Ontario Arts Council’s 2024-25 operating allocation confirmed by Government of Ontario at $60 million

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is pleased to share that Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS) has confirmed that OAC will receive $60 million as its operating allocation for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

“We are delighted with the government’s affirmation of the importance of investment in Ontario’s arts sector,” said Rita Davies, CM, OAC chair. “On behalf of OAC’s board and of artists and arts organizations across the province, we thank Minister Neil Lumsden and the Government of Ontario for their recognition of the critical role that arts funding plays in building a better Ontario.”

“The Ontario Arts Council is an important partner in our government’s ongoing efforts to promote a thriving arts and culture sector in Ontario,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “This funding will ensure that artists and arts organizations can continue to enrich the lives of Ontarians, boost local economies and contribute to building the dynamic communities in which we are proud to live, work and play.”

What is the impact of arts funding across Ontario through OAC?

• In 2022-2023, OAC invested $57.1 million in 224 communities across Ontariothrough 2,344 grants to individual artists and 1,042 grants to organizations.
• This support allowed organizations that receive annual OAC operating funding to:
  • Generate an economic impact of $1 billion from direct spending, and contribute significantly to an annual $11.4 billion in arts and culture tourism visitor spending in Ontario.
  • Provide over $109 million in direct and indirect tax revenues from their direct spending, and contribute significantly to the $1.9 billion in provincial tax revenue for the province from arts and culture tourism.
  • Welcome 20 million audience members from across Ontario and around the world.
  • Facilitate arts education opportunities for more than 4 million people.
• In a recent study on arts and tourism in Ontario, Forum Research found that the average arts and culture trip to Ontario has nearly triple the economic impact of non-arts and culture trips.
• A 2023 Nanos report on arts and quality of life in Ontario found that 90% of Ontarians agree that an active local arts scene helps make a community a better place to live.

Learn more about OAC and arts funding impact

• Reset.Renew.Revitalize.: OAC’s strategic plan for 2022–27.
• Arts for All Ontarians: A whirlwind tour of what OAC funding has helped make possible over the past six decades.
• Investing in the Arts: The Ripple Effect: A showcase of how arts investment adds value in communities across Ontario.
• Impact of the Arts in Ontario: Key statistics about the impact of Ontario’s arts sector.