The City of Kingston Arts Fund Review

Following over a year of community engagement, research, and development, the City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) Review is complete! We are excited to work with the City to implement changes to the program based on the recommendations outlined in the CKAF Review Report, pending approvals at the Arts, Recreation, and Community Policies (ARCP) Committee (24 April 2025) and City Council (6 May 2025), respectively.

You can view all of the meeting details and relevant documents online now (click here — reports are included in the meeting agenda).

Save the Date: Thursday, 24 April 2025 at 5:00 PM

The CKAF Review Report, along with the Transition Plan for CKAF 2025, will be presented to the ARCP Committee for review and approval on 24 April. A new draft CKAF Framework (which will replace the existing Plan for Administration), developed by City staff and the KAC in response to the recommendations in the CKAF Review Report, will also be presented for input and feedback, before we bring it back for approval this summer. All are welcome at this meeting, and we encourage CKAF recipients and other invested parties to attend in person (Council Chamber, City Hall) or online (register here).

Advocating to Councillors

We encourage all CKAF recipients and invested parties to contact the City Councillor in your district in advance of the ARCP Committee meeting to express your support for the CKAF program and/or provide feedback. You can submit a letter of support, request a meeting, or share your thoughts and feedback via email or phone. Contact information for City Councillors can be found here.

CKAF Review Report Highlights

Below is a high level overview of some recommendations being brought forward via the CKAF Review Report:

• CKAF funding is proposed to be distributed through four (4) grant streams, with updated grant ranges that assist with more equitable distribution of available resources:
  • Operating Grants: Annual and multi-year grants supporting operations, programs, and services for nonprofit arts organizations (professional, semi-professional, and emerging) in all artistic disciplines, as well as community-engaged organizations implementing strategies to reduce barriers to public participation in the arts ($10,000 - $65,000);
  • Festival Grants: Annual and multi-year grants supporting the production and presentation of established and emerging arts festivals and recurring event series with a City-wide impact ($10,000 – $55,000);
  • Project Grants: One-time grants supporting professional and emerging artists, collectives, and organizations in executing creative projects, presenting new work, promoting community engagement in the arts, and fostering collaboration across and beyond the arts sector. ($3,000 – $12,000); and
  • Creation Grants: One-time grants for artists, duos, and collectives to support the creation and development of new artistic work, including creation, experimentation, research activities, and/or skills and career development. ($3,000 – $10,000).
  • Note: the CKAF Review Report identifies the need to continuously review the grant ranges to ensure they are effectively supporting the needs of the arts sector, specifically around growth opportunities.
• Updating the CKAF program goals and corresponding criteria to better reflect and support our local industry and arts ecosystem, including:
  • Revision of assessment criteria in alignment with updated program goals, including the integration of scoring criteria assessing applications through a lens of Indigenization, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IIDEA).
  • Revision of eligibility criteria to promote increased access to funding and to better support emerging and equity-deserving artists and groups; and
•  Removal of barriers and administrative burdens, including but not limited to:
  • Streamlining application processes;
  • Simplifying reporting processes for recipients;
  • Providing financial support for applicants with accessibility needs;
  • Developing alternate submission methods (ex. video or audio) for portions of an application;
  • Waiving permit fees from the City; and
  • Exploring options to support recipients in accessing affordable and/or group insurance.
• Expansion of outreach and support efforts to engage a broader variety of community members and better support emerging and underrepresented artists and groups.
• Enhanced impact reporting and increased communications support to showcase the efforts of CKAF-funded groups and initiatives, support their marketing goals, and demonstrate the impact of investment into the arts.

The Report also speaks to strategic considerations for increased investment to the CKAF as part of implementation of the recommendations, and provides the Committee and Council with various budget scenarios.

• Increased investment to the CKAF: to support the expansion to 4 streams, adapt and respond to the growth of Kingston’s arts sector, ensure equitable access to CKAF grant funding, and foster the continued growth and development of Kingston’s arts industry. Five scenarios are presented, with the ideal scenario noted in the Report including an increase to the baseline CKAF funding, which then grows year over year, to $870,000, which represents an increase of $257,210 from the 2025 CKAF investment level. If this is supported, City staff will be directed to develop a 2026 operating budget with this scenario and report back to Council on implementation through the budget approval process. KAC is advocating in favour of this ideal investment strategy, which we believe to be critical to ensure the success of the CKAF program under the new Framework, to promote the sustainability and growth of our industry, and to enhance accessibility of the program.

It is our hope that industry leaders, CKAF-funded groups and individuals, and the broader community will join us at the meeting (in person or virtually) and/or reach out to your Councillors to advocate in support of the CKAF program. This is a critical moment in the program’s history, and an important time to advocate for increased investment into our local arts economy, in light of not only the growth and economic impact of our industry at the municipal level, but additionally the looming threats to our industry at the provincial and national levels.

The recommendations which City staff are bringing forth at this meeting are the result of widespread community engagement and feedback in the CKAF Review process since January 2024, as well as feedback recorded over years prior, research, and analysis of industry trends. The CKAF Review Report and recommendations contained within present an opportunity to better align the program and our work with the realities of our local arts sector today, foster opportunities for growth and development, and better support the needs of our artists, arts workers, and arts organizations.

We hope to see you there, and look forward to working with our community and the City of Kingston to build a stronger, more impactful funding program, to the benefit of all Kingstonians.