Cultural Capitals of Canada

2011 Cultural Capitals

• Our objective, your results
• Who can apply?
• What is it?
• When to submit an application?
• Guidelines and Application Forms

The Government of Canada announced on May 31, 2002 the creation of Cultural Capitals of Canada, a national program to recognize and support Canadian municipalities for special activities that harness the many benefits of arts and culture in community life.

Our objective, your results

Cultural Capitals of Canada recognizes and supports Canadian communities that have a record of harnessing the many benefits of arts and culture in community life. Its objective is to stimulate sustained community support for the arts and heritage. Designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada will enable your community to invest more in arts and culture, increase and improve your cultural services, strengthen connections with other communities through shared cultural experiences, enhance partnerships with local cultural and community organizations and other stakeholders, and advance cultural development by further integrating arts and culture in municipal planning.

Who can apply?

Canadian municipalities can apply for an award, either individually or as partners in a joint project. For the purposes of this program a municipality is defined as a town, city, regional municipality or district with a duly constituted government, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit equivalent governments (such as Band Councils). (Boroughs and Aboriginal associations, such as Friendship Centres, are not eligible to apply.)

What is it?

Cultural Capitals of Canada Awards

Each year, Canadian municipalities compete to receive a designation under the Cultural Capitals of Canada Program. Up to three communities can receive this designation annually, which includes a contribution to support special activities that celebrate the arts and culture and build a cultural legacy for the community by integrating arts and culture into overall community planning. The designated municipalities will also receive street banners, and a commemorative sign for outdoor display.

The annual Cultural Capital of Canada designations are awarded to single municipalities or groups of municipalities that submit a proposal to celebrate and build a legacy for the arts and culture. These are divided into three categories based on population.

• Level 1, total population of over 125,000, 75 percent of total eligible costs up to a maximum of $2,000,000
• Level 2, total population of 50,000-125,000, 75 percent of total eligible costs up to a maximum of $750,000
• Level 3, total population of under 50,000, 75 percent of total eligible costs up to a maximum of $500,000 each.

The Cultural Capital of Canada designation will be awarded to municipalities with an excellent track record of past achievements, coupled with the best and most ambitious (while still realistic) program of proposed activities for a community its size.

Municipalities must demonstrate their commitment to arts and culture through their past achievements, current and planned support, and proposal for which the award is given.

When to submit an application?

For the 2011 awards, complete applications with all support material must be postmarked no later than June 15, 2010. The Guidelines and Application for the 2012 awards will be posted shortly.

Guidelines and Application Forms

Cultural Capitals of Canada - Application Guidelines (Pages 1-8)
HTML Version | PDF Version, 86 KB

Cultural Capitals of Canada – Glossary (Pages 9-11)
HTML Version | PDF Version, 29 KB

Cultural Capitals of Canada – Funding Application Form and Budget
Fillable PDF, 337 KB

Budget Parts I - J (Budget and Project Worksheet)
Excel Version, 68 KB

2010 Cultural Capitals of Canada

• Saguenay
• Saint-John
• Winnipeg

Previous Cultural Capitals of Canada

• Cultural Capitals of Canada 2009
• Cultural Capitals of Canada 2008
• Cultural Capitals of Canada 2007

Note:

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Please note that all saveable and fillable PDF forms require Adobe Acrobat Reader version 8.1 or higher.