City Now Accepting Applications for 2022 Round 2 of the Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) Grant Program

Applications are now being accepted for the second funding round of 2022 for the City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) grant program. The ACHF program, approved by City Council, awards grant funding for eligible arts, culture and heritage projects undertaken by eligible individuals and organizations to help stimulate creative and economic growth. Following Council’s recent increase to the program’s funding envelope, $118,000 is available in funding each year, administered through two funding rounds. $59,000 will be available for the current funding round.

Since the launch of the program in 2014:

·         703 applications have been submitted for consideration for funding

·         366 individual projects have received funding

·         $773,000 has been awarded in project funding local arts, culture and heritage initiatives benefiting the community

Current Application Deadline: Applications to the current round will be accepted from Monday, July 4, 2022 to Friday, July 22, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. The application is accessible through the online portal at www.ACHFWindsor.ca. The application link will be live until the deadline date, with applicants able to complete the application, attach supporting documents and materials, submit, and receive a confirmation and a copy of their submission online. Applicants are required to set up an online account through the MyWindsor portal. Applications are adjudicated by a volunteer jury made up of members of the community. The program is highly competitive, and funding is never guaranteed. Jury funding decisions cannot be appealed.  

In order to be considered, applicants must be residents of the City of Windsor, and must consult with Culture staff prior to submitting a project for funding and before the application deadline. Consultations are conducted via email, once the application round opens, and help to ensure applicants and projects meet program eligibility requirements. Interested applicants should email culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca for their consultation.

For first-time applicants, an information session is being offered via Zoom on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. During this session, program coordinators will review the guidelines, key priorities and objectives, and the application and adjudication process. Attendance is not mandatory, and these sessions are intended for first-time applicants only. The session will require participants to use the Zoom meeting platform available via www.zoom.us/meetings. Those wishing to attend will need to RSVP to culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca to receive an event-specific password to participate.

Quotes:

“Since the launch of the City’s ACHF grant program, close to four hundred innovative projects have received nearly $800,000 in funding. This program has a significant impact on the creative community, while helping to celebrate and share the best of Windsor’s arts, culture and heritage sectors with the broader community. I am proud of Council’s recent increase to the available funding in the program, which helps us to continue delivering results by investing in Windsor’s quality of life through arts, culture and heritage initiatives.” 

– Mayor Drew Dilkens

“We remain proud of the ACHF program, and grateful for Council’s ongoing support and investment into this important initiative for our creative community. With each round, projects funded through this program represent multiple genres including the visual and fine arts, performing arts, film, music, literary arts and storytelling, and podcasts. These projects often include a focus on diversity, inclusivity, multiculturalism, heritage and the celebration of humanity in the City of Windsor.”
– Michelle Staadegaard, Manager of Culture & Events, City of Windsor   

Further details on the ACHF program objectives, application process, eligibility requirements, consultations and current deadlines are available online at www.ACHFWindsor.ca. To learn more about culture and heritage services at the City of Windsor, visit www.CityWindsor.ca or contact 311.

Media Contacts:

Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) Grant Program Background Information

The City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) invests the soul of our City by providing financial assistance to locally developed arts, culture and heritage projects that provide exciting, surprising and meaningful opportunities to strengthen our creative community. This funding initiative supports the City of Windsor’s priority to build a strong and stable creative community that contributes to a prosperous creative economy and to making Windsor an amazing place to live.

Program Objectives

• Promote innovation and support new, dynamic efforts in the creative community;
• Develop unique cultural resources to enhance the health and vitality of our communities and the quality of life for our people;
• Encourage participants in the creative community to stay and continue to create and work in the city of Windsor;
• Make arts, culture and heritage central to the lives of all our people;
• Increase public awareness and access to the arts, culture and heritage sectors; 
• Celebrate diversity by recognizing our rich creative community; and
• Value creativity by promoting and supporting arts, culture and heritage.

Projects eligible for funding will benefit one or more cultural sectors and will develop new alliances and creative, innovative approaches. Funding will be distributed over two evaluation periods. Projects must address one or more of the following key priorities:

·         Increase Windsor’s attractiveness, affordability, and quality of life;

·         Support the development of new audiences;

·         Increase the supply of skilled cultural workers;

·         Nurture creativity and imagination through arts, culture and heritage projects;

·         Encourage the inclusion of diverse cultural groups;

·         Increase public access to the creative community.

Organizations and individuals are urged to apply following the project guidelines on www.ACHFWindsor.ca.