GUELPH – With support from the Guelph Community Support Fund and the City of Guelph Emergency Fund, the Guelph Arts Council (GAC) is announcing new services and programs to support local artists affected by COVID-19.
Free artist and organizational memberships
GAC one-year memberships are now offered at no charge to Guelph-Wellington artists of all disciplines, arts businesses, and not-for-profit arts organizations until Dec. 31. Visit https://bit.ly/32YGD24 to sign up. GAC members are featured in the guelpharts.ca Member Directory, and member events and listings are included in the online event calendar, in the monthly What’s On Arts Listing e-newsletter, and through social media channels. All current GAC artist and organizational memberships will also be automatically renewed for one year. While free memberships are now offered to everyone, pay-what-you-can donations are accepted to help fund programming. Tax receipts are issued for all donations over $20.
Live-performance
booking service
GAC invites Guelph-Wellington performing artists (musicians, dancers, theatre artists, spoken word artists, comedians, children’s entertainers, etc.) to apply online if they are interested in being included in a roster of artists available for safe, live performances. GAC will create and promote an online platform for Guelph-Wellington residents to select, book, and pay for performances in their neighbourhoods, near their workplaces, or in other safe settings, in accordance with public health and safety guidelines. Visit https://bit.ly/3i4wUvf for more information.
Free COVID-recovery workshops
In partnership with 2h media and the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington, GAC will offer a series of workshops designed to support artists in their immediate economic recovery and longer-term response to a new future. First up is Creating a New Audience on LinkedIn, offered online on Oct. 22 from 10am to 12pm. The workshops are free for GAC members.
One-on-one consultations
GAC staff continue to provide one-on-one consultations with artists and arts workers by phone, online, or safely in person (by appointment). Need some help with goal setting, marketing, or making connections? Contact us at administration@guelpharts.ca, executivedirector@guelpharts.ca, or 519-836-3280.
“We are so grateful to have been able to continue to promote and support the arts in Guelph through the pandemic,” GAC Executive Director Patti Broughton said.
“Now, thanks to support from The Guelph Community Foundation, the United Way, the City of Guelph and, most recently, Oak Tree 6, we are able to enhance our support to local artists and organizations who’ve been impacted by COVID-19.”
