April 15, 2025
Work in Culture is pleased to announce that 31 Ontario non-profit arts organizations have received funding from the Catalyst and Transformation (CAT) Fund to investigate, plan, and implement substantive change in their operations.
Thanks to funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Toronto, the Metcalf Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Azrieli Foundation, with support from Toronto Arts Council, 12 arts organizations in communities across Ontario and 19 arts organizations in the city of Toronto will be able to explore new operational directions and possibilities, as well as implement significant organizational changes like restructuring, rebuilding, or reforming the way they work and operate.
As arts organizations across the province face pressing questions of adaptation and change, the Work in Culture CAT Fund provides vital financial support to explore these questions and navigate operational transformation in a supportive environment.
“As a founding funder of the CAT Fund, Metcalf continues to find great value in a program that provides time and resources for arts organizations across the province to re-imagine and consolidate their community impact,” said Michael Trent, Performing Arts Program Director of the Metcalf Foundation.
“With support from the CAT Fund, 31 organizations across Ontario will have a vital opportunity to futureproof our provincial arts infrastructure,” said Simon Foster, Chair of the Ontario Arts Council. “OAC has been proud to contribute to this important project.”
“One of the Azrieli Foundation’s main objectives is to assist arts organizations in responding to self-identified strategic challenges and opportunities in ways that positively affect their long-term health and sustainability. We know this work can’t be done alone. That’s why we’re honoured to join our colleagues in supporting the CAT Fund to expand its reach and impact province-wide,” said Jason van Eyk, Managing Director of the Azrieli Music, Arts and Culture Centre.
“The City is proud to support the CAT Fund – a crucial initiative that helps 31 arts organizations across the province build resilience and grow, including 19 right here in Toronto,” said Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion, City Councillor Shelley Carroll. “This funding gives arts leaders the ability to adapt to a changing landscape while strengthening Toronto’s reputation as a world-class hub for arts and culture. Investing in the arts means investing in the people of Toronto – enhancing our quality of life, supporting good jobs, and fostering a more vibrant city. The CAT Fund is just one way we’re delivering on the commitments in our new Culture Connects Action Plan, ensuring a strong future for the arts in Toronto.”
The Work in Culture CAT Fund is designed to catalyze and assist Ontario-based arts organizations through the process of exploring, identifying, and, if applicable, implementing significant adaptations in their operations. Ontario non-profit arts and arts service organizations could apply for project grants in two distinct phases of organizational change: Exploration Projects (of up to $15,000) and Implementation Projects (of up to $25,000). This program follows a successful 2021 pilot initiative focused on Toronto creative sector organizations.
For more information about the CAT Fund, including examples of previous projects supported by the program and a database of resources to help support the journey of organizational change, please visit workinculture.ca/programs/cat-fund. To receive future updates about the CAT Fund, please sign up here to be added to the Work in Culture newsletter.
The CAT Fund is administered by Work in Culture and funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Toronto, the Metcalf Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Azrieli Foundation, with support from Toronto Arts Council.
About Work in Culture
Work in Culture (WIC) is a non-profit arts service organization that advances the careers of artists, creatives, and cultural workers from diverse lived experiences, and supports the organizations that engage them, through entrepreneurial and business skills development and innovative research. Learn more at workinculture.ca.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Brianne DiAngelo
Marketing and Communications Manager
Work in Culture
[email protected]