On January 18th 2023, Peterborough City Council announced that there will be $50,000 in Individual Artists Grants given to Peterborough artists to support their work. Peterborough City Council has allocated $50,000 in their budget to include support for individual artists. Previously this money was allocated for consultants to develop a cultural funding plan for the City, however Town Ward Councillor Alex Bierk suggested that the money could be better used to fund artist grants. 

This program will be in place for the next three years and will support individual artists to continue their work within the City of Peterborough. This funding model continues a pandemic-era response to supporting artists which included $40,000 in City funds alongside $8,000 from the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) in 2022. The initial intention to not have the funding specifically for artists this year was due to the City’s intention to hire consultants to develop a cultural plan for Peterborough, however that support is still needed and necessary in order for Peterborough to have an arts scene. The people who will receive the grants will be selected by a jury of fellow artists working alongside EC3. It is a collective effort in order to continue to strengthen the Peterborough community that takes artists’ opinions into account.  

According to the Pilot Individual Artists Grant Program’s 2022 Report, “most artists in the City of Peterborough worked at more than one job in addition to their work as artists, and still lived at or below the poverty line.” This means that the artists in the area oftentimes do not have the means or the time they would like to allocate to their work. Time is one of the most essential factors in being able to create art; whether that be time for inspiration, time to work, or time to research. It is a fluid process and providing the means for artists to create gives more opportunities for their art to flourish. 

The report cites research conducted in 2018 by search by EC3 as a way to call attention to the support necessary for artists in the Peterborough community.

“Artists may have to leave the city, thus greatly impacting the arts sector in Peterborough,” the report goes on to say. “The evidence was clear that the arts made major contributions to the city’s social, economic, and community well-being, was essential to the health and vitality of the downtown, engaged thousands of audience members, volunteers, donors, and supporters and were highly valued by youth, senior citizens, and those working in the mental health field.” 

Councillor Bierk, as an individual artist in the City of Peterborough. Understands first-hand the need to support local artists for the benefit of the community. Speaking with Arthur, he discussed how this funding opportunity can allow for artists to be able to have the time to make their work. During a January budget meeting he stated that “we know, for example, that the arts are an essential driver of our local economy – in fact the arts sector in Peterborough greatly outperforms the sports and entertainment sectors – and yet many artists live in poverty. In many cases, funding for individual artists is limited, making it difficult for artists to sustain their practices and continue to create new work.” Art is not only about sharing your work with the public, but is an integral part of ensuring a city can function. Art therefore is a crucial addition to the City of Peterborough and by funding the artists allows for more art to be created which inturn spurs the economic vitality of the city. Both the economy and the people are uplifted when the arts are funded. 

Art grants can be distributed at the national, provincial, and municipal levels and because of Peterborough’s location in relation to larger cities, it is important to make sure that there is funding in the cities that can help support local artists and their work. 

Su Ditta, Executive Director of EC3, told Arthur that there is a huge emotional and psychological benefit for artists when they receive a grant because it helps them get that much closer to their goal. The little push and extra money can allow Peterborough artists to have the chance to make work. 

She says that if we can say “here's your money and go make your work” that little bit of financial freedom can make a world of difference for the Peterborough art scene. By supporting artists, the City of Peterborough can strengthen its culture, community, and economy. Giving artists the chance to make their work in Peterborough limits the risk of losing more artists to the big cities. That is why grants at the municipal level are so crucial for the Peterborough area. 

The art scene in Peterborough might seem to be lively, but that is only the case when artists are being offered the opportunity to work on their art with a little less of the financial stress of living below the poverty line. Continuing support for artists in Peterborough allows for the art scene to grow which will bring numerous benefits to the community.

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