KAWARTHA LAKES-The team at Kawartha Lakes Arts Council met with MPP Laurie Scott recently to provide an update on the $80,900 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that was used to activate their online Marketplace and increase their digital communications to the community. The project will be completed in the summer of 2023 and has helped place the Arts Council as a key member of the local arts and culture ecosystem according to the group.
“The Kawartha Lakes Art Council received funds from the Ontario Trillium Foundation – Resilient Communities Funds which will be utilized to support all forms of art in our community,” said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “The funds received will go a long way to not only assist local artists but will also enrich the lives of our community by strengthening access to local artists.”
The activation of the online Marketplace and increased digital communications are a direct result of the pressures placed on the Council throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. With fewer opportunities to gather in person, the Marketplace was developed as a way for members to promote their products for sale to the public. In addition to these initiatives, new hires Tim Crouch and Chantelle Roland were able to bring back learning workshops for members when gathering was once again safe. These include recent workshops on self-promotion and ideas for booth set-ups at exhibitions.
“We have seen a huge impact thanks to our Ontario Trillium Foundation grant,” said Ray Marshall, Chair of the Kawartha Lakes Arts Council. “We have been able to activate our online Marketplace with an increased level of products available for purchase, and increased our overall engagement with our members and the general public with a more in-depth digital communications strategy. These successes are a direct result of the funding allowing us to hire part-time staff, Tim Crouch and Chantelle Roland.”
The Kawartha Lakes Arts Council promotes awareness and appreciation of arts and culture in Kawartha Lakes. They are committed to a diverse approach to creative expression in all of its forms. They serve their community by advocating for a thriving creative sector, providing robust marketing opportunities for our members, and fostering professional development and training. They connect all stakeholders and investors in collaboration to discover and reveal our culture through the arts. Please visit the website at: https://www.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn mor
