ending Quest for Inclusion. Funding for exhibition construction, venue, installation, and artist fees for a visual arts exhibit.
Nicolas Lamoureux. $3,500. Bicycle Powered Plastic Shredder. Funding for materials, safety features, and educational and promotional materials for a new artwork and exhibition.
Kevin Blondin. $3,300. Windsor Drag Archives. Funding for artist fees, design and development, web hosting and promotion of an online archive.
Arts Collective Theatre – ACT. $3,150. ACT Youth Creative. Funding for set construction and costumes for a theatrical production and program.
Paul Montainier. $3,000. Brewing for Comedy Festival. Funding for artist fees, marketing and administration for a local comedy festival.
Maria Belenkova-Buford. $3,000. Song of the Nereid. Funding for artist fees, crew fees, editing, sound and music, and venues for a local short film.
Kaitlyn Karns. $2,000. The Broadway Bunch. Funding for artist fees, music fees, venue costs, and marketing and promotion for a cabaret-style production.
Matt Bhanks. $1,200. Altered Alliances Web Series. Funding for post-production costs and artist fees for a live-action adaptation of a novel series.
Batool Yahya. $1,080. Art by Those Who Have Experienced Homelessness in Windsor. Funding for art supplies, gallery rental, artist fees and promotion of a social-justice themed art exhibit.
Allesandro Rotondi. $1,000. Gentle Giant. Funding for artist fees, studio rental, graphic design and musicians towards a full-length original album.
Russell Alexander Macklem. $1,000. South Detroit Connection Album and Documentary. Funding for album art, pressing vinyl and compact discs (CDs), and documentary production in support of a music project.
Dale Burkholder. $950. South West Ontario Handbell Festival. Funding for clinician, music and facility rental for a new festival celebrating handbells.
New Opportunity for Sponsor, Donor, and Community-Builders with the ACHF:
As the ACHF program continues to evolve, the City is reaching out to those individuals, organizations, businesses and corporations that have expressed an interest in supporting arts, culture and heritage in Windsor in the past. The City has identified two possible opportunities for partnership between sponsors, donors and community-builders in connection with the ACHF grant program.
Those who wish to register as a Patron will be provided with information on funded ACHF projects that are seeking additional funding support to realize their project goals and increase community impact. City staff will facilitate a meeting between interested parties to see what possibilities exist.
Those who wish to register to become an ACHF Partner will have the opportunity to donate a funding amount to the ACHF funding stream, which will increase available funding in a given round, thus increasing opportunities for additional creators and projects to receive funding. The ACHF Jury will adjudicate all funding requests, and City staff will work with ACHF Partners to determine the best fit for donations in any given round.
Those wishing to take advantage of this unique opportunity to direct support to Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage creative community, are asked to reach out to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca to begin the conversation.
Quotes:
“Since the launch of the City’s ACHF grant program, over four hundred innovative projects have received nearly $900,000 in funding. This program has a significant impact on the creative community while helping to celebrate and share the best of Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage sectors with the broader community. I am proud of Council’s recent increase in program funding, and continued investment in Windsor’s quality of life through arts, culture and heritage initiatives.”
- Mayor Drew Dilkens
“We remain proud of the ACHF program, and grateful for Council’s ongoing support and investment into this important initiative for our creative community. We are grateful to our volunteer jurors who step up to help us support arts, culture and heritage projects through this fund, and we are so very excited to see this latest batch of projects come to life in our community.”
- Michelle Staadegaard, Manager of Culture & Events, City of Windsor
Further details on the program guidelines and objectives, application process, eligibility requirements, success stories from previous recipients, and deadline dates for funding rounds are posted as available at www.ACHFWindsor.ca online.
To learn more about arts, culture and heritage services at the City of Windsor, visit www.CityWindsor.ca or call 311.