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- The KAC Newsletter | June Issue 2
The KAC Newsletter | June Issue 2
CKAF Update, Climate in Turmoil Exhibit, Upcoming Events, Job & Grant Opportunities, and More!
KAC NEWS & UPDATES
City of Kingston Arts Fund Update
The KAC would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the many artists, organizations, and community members who engaged in the City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) Review, as well as to the City of Kingston for initiating and driving the review, and to Saffy Inc. for conducting the review with their thoughtful approach to community engagement.
The CKAF Review Report was presented and accepted at the Arts, Recreation, and Community Policies (ARCP) Committee and at City Council in April and May, respectively. Along with the Report, a draft CKAF Framework was presented for consideration, and a Transition Plan for 2025 was presented and approved. Below is a brief overview of next steps for the City of Kingston Arts Fund.
Next Steps: CKAF 2025
The 2025 CKAF Transition Plan was developed to ensure stability for grant recipients and decrease administrative burdens by implementing streamlined granting processes. These strategies allow us to distribute funding to the community and maximize impact while we built out the new program framework in alignment with the recommendations outlined in the CKAF Review Report. Funding will be distributed via CKAF 2025 as follows:
Operating Grants will be issued to existing recipients, with an inflationary 2% increase to their 2024 grant amount.*
*2% increase does not apply to organizations currently receiving the maximum funding amount ($75,000).
Existing recipients include: Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Cantabile Choirs, Centre culturel Frontenac, Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Kingston Symphony, Kingston WritersFest, Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre, Reelout Queer Film Festival, Single Thread Theatre Company, Theatre Kingston, and Union Gallery.
Recurring/annual festivals which receive project grants year-over-year will be issued one-time grants in the amount of $15,000.
The festivals identified to receive these funds include: Festival of Live Digital Art, Ground UP Dance Festival, Juvenis Festival, and Skeleton Park Arts Festival.
Project funding for groups not identified above will be available via CKAF 2025 Project Grant applications. CKAF 2025 Project Grants will support the delivery of arts programming or projects that have a clear community benefit, provide an inclusive opportunity for participation, and provide funding to local artists. Grants of up to $10,000 will be juried via a streamlined application process which will launch later this month, and distributed by October 2025. Priority will be given to new applicants and/or applicants who have not received CKAF funding in the past two years. Stay tuned for more updates!
Next Steps: The Future of CKAF
The finalized CKAF Framework, developed in alignment with the recommendations outlined in the CKAF Review Report and in consideration of feedback provided at the ARCP Committee, will be presented to the ARCP Committee and City Council later this summer. Once approved, the Framework will guide our work in developing the new and improved CKAF program, which will be implemented beginning in 2026.
As previously reported, recommendations outlined in the Report include new grant streams (Operating Grants, Festival Grants, Creation and Development Grants, and Project Grants), grant ranges, administrative processes, program goals, strategic considerations, and more. The Review Report additionally outlines various investment scenarios to be explored via the City’s 2026 budgeting process, which will guide our approach to implementing the new structure. You can review the CKAF Review Report, the approved Transition Plan, and the draft Framework at the link below. We will continue to keep you posted as work progresses!
POCKET GALLERY
Opening This Week:
Climate in Turmoil by Joanne Gervais
Date: 17 June - 4 July
Location: Kingston Arts Council — Unit 115, 370 King St W, Kingston
Climate in Turmoil is a vivid depiction of the Earth’s shifting elements through a series of two and three-dimensional paintings by Joanne Gervais. Combining traditional wall-hung works with sculptural pieces mounted on driftwood and found materials, this exhibition captures the raw power and fragile beauty of nature in crisis. |  |
Abstract landscapes evoke fire, water, land, and sky from the scorched expanses of the Australian Outback to the icy vastness of Canada's Northern Territories. Volcanic eruptions, grassland droughts, and devastating forest fires speak to the escalating chaos of a once-balanced planet.
 | At its centre is a haunting portrait of a young woman set against the vastness of the Milky Way. Rendered in delicate glazes, thin layers, and muted tones, she quietly asks: “What of Us?” Surrounding this are the turbulent works of anxious impastos, glaring reds, and stark whites, creating a contrast between calm & catastrophe – capturing a world in crisis. |
Climate in Turmoil invites viewers to reflect the environmental extremes we face and our role within them.
EVENTS
 Skeleton Park Arts Festival |  WordLABS |
There are always plenty of arts events happening in Kingston and the surrounding area. Check out our Arts Events Calendar to view our full list of upcoming events!
JOBS
XR Producer (Single Thread Theatre)
Deadline: 20 June 2025
Remuneration: $13,000 – $14,000
Art Coordinator (Single Thread Theatre)
Deadline: 20 June 2025
Remuneration: $18.25/hour
Apprentice Production Manager (Single Thread Theatre)
Deadline: 20 June 2025
Remuneration: $18.00–$22.00/hour
Music Foundations Teaching Artist (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $30-$35/hour
Deadline: 20 June 2025
Choir Teaching Artist (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $30-$35/hour
Deadline: 20 June 2025
Administrative and Communications Coordinator (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: Salary Grade 06 Review Salary Information Here
Deadline: 20 June 2025
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Applications:
Board Members (Kingston Arts Council)
Deadline: Until Filled
Call for Submissions:
The Remix Residency: Queering Archives for Collective Liberation (Modern Fuel)
Deadline: 15 June 2025
Audition Notice:
Singers Aged 10+ and Adults (Cantabile Choirs)
Deadline: June 16, 17, 23, 24
Audition Notice:
Love in The First Degree (6 AM Productions)
Deadline: 16 June 2025
Call for Submissions:
Pond's Edge Exhibition and Fundraiser (Turtles Kingston)
Deadline: 1 August, 2025
Call for Submissions:
2ND ANNUAL KINGSTON ART TOUR (Kingston Art Tour)
Deadline: Until Filled
GRANTS
Below is a snapshot of upcoming grant deadlines. To view our more comprehensive and fully navigable database of grant opportunities at the local, provincial, and national level, please visit the KAC Grants Board !
Juried Sound Recording: Album Program (Factor)
Deadline: 5 July 2025
Theatre Projects (Ontario Arts Council)
Deadline: 6 August 2025 | 1:00 PM
Seed Grant (Ontario Trillium Fund)
Deadline: 20 August 2025 | 5:00 PM
SUPPORT THE KAC
Love the arts? So do we!
When you support the Kingston Arts Council, you’re helping empower an arts sector that drives innovation, fuels the local economy, and enriches the lives of everyone in Katarokwi/Kingston.
Your donation – whether one-time, monthly, or annual – enables us to deliver impactful programs and services that support the artists and creatives shaping our cultural industry.
As a registered charity, we’ll provide a charitable tax receipt for your contribution. Join us in building a thriving, sustainable arts sector.
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