Grants Totaling $97,900 help Scugog Arts and Theatre on The Ridge keep delivering programs
Port Perry, ON – On Wednesday, November 9, MPP Todd McCarthy and Ontario Trillium Foundation volunteer, Dave Saunders, met with the representatives of Scugog Arts and Theatre on the Ridge to hear how a combined $97,900 in Community Building Fund grants from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation has helped both organizations navigate through the pandemic. The year-long grants have provided people in the community with valuable information about the public arts space and to access effective arts and theatre programming.
“Scugog Arts is the premier arts leader for arts practitioners, residents and visitors to Scugog, by inspiring the whole community through dedicated programs and activities” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “Over the past year, the Ontario Trillium Foundation grants have been instrumental in the success of annual events like the May Festival, Culture Days, and Scugog Studio Tour, as well as programs focusing on writing workshops, children’s camps, and art classes for adults and teens. The wellness power of theatre and the arts has provided both positive health and economic benefits, and enhanced community spirit.”
The $48,000 Community Building Fund grant that Scugog Arts received last fall has helped it employ part-time staff, enhance marketing and awareness by creating a podcast series, and it supported rental and general operating costs. Through the year-long grant, the arts space has continued operating facilities and adapted to new ways of delivering programs.
Theatre on the Ridge used its $49,900 Community Building Fund grant to help with staffing costs, as well as purchasing health and safety, and digital equipment. It was also able to upgrade its website, while offsetting rental expenses as well. The grant enabled it to continue providing the programs and services that area residents enjoy.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has allowed us to stay active in a very difficult time for theatre organizations,” said Carey Nicholson, General Manager and Artistic Director of Theatre on the Ridge. “This grant has allowed us to upgrade our digital and online resources to adapt to the closures of theatres over the past two years, stay connected to our audiences, and to be prepared for the ongoing integration of digital technologies with live theatre practice.”
Scugog Arts and Theatre on the Ridge are committed to building on the resources made possible through the Community Building Fund and to provide the community with a broad range of quality arts programming, services and events. To learn more about each organization, please visit Scugog Arts at www.scugogarts.ca and Theatre on the Ridge at their new website on www.theatreontheridge.ca.
