Choirs Ontario has become aware of planned budget cuts to the Ontario Arts Council (up to 15% of the total budget, down $55 million), to be announced by the end of March.
Choirs, composers, conductors and the greater choral community rely heavily on government support funding and cannot survive on fundraising efforts, program and/or membership fees alone. Other streams of government funding are smaller, geared towards smaller scale and individual short-term projects. The arts and culture sector rely on funding from the Ontario Arts Council, the provinces largest public granting agency.
The Ontario budget will be announced on March 23. Please take the time to write a letter to Finance Minister Bethlenfalvy or reach out to your local MPP.
Choirs Ontario is happy to both share and support advocacy efforts, and has provided templates for writing to the Minster of Finance. Greater conversations about funding reforms are also crucial to the support of the arts sector. Imagine Canada has created and provided a toolkit on how to talk to your MP. Choirs Ontario is asking our members and the greater choral community to please share this information across your membership base, with colleagues, and greater audience.
Choirs Ontario is also a member of Provincial Arts Service Organizations/Organisations Provinciale de Services aux Arts de l’Ontario (PASO-OPSA). PASO is a coalition of Ontario Arts Service Organizations that, collectively, acts as a conduit to over 272,000 creative workers, and artists across the province, as well as to thousands of organizations, large and small, that create and support artistic expression in Ontario. GOG and PASO members are aligned that the OAC budget of $65M be sustained in the 2023 provincial budget.
Templates & Resources
MPP – Letter to Minister Bethlenfalvy
Imagine Canada: MP Meeting Toolkit