The mandate of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians.
The arts are essential to the quality of life, cultural identity, social well-being and economic prosperity of Ontario. Access to and participation in the arts enhances lives, fosters creativity and innovation, and strengthens communities. OAC is committed to ensuring equitable access for everyone, with particular emphasis on the following six priority groups, and the organizations that serve them and the public:
Some of these priority groups have a unique history, identity and status in Canada, some have faced historical and/or systemic barriers, others reflect OAC’s province-wide mandate, and all are essential to the future of the arts sector. OAC acknowledges Indigenous peoples as the original occupants of this land, and is committed to furthering the growth and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis art forms, practices and cultural expression.
Within this context, OAC supports arts activity through the following four funding streams: