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City of Victoria to help finance accessible spaces for arts and cultural groups

New grants aim to boost accessibility at performance and rehearsal venues
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A new City of Victoria grant program has been created to help fund accessibility related upgrades for arts and culture venues. (Courtesy Intrepid Theatre)

A new grant program offered by the City of Victoria aims to help the local arts and culture sector increase venue accessibility.

The city announced $250,000 in annual funding, plus an extra $150,000 in one-time funding for 2022, will be available for qualifying organizations to complete upgrades to performance and rehearsal spaces. The goal is to make venues safer and more accessible for artists and audiences.

“The city has lost affordable arts and culture venues during the pandemic and many that remain have pressing needs,” Mayor Lisa Helps said in a release.

Grants range from $15,000 to $100,000 per organization, depending on the scale of the project, and groups can only apply for or receive funding once per year. The deadline for applications is April 29 at 4 p.m.

Victoria’s arts and culture sector contributes $435.8 million to the local economy and employs 5,588 people, as well as attracting investment, workers and tourists, and creating jobs and economic growth in other sectors, according to figures provided by the city.

An online information session runs Tuesday, April 5 at 5:30 p.m.; to register, please click here. For those unable to attend, the event will be recorded and posted later on the city’s website.

More information is available at victoria.ca under the residents heading, by clicking on city grants then Cultural Infrastructure Grant.

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