EAC’s updated funding strategy: Investing in a thriving arts community

Through Edmonton’s 10-year arts and heritage plan, Connections & Exchanges, the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) is committed to fostering a vibrant and well-funded arts ecosystem. Over the past 30 years, Edmonton’s arts community has grown and evolved, reflecting changes in our society and economy. We’ve seen emerging organizations, new artistic structures, Indigenous artistic approaches, and an increase in applications to our programs — all signs of a dynamic and flourishing arts community. 

However, with these positive changes come challenges. Our funding remains static, limiting our ability to support this growth effectively. To maximize the impact of our available resources, the EAC Board has reviewed our funding policies, resulting in three new guiding documents adopted in mid-2024: 

• The Arts Development Policy sets the high-level structure for our work in the community. 

• The Investment Framework replaces previous granting policies, establishing stable, transparent structures for our funding initiatives.

• The EAC Funding Strategy (2025−2027) outlines our organizational priorities for funding decisions over the next three years, guiding how we invest in artists and arts organizations. 

What does this mean for you?

While our programs may continue to look familiar, the new Investment Framework and Funding Strategy will influence our granting system and assessment processes, particularly for organizations. By updating our funding strategy, we aim to reflect the evolving needs of the arts ecosystem while making the most of our available resources. Here’s how these changes might affect you over the next three years: 

For individual artists and collectives: 

• Minimal changes: You will see little to no change in how you apply for and receive funding. 

• Continued support: We remain committed to supporting creative exploration, professional development, and increasing opportunities for artists from Indigenous and equity-seeking backgrounds. 

• Program stability: Our funding opportunities will continue to align with the aims of Connections & Exchanges, ensuring consistent support for your artistic endeavours.

For arts organizations: 

Starting in 2025, some organizations may experience changes in their funding relationship with the EAC due to the new Funding Strategy. We aim to balance stability with necessary adjustments to reflect the evolving arts ecology.

Possible scenarios

To provide clarity, the EAC is providing some possible characteristics of organizations that are currently part of the funding program. Organizations may have characteristics of more than one grouping. These are for informational purposes only. 

1. Stable arts organizations (Organization A)

• Who: Long-standing, Edmonton-based organizations with arts-specific mandates and a history of positive peer assessments. 

• Impact: Likely to maintain current funding levels in 2025. Over the next three years, funding may see modest adjustments based on peer assessment and financial resources.

2. Organizations requiring alignment (Organization B) 

• Who: Organizations whose mandates are not directly arts-related or are not well-matched to their current funding stream, as indicated by past applications and peer assessment. 

• Impact: May be directed to a more appropriate funding program in 2025, such as Programming instead of Operating grants. Funding relationships and allocations may evolve over the next three years.

3. Organizations with peer-assessed challenges (Organization C) 

4. Multi-year funding commitments (Organizations D&E)

• Who: Organizations currently under multi-year funding agreements. 

• Impact for Organization D: An organization not currently up for multi-year funding renewal will experience no changes until the renewal date, unless significant issues arise. 

• Impact for Organization E: An organization with a multi-year funding renewal due in 2025 will likely maintain funding in 2025. These organizations will be able to submit a one-year Operating application for 2025, but we anticipate a return to multi-year applications next year.

5. Eligible for new/​increased funding (Organizations F)

The new Funding Strategy affirms that the Edmonton Arts Council will direct funding to organizations not previously funded through Programming or Operating, or increased funding to those already receiving support, if the organization meets one or more of these criteria: 

• Demonstrated commitment to the fair and professional payment of Edmonton artists and arts workers.
• Effective pursuit of their primary mandate(s) to support, engage, produce, or present work by and for Indigenous communities and/​or equity-seeking groups.
• Provision of accessible or low-cost public programming to a wide range of Edmontonians, for example by presenting a free festival event.
• Effective operational management of Edmonton arts facilities, that are accessible and available for the use of multiple artists, audiences, and communities.

Next steps and support

• Direct Communication: Organizations that may be affected will have conversations with EAC during the application period to discuss next steps.

• Information Sessions: Information sessions will be held during the application period for Operating and Programming, for organizations seeking additional context or who have questions. Click here for more information about upcoming Information Sessions. 
  

• Ongoing Dialogue: We encourage any organization with concerns or questions to reach out to us for further discussion.

Our Commitment

The EAC is dedicated to supporting a diverse and thriving arts community in Edmonton. By updating our funding strategy, we aim to reflect the evolving needs of the arts ecosystem while making the most of our available resources. 

To learn more about the background and details of our updated policies, please read our white paper, EAC Funding: History, Context, and the Future.