Sector News - September 2017
OAC Celebrates Government’s Increased Investment in Ontario’s Professional Artists and Arts Organizations
Enthusiastic applause broke out at last week’s surprise announcement by Premier Kathleen Wynne and Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport that the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) will receive a funding increase to its current base of $60 million bringing it to $80 million over four years by 2020-21. The $50 million increase will roll out accordingly: $5 million in 2017-18, $10 million in 2018-19, $15 million in 2019-20 and $20 million in 2020-21.
Over the next four years, this added investment to OAC programs will ensure that Ontarians have increased access to arts activity throughout the province and ensure that they see themselves represented in the arts.
Veronica Abrenica Named Youth Arts Ambassador
Ontario Culture Days launched an exciting new initiative called the Youth Arts Ambassadors Program (YAAP) aimed at fostering and supporting the next generation of community artists in our province. YAAP commissions five diverse youth artists to create new community arts projects in their respective regions that premiere during the 2016 Culture Days weekend taking place September 30, October 1 and 2, 2016. Vaughan resident, YRAC member and Artrepreneur fellow, Veronica Abrenica was selected to represent York Region and its surrounding areas.