Winnipeg details $2M in funding for arts downtown

Four arts staples in Winnipeg have gotten a major funding boost from the city, and elected officials say an investment in the arts downtown is an investment in a vibrant Winnipeg. 

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Opera and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre were all named as recipients of more than $2 million in funding.

The cash is aimed at enhancing the city’s arts and culture sector while revitalizing the downtown core. 

“These investments will help create significant change in the experiences of every Winnipegger who visits our institutions and our organizations in the coming years,” said artistic director for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, André Lewis. “It will make us all stronger and more resilient in the future.” 

Lewis said to see an investment from the city into the arts is critical, estimating over the years, a million people have come to Winnipeg’s downtown because of its offerings around the arts, making the city more vibrant. But he stressed the investment is one in the artistic craft as well. 

“This investment by the City of Winnipeg allows us to focus on our core mission of teaching, creating and performing. Enriching lives through the power of exceptional dance,” he said, calling it a recognition that “a vibrant city centre includes a thriving arts community.” 

The Downtown Arts Capital Fund allocates $500,000 annually to support “critical capital projects” by the city’s premier arts institutions after being introduced in the city’s 2024-2027 multi-year budget. 

The fund will see the Royal Winnipeg Ballet receive $250,000 every year from 2025 to 2027, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg $250,000 over the same timeframe, with the Manitoba Opera and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre getting $25,000 and $300,000 respectively in 2024. 

“These institutions have been at the heart of Winnipeg for over 40 years,” said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham. “They contribute to and really establish Winnipeg’s cultural identity. Not only do they entertain, but they drive economic activity within our city as well.”

The four groups, all with more than 40 years of activity in the city’s downtown, were selected after a thorough review process. The funding allocations are still subject to approval by council.

However, Sherri Rollins, who represents the Fort-Rouge, East Fort Garry Ward in Winnipeg, called the funding a “bright light” in a budget process that can otherwise be stressful. She says she’s confident support from councillors will be unanimous, saying it’s the arts and the vibrancy they bring that helps Winnipeggers “find our home in the downtown.”