16 not-for-profit organizations in Red Deer have been granted a total of $346,825 in multi-year funding from The City of Red Deer’s Community Culture Development Fund in the Culture Development Category. 

The Community Culture Development Fund has provided financial support to not-for-profit organizations delivering arts, culture, and heritage initiatives in our community since 2000. Grant funds are intended to assist organizations, build their capacity to provide a service, manage a cultural facility, act as an umbrella organization for other cultural organizations, develop new cultural programs and services, and/or produce a community-based special event or festival.

The Culture Development Category provides long term support (up to three years) to service providers to offset operational costs required to deliver culture programs and services within the community. A maximum of $30,000 is available per application, and eligible organizations may submit multiple applications.

$573,875 was requested of the $400,000 in available funds for this funding cycle and approximately 60 per cent of requests were approved. $20,000 was assigned to the next intake of the Community Culture Development Fund - Culture Opportunities Category in 2023. The remaining funds of $33,175 have been allocated to the next intake of the Culture Development Category.

“The City is proud to support the variety of events and educational opportunities provided to Red Deerians by these important community organizations,” said Bobby-Jo Stannard, Community Development Superintendent. “From arts, music and children’s theatre to heritage, improv and annual festivals, the vibrancy of Red Deer’s arts scene is evident from this list of not-for-profit groups.”

The following organizations were each awarded three years of funding for the 2023-2025 funding cycle:

  • $10,000 for the Central Alberta Chamber Orchestra for their regular season concerts, educational and community outreach performances. 
  • $5,000 for the African Caribbean Centre of Central Alberta for their Annual Red Deer Afro-Carribbean Festival. 
  • $9,375 for the Against the Walk Theatre Society for their improvisational theatre programming, education and performance. 
  • $5,000 for the French-Canadian Association of Alberta for their bilingual Celebration of Winter. 
  • $10,000 for the Central Alberta Film Festival Association for their growth and expanded engagement, annual Central Alberta Film Festival, educational workshops, and film challenges. 
  • $30,000 for the Friends of Sunnybrook Farm Society for the Sunnybrook Farm Museum programs, preservation, education, entertainment and access to historic site. 
  • $15,000 for the Norwegian Laft Hus Society for expanding public cultural and educational programming. 
  • $30,000 for the Prime Stock Theatre Co. Society for their Bard on Bower outdoor summer Shakepeare festival. 
  • $75,000 for the Red Deer Arts Council for arts presentation programming, arts outreach programming, and arts development programming. 
  • $30,000 for the Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society for their Annual Red Deer Festival of the performing arts.
  • $15,000 for Red Deer Family Services for their Central Alberta Children’s Festival. 
  • $25,000 for the Red Deer Festival of Performing Arts Society for their Annual Red Deer Festival of the Performing Arts. 
  • $5,450 for the Red Deer Pottery Club for year-round ceramic arts program opportunities for members and community outreach programs. 
  • $30,000 for the Red Deer Sumer CentreFest Society for their CentreFest Street Performer Festival 
  • $32,000 for the Red Deer Symphony Association for their Symphony at the Snell programming and their Community Concerts. 
  • $20,000 for the Tree House Youth Theatre Society for their Tree Houser Youth Theatre skill development programs and productions.