$320,800 in OTF Grants Shine a Light on the Arts in Aurora

Aurora, ON – On Friday, the Hon. Michael Parsa, MPP met with the team at the Aurora Cultural Centre to hear more about two grants it received in 2023 from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) are making an impact in the arts community. Totalling $320,800, the two grants are helping the Aurora Cultural Centre with needed capital upgrades and also increasing its capacity to deliver unique arts experiences for the community in the years to come.

“Organizations like Aurora Cultural Centre enrich the lives of people in the community and play an important role in building a strong and prosperous economy in Ontario. I am thrilled that through the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s 2023 Resilient Communities Fund and Capital Grant stream, the Aurora Cultural Centre will be receiving funding to better serve their clients and staff,” said Hon. Michael Parsa, MPP for Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill. “This investment will enable the Aurora Cultural Centre to make a positive impact in the lives of all residents.”

 $195,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant to support capacity to adapt to the changing needs of the community. A $125,000 Capital grant will support new infrastructure to facilitate an enhanced artistic space in the Centre’s hallmark Brevik Hall. T

Last spring, the Centre received a two-year, $195,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant to help it adapt and expand programs with its performing arts, gallery and arts education to serve a growing and changing community. And late last year, the Centre learned it was also receiving a $125,000 Capital grant that’s enabling it to upgrade the theatrical lighting and sound equipment, as well as additional acoustic treatments at Brevik Hall, located in the heritage schoolhouse at 22 Church Street.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has continued to be a valued partner in delivering the programs that meet the cultural needs to our community,” reported Suzanne Haines, Executive Director, Aurora Cultural Centre. “The Capital grant to renew and upgrade Brevik Hall into a fully-functional artistic gathering space will allow for a wider variety of activity within Aurora Town Square, ensuring it is an effective companion to the Performance Hall in the Square. All not-for-profit organizations emerging from COVID, the arts included, have had to change and grow differently. The OTF Resilience grant recognizes the need for us to rebuild our structure to deliver programs makes us a far stronger organization,” added Haines.

“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces remain the heart of communities across our province.”

The Aurora Cultural Centre is committed to strengthening the social fabric of our community through the transformative power of the arts and culture.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

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Aurora Cultural Centre Media Contact :

Jane Taylor, Communications Manager

Aurora Cultural Centre

Phone : 289-221-5066

Email : jane@auroraculturalcentre.ca