We are making every effort to ensure this page is up-to-date and comprehensive. If you know of a resource that would be beneficial for our arts community, please let us know by emailing us at info@artskingston.ca.
FUNDING
FUNDING UPDATES
Kingston Arts Council – Updates about the City of Kingston Arts Fund
Please contact grants@artskingston.ca with any questions about your grant.
Ontario Arts Council – Updates about deadlines and applications for OAC grants
Canada Council for the Arts– Updates about deadlines and applications for Canada Council grants
Canadian Heritage – Updates about deadlines and applications for Heritage grants
EMERGENCY FUNDING
The AFC — Emergency financial aid for entertainment pros
CBC Creative Relief Fund — Development and production funding
CBC Digital Originals — Micro innovation grants
Emergency Survival Fund for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, tip-based workers
Music Together — Short-term Performance Fund for Ontarian Musicians
National Arts Centre — Canada Performs: Short Term Relief Fund for Online Performances
SOCAN — emergency program
Unison Fund — Unison COVID19 Relief Program for the Music Industry
Writers’ Trust of Canada — emergency relief fund for writers and visual artists
Woodcock Fund Grant — emergency funds for writers mid-project
LOCAL EMERGENCY FUNDS
Kingston’s Friends Feeding Friends — Groceries for Kingstonians in financial distress
United Way — Local Emergency Fund
YGK Restaurant Workers Relief Fund — Support for bar and restaurant staff
CARFAC
Recommended practices for paying artists during the COVID-19 crisis
EMERGY RESPONSE BENEFIT
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
Announced March 25
Benefit of $2,000 per month for wage earners, as well as contract workers and self-employed individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI). Also of note for arts organizations: workers who are still employed, but are not receiving income because of disruptions to their work situation due to COVID-19, will also qualify for the CERB. This will help arts organizations keep their employees as they navigate these difficult times, while ensuring they preserve the ability to quickly resume operations as soon as it becomes possible.
April 15 Update
• There’s no limit on the amount of royalty payments for past works (i.e. those produced by artists before the crisis) that an artist may get while receiving the CERB;
• Someone receiving the CERB may get paid up to $1,000 a month from other sources of income, without penalty or losing their eligibility (and again, royalty payments aren’t included in that category and may be earned on top of the $1,000);
• Someone who wasn’t working when the crisis started, but lost contracts or work that would have otherwise started had it not been for the crisis, can qualify for the CERB. All they need to demonstrate is that before the crisis they would have been working (this is especially helpful to cultural workers who have less work during the winter and many would have only started working again in the spring, which isn’t the case this year);
• People who run out of EI can then switch to the CERB.
ARTS RESOURCES
LOCAL ARTS SLACK CHANNELS
Join the Kingston Arts Council workspace on Slack and participate to general and discipline-specific discussions with local artists and arts workers.
COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR THE ARTS
Canadian Network for Arts and Learning — Resource List
CBC Arts — Artists and Freelancers Resource List
Ontario Nonprofit Network — Resources for Non-profits
WorkInCulture — List of resources for Non-profit cultural sector
Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts — Resources for the Performing Arts
CAPACOA — Coronavirus Preparedness for the Live Performance Sector
UNISON FUND — Resources for the Music Community
Professional Association of Canadian Theatres — Online conferences and support
Fractured Atlas — Fundraising in difficult times
Cuseum — Webinars for museums and galleries
National Guild for Community Arts Education — Resources and discussions for arts educators
Howlround Theatre Commons — Essays and resources for the performing arts
Canadian Music Trade — resources for the music industry
Ontario Artists Invited to Create a Free Online Store
Originally a City of Toronto initiative to help local independent businesses and artists build online storefronts, ShopHERE is expanding across Canada and is now available to independent business owners and artists in participating municipalities across the province. Artists and small business owners are invited to register to launch an online store customized with their information, branding, logos, etc. Participating artists/business owners will receive support in setting up the store along with training in areas like digital marketing, shipping, and inventory management, and can access free tools to support the launch of online stores. This is a free opportunity. To read more about the program, visit their website here.
WORKING AND CREATING REMOTELY – RESOURCES AND TOOLS
Fractured Atlas – Article on how to transition to a virtual workplace
Eventbrite blog – Pivoting to Online Events
SpiderWebShow – Digital Resources Guides: DYI Livestreaming, Zoom, Slack, Trello
Howlround – How to Produce a Livestreamed Event
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) – Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming
How choirs can keep singing together during the lockdown
Voice Over Guide – Learn how to record yourself
GoogleMeet – Google’s version of Zoom
Discord – Alternative meeting platform
Twitch – Streaming platform
Telegram – communication platform
BandLab – social music creation platform
JamKazam – social rehearsing platform
Avid Pro Tools – Free recording software
OTHER INITIATIVES
LEAN Canada – Leadership Emergency Arts Network – Immediate, grassroots, pro bono response network to help Canadian professional non-profit arts organizations
NABS financial assistance for media, marketing, and communications pros
Creative Relief Collective — online directory, connecting the creative industry with consumers
CANCELLED EVENTS
Many arts events scheduled to take place in the upcoming months have been cancelled, and most arts venues will be closed for an indeterminate length of time. The KAC understands how stressful this situation can be for artists and organizers. The KAC will continue to work with artists, arts organizations and venues to provide support and information throughout this time.
You may encourage ticket holders to make a donation to your cancelled event instead of requesting a refund. If you are currently receiving CKAF funding or planning to apply to the CKAF program for the 2020 granting cycle, please read the KAC’s statement on funding. If your event is not scheduled to happen for a few months, we recommend that you follow health updates closely (resources below) and that you use the Mass Gathering Risk Assessment Tool for evaluating the viability of events happening in the coming months.
There is no way of knowing when “normal” activities will resume, however, and we will all have to be reactive and flexible. We encourage everyone to comply with public health advisories fully and completely. We wish to ensure that our grant recipients feel supported in making the best decisions they can for their audiences and for our community without fear of penalties.
Principles for Ethical Cancellations – Article
I Lost my Gig Canada – Facebook Group
Dealing with Cancelled Gigs – Article
Managing Gig Cancelation – Article
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
It is important for artists and event organizers to track the impact of the loss of paid opportunities and the postponement or cancellation of events. Any potential compensation to be released following the crisis period will require documentation of impact; consider spending the time now to track and document revenue loss.
The Kingston Arts Council is monitoring Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council closely for any updates regarding support around financial losses due to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Impact Feedback – Survey
Generator – How to track financial losses
Metric Categories for Arts and Culture
OTHER LOCAL RESOURCES
YGkares — Kingston Peer Support Network
Kingston Region Small Business initiative — Not-for-profits can tap into the expertise, and skills of Smith School of Business students via a matching service at Applied Work Experience. Services include research, strategic planning, building a digital presence, web site development, sales and marketing, e-commerce, how to innovate and pivot, design thinking, writing government grant applications, and more.
INSPIRED / SUPPORTED / SUSTAINED
Beyond the studio — podcast for visual artists
The Parsnip Ship — podcast plays
The Social Distancing Festival — online global artist’s community
TAKE CARE
Crisis Service Canada – Toll-free number 1-833-456-4566 and resources
ARTICLES
Managing Information Overload – A guide
Why You Should Ignore All that Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure
Taking A Pause in Response to a COVID-19 World
Manage your Coronavirus Anxiety
Take Care of your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
Protect your Mental Health during a Quarantine
MINDFULNESS
Headspace – Free Meditation
Sandy Walsh-Sousa’s meditation recordings
HEALTH UPDATES
The KAC recommends that you carefully consider all health information and rely only on information provided by public health authorities to make decisions that affect your employees, programs and services. Here are trusted sources of information:
Ontario Public Health Unit – KFL&A