VANCOUVER City Council on Tuesday approved $4,244,795 in grants to 75 cultural organizations. The grants will enable the cultural sector to provide critical programs and services to artists, the cultural community, and the public.

The City of Vancouver said it recognizes the cultural sector’s pivotal role in its social and economic vibrancy. Arts and cultural organizations help shape the city’s identity, contribute to its outstanding quality of life, and support industries including tourism and hospitality.

“City Council was proud to be able to support the cultural sector today though our 2024 grant program,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. “These grants ensure that local audiences, visitors, and artists can come together to delight in home-grown, signature cultural experiences, in unique cultural spaces that define what Vancouver is. We also take this opportunity to applaud the work of our city’s artists and cultural workers –you help make Vancouver the vibrant, exciting and distinctive city we are all proud to live in.”

Funding highlights: 

• 221A Artist Run Centre Society – $50,000 was granted for programs and operations to support IBPOC artists and designers in their research and cultural projects, as well as providing affordable cultural space for artists, cultural organizations, and the community.
• ​UNIT/PITT Society for Art and Critical Awareness – $30,000 was granted to this artist-run centre for exhibitions, programs and services to support emerging artists and communities in engaging in experimental creative work that advances a more expansive, inclusive reality for art and cultural production.
• Theatre Replacement Society – $30,000 was granted to support the creation of signature performances, for a diverse public, led by artistic director Maiko Yamamoto in collaboration with resident and associate artists. The grant will also support mentorship, residency, and professional development programs for artists.
• Realwheels Theatre Society – $30,000 was granted to support programs and operations for this theatre company that creates and produces performances that deepen audiences’ understanding of the disability experience.
• Vancouver Youth Choir – $27,500 was granted for programs and operations to create a space of true belonging for young people to discover their voice and bond through a love of song.

These financial commitments were awarded in accordance with the City of Vancouver’s 2024 Arts and Culture Grants Program Framework and align with key strategic directions, including:

• Culture|Shift – the City’s 10-year arts and culture plan;
• Making Space for Arts and Culture – the City’s cultural infrastructure plan;
• the Vancouver Music Strategy;
• the City’s Reconciliation Framework, and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) Strategy;
• and the City’s Equity Framework, and Accessibility Strategy.

For full details – including the list of all grant recipients – read the 2024 Cultural Grants City Council report.