Item - 2019.EC8.8

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to discontinue the cultural grant program currently operating as the Major Cultural Organizations program as of January 1, 2020.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to discontinue the cultural grant program currently operating as the Grants to Specialized Collections Museums program as of January 1, 2020.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to ensure all recipients of grants from the Major Cultural Organizations and the Grants to Specialized Collections Museums programs' obligations are met for their 2019 allocations.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to establish a new cultural grant program called the Cultural Festivals program, with the program design, eligibility criteria, assessment process and intended outcomes to be established with community input in 2020.

5. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to transfer the assessment and administration of annual operating grants currently disbursed under the Major Cultural Organizations program to the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to the Toronto Arts Council.

6. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to establish a new cultural grant program called the Cultural Access and Development program, with the program design, eligibility criteria, assessment process and intended outcomes to be established with community input in 2020.

7. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to work with organizations currently funded through the Major Cultural Organizations and Grants to Specialized Collections Museums programs to advise them of their eligibility to apply for funding through the new Economic Development and Culture Division programs or the Toronto Arts Council in 2020.

This report responds to directions from City Council to review the Major Cultural Organizations program and the Grants to Specialized Collections Museums program, specifically the programs' design, eligibility criteria, assessment process and intended outcomes, and report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee by October 2019 on any recommended changes.

Following the directions set out in the Economic Development and Culture Divisional Strategy (2018-22), this report proposes that the Division's cultural grants be realigned to respond better to current priorities for equitable access to funding, including:

-  Potential for increased distribution of resources outside the core
-  The development of talent and innovation in programming and partnerships
-  An emphasis on open, fair, competitive and transparent funding programs

To achieve those objectives, this report recommends that the Major Cultural Organizations and Grants to Specialized Collections Museums programs be dismantled, and be replaced with new funding approaches. Clients currently being served through the existing funding programs have the opportunity to apply for municipal support in the new funding programs proposed in this report. The proposed changes include:

-  Establishing a new competitive "Cultural Festivals" funding program in Toronto

 
-  Transferring the administration of municipal grants for the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to the Toronto Arts Council
 

-  Establishing a new competitive "Cultural Access and Development" funding program for cultural institutions that deliver on City goals of supporting access to culture through year-round cultural programming, by providing accessible creative space or by supporting diverse talent development

The Economic Development and Culture Division will work with organizations currently funded through the Major Cultural Organizations and Grants to Specialized Collections Museums programs to advise them of their eligibility to apply for funding through the new programs or through the Toronto Arts Council in 2020.

No new funding is being requested at this time to establish these new granting programs. The program realignments will initially be funded through a reallocation of the current Major Cultural Organizations and Grants to Specialized Collections Museum program budgets. The new programs could be enhanced and expanded in future years to support a greater number of cultural organizations, pending approval of additional funding as part of the annual budget process.