Ninety-four arts, culture and heritage organizations will receive a share of $617,125 in grants from the City of Surrey in 2025, some for as much as $25,000 each.
Launched in 2012, the Cultural Grants program supports "a wide range of arts and cultural activity in Surrey" including music festivals and concerts, dance and visual art competitions, theatre and culinary events, cultural celebrations, special heritage projects and more.
The deadline for 2025 applications was last October, with 16 "guidelines" to follow.
Top among the rules is that all grant-funded events "must be welcoming and accessible to the public." Also, grant funding can't support events hosted at private residences, the city won't fund 100 per cent of a project or event, and organizations hosting ticketed events are urged to provide city staff with two complimentary tickets for attendance, among other guidelines.
With application evaluation now done, a 26-page report to the city council details the 2025 allocations, with 11 organizations receiving operating grants totalling $195,000. Four of those will each receive top-dollar amounts of $25,000 for operations including Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration, Royal Canadian Theatre Company, Semiahmoo Arts Society and VISAFF South Asian Film Festival Society.
For projects, council-approved grants totalling $391,565 will go to 73 organizations. The funding includes max-dollar grants of $10,000 each for events planned by Vancouver Cantonese Opera, Surrey Pride Society, Surrey International Writers' Conference, Surrey City Orchestra Society, stɑl̓əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society, South Asian Arts Society, Sikh Heritage Society BC, Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA), Diwali Celebration Society and Arts Umbrella Association.
A third program category involves nine Cultural Celebration Grants totalling $14,560, ranging from $560 for Golden Autumn Choir performances at care homes to $3,000 for a Jamaica Day Festival staged by Jamaican Canadian Cultural Association of B.C.
The city's Cultural Grants program also covers $16,000 in Surrey Civic Theatre rental subsidies for eight organizations (for $2,000 each), namely Nepali Literary Society, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra Society (VICO), Canada Nepal Friendship and Cultural Society, GenConnect, Kohinoor Folk Arts Club, Ghanaian-Canadian Association of British Columbia, Lower Mainland Bengali Cultural Society of BC and Pinoy Pride Vancouver Society.
Program funding for 2025 includes $500,000 plus $132,280 in unallocated grant funding carried forward from previous years.
The 2024 Cultural Grants program's impact was "significant, fostering community engagement and cultural enrichment," the March 10 report to council boasts, with 87 grants awarded for 500-plus events and programs involving close to 370,000 people.
This year, city hall aims to improve the Cultural Grants program application process, with staff hosting ongoing information sessions. Details are found on surrey.ca/culturalgrants, or call 604-591-4850.
Mayor Brenda Locke says it's essential to support Surrey's arts, culture and heritage groups. "These grants play a vital role in enhancing our diverse cultural landscape and providing residents with meaningful and memorable experiences."
