Cultural Festivals Funding Program

Overview of the Cultural Festivals Funding Program program:

The Cultural Festivals Funding Program is designed to enhance Toronto’s cultural landscape by supporting non-profit organizations, Indigenous communities, and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in hosting festivals that celebrate diverse traditions, arts, and communities. The program prioritizes events that foster community pride, feature a wide range of cultural experiences, and support equitable participation, particularly for emerging and underrepresented artists. Funding recipients are encouraged to produce programming that is accessible to the public, with a focus on providing free or low-cost admission. Eligible festivals are those that are ongoing, having been successfully organized in past years, and that align with the City of Toronto’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the arts. Funding is offered through three main streams: Multi-Year Funding, for stable festivals requiring support over multiple years; Annual Funding, for festivals that may vary in scale from year to year; and Project Funding, for smaller, one-time initiatives or festivals run by Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). Each stream has specific requirements and levels of financial support based on the project scope and its alignment with the city’s goals. The program allows for strategic planning, helping festivals grow in impact and visibility while remaining accessible and culturally relevant.

Eligibility criteria of the Cultural Festivals Funding Program program:

• To be eligible, applicants must:
• Be one of the following:
• An incorporated not for profit organization
• A local band council, a local tribal council or other local Indigenous government (First Nations, Inuit or Metis) or equivalent authority
• A Business Improvement Area (BIA) can only apply to the Project funding stream
• An incorporated not-for-profit community organization partnering with unincorporated individuals or collectives producing a cultural festival
• Apply for a festival that takes place between January 1 to December 31, 2024
• Have successfully organized a prior edition of the festival that meets the eligibility requirements of CFFP
• Present significant cultural programming that is mostly free to the public and that occurs in the public realm