Twenty artists in Waterloo region will benefit from micro-grants of $500 each under a new program announced by Pat the Dog Theatre Creation.
Each micro-grant represents the equivalent of one-week paid work, in accordance with Ontario Arts Council Artistic Residency rates.
Artistic director Lisa O’Connell said the program is a first for Waterloo region and is made possible through the support of the City of Waterloo.
“Until now, there was no such program for individual artists in our region,” O’Connell said in a news release.
“This program addresses that inequity for our local folks,” she said, adding that similar programs exist in other major centres such as Toronto.
‘This is not a hand-out’
The micro-grant will instigate and spark the first idea of a new artwork.
O’Connell said this “kick-start” is essential more than ever during the pause the COVID-19 pandemic has created for local artists who often depend on live gatherings to exhibit and perform their work.
O’Connell said the program is a response to the ongoing pandemic and the necessity for artists to continue to delve into and develop their practice in imaginative and innovative ways.
“It is important to note that this is not a hand-out, or relief project — these microgrants recognize that creating art is a profession and trained artists require payment for their labours,” O’Connell said.
Artists in any artistic discipline are welcome to apply for the grant through the Pat the Dog Theatre Creation website, but they must be a resident of Waterloo region.
“It is our intent to have these dollars in local artists hands by New Year 2021,” O’Connell said.
