The City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) provides grants to local arts organizations, artists, and collectives to foster creativity at all levels and enrich how Kingston residents experience and engage with the arts. Since its inception in 2007, CKAF has provided a mechanism for the City to invest in the arts, accounting for over $9.2 million invested to date. CKAF is comprised of two funding categories — 70% of the available funds are allocated to Operating Grants and 30% are allocated to Project Grants.

CKAF is an investment in Kingston’s cultural capital that aims to foster cultural vitality, increase the capacity of the arts community to create and produce artistic work, engage residents and enhance our city’s cultural economy, and promote financial stability and sustainability. CKAF is administered by the Kingston Arts Council (KAC) on behalf of the City to ensure that the Fund continues to best support and nurture the capacity of Kingston's artists and the arts sector.

Plan for Administration

Information on all policies and procedures related to the administration of CKAF can be found in the Kingston Arts Council Plan for Administration of Arts Funding for the Corporation of the City of Kingston in 2024

CKAF grant recipients must meet the following objectives:

I. Engage Kingston artists with professional opportunities and industry-standard compensation;
II. Nurture creativity and arts engagement for Kingston residents;
III. Address current needs in the Kingston community;
IV. Strengthen and expand access to the arts;
V. Create inclusive activities and equity practices that reflect the diversity of artists, arts communities and audiences in Kingston;
VI. Foster collaboration between emerging and established artists and arts organizations across disciplines;
VII. Build capacity in the arts and culture sector through professional development, mentorship and investment in sustainable, relevant, high-quality artistic work; and
VIII. Cultivate community partnerships across private and public sectors.