Sixteen Red Deer not-for-profit organizations will receive nearly $347,000 from a city culture development fund.
The Community Culture Development Fund has provided financial support to not-for-profit organizations delivering arts, culture, and heritage initiatives in Red Deer since 2000. Grant funds are intended to assist organizations, build their capacity to provide a service, manage a cultural facility, act as an umbrella organization for other cultural organizations, develop new cultural programs and services, and/or produce a community-based special event or festival.
The Culture Development Category provides up to three years of support to service providers to offset operational costs required to deliver culture programs and services within the community. A maximum of $30,000 is available per application, and eligible organizations may submit multiple applications.
This year, $573,875 was requested of the $400,000 in available funds and about 60 per cent of requests were approved. $53,175 was assigned to the next intake of the funds cultural opportunities and culture development categories. In all, $346,825 was handed out.
“From arts, music and children’s theatre to heritage, improv and annual festivals, the vibrancy of Red Deer’s arts scene is evident from this list of not-for-profit groups,” said Bobby-Jo Stannard, city community development superintendent.
The following organizations were each awarded three years of funding for the 2023-2025 funding cycle:
•$10,000 — Central Alberta Chamber Orchestra regular season concerts, educational and community outreach performances
•$5,000 — African Caribbean Centre of Central Alberta’s Annual Red Deer Afro-Caribbean Festival
•$9,375 —Against the Wall Theatre Society Improvisational theatre programming, education and performance
•$5,000 — Association Canadienne Francophone de l’Alberta Regionale de Red Deer (French Canadian Association of Alberta, Red Deer Region) for bilingual Celebration of Winter event
•$10,000 — Central Alberta Film Festival Association for growth and expanded engagement: annual Central Alberta Film Festival, educational workshops and film challenges
•$30,000 — Friends of Sunnybrook Farm Society’s Sunnybrook Farm Museum programs: preservation, education, entertainment and access to historic site
•$15,000 — Norwegian Laft Hus Society Expanding public cultural and educational programming
• $30,000.00 — Prime Stock Theatre Co. Society Bard on Bower outdoor summer Shakespeare festival
• $30,000.00 —Red Deer Arts Council Arts presentation programming
• $30,000 — Red Deer Arts Council Arts outreach programming
• $15,000 — Red Deer Arts Council Arts development programming
•$30,000 — Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society Canada Day celebrations
•$15,000 — Red Deer Family Services Central Alberta Children’s Festival
•$25,000 — Red Deer Festival of Performing Arts Society Annual Red Deer Festival of the Performing Arts
•$5,450 — Red Deer Pottery Club Year-round ceramic arts program opportunities for members and community outreach
•$30,000 — Red Deer Summer CentreFest Society CentreFest Street Performer Festival
•$12,000 — Red Deer Symphony Orchestra Association Symphony @ the Snell programming
•$20,000 — Red Deer Symphony Orchestra Association RDSO Community Concerts: Accessible performances in the community
•$20,000 — Tree House Youth Theatre Society Tree House Youth Theatre skill development programs and productions