May 16, 2002, York Region awards Arts Culture Tourism Grants

NEWMARKET – York Regional Council today approved a total of $22,300 in funding to seven organizations under its Arts & Culture Tourism Grants Program. The Program provides a one-time grant of up to $5,000 to eligible arts and cultural groups in York Region.

"York Region's support for fledging arts and cultural groups is an important component of providing diverse tourism and leisure experiences for residents and visitors of York Region," says Regional Chair Bill Fisch. "It also supports our Vision 2026 goal of building pride in our heritage and culture."

York Region's 2002 Arts & Culture Tourism Grants will support the following:

East Gwillimbury Studio Tour (October 5 & 6) – Visitors follow a map to visit 12 or more participating artisans. Running since 1997, the East Gwillimbury Studio Tour has grown from 500 to 1,000 last year. For more information, contact Barb Elend at (905) 478-8450.

Canadian Children's Theatre Co. – Established in 1995 and based in Aurora, the Canadian Children's Theatre Co. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of children to be involved in theatre. The Company's production this year, "A Bold Stroke – A Canadian Folk Tale" will be performed in June in Richmond Hill and Toronto's Mackenzie House Museum, and at Disney World in Florida on Canada Day, July 1. Contact Mary Templin at (905) 726-4486 for more information.

Georgina Arts and Festival Show (June 7-9) – Organized by the Georgina Arts Council, the 2^nd annual Georgina Arts and Festival Show is expected to draw 150 crafters and artisans and provide a York Region Junior Art Competition. For more information, contact Catherine Babick at (905) 722-9587.

Georgina Studio Tour (October 26 & 27) – Established in 1995, the Georgina Studio Tour has grown to 18 participating artisans. Contact Lynda Balena at (905) 722-8586 for more information.

Passport to Whitchurch-Stouffville (June 29) – Whitchurch-Stouffville Tourism will launch a new passport program during the Town's annual Strawberry Festival. Two thousand passports will be produced containing a combination of coupons and local business information. For more information, contact Darryl Gray at (416) 791-0327.

St. George's Anglican Church, Sibbald Point (June – September) – Approximately 6,000 people visit the historic St. George's Anglican Church each year. Five concerts are being planned to help increase visitation and assist in offsetting costs for the Church's ongoing restoration. Contact Adolf Von Seefried, Ph.D at (905) 722-3726 for more information.

The Voice Impact Project Theatre Troupe Inc. (August 15-18) – A non-profit organization founded in 1999 to promote children and youth participation in theatre, The Voice Impact Project Theatre Troupe Inc. will hold a four-day festival in Newmarket. The festival will include various performances through the day from approximately 10 Troupes from across Ontario. For more information, contact Merlene Samual Cephas at (905) 853-0829.

A sub-committee of the Regional Planning and Economic Development Committee reviewed a total of nine applications for funding. Two of the applicants did not meet the Arts & Culture Tourism Grant Program objectives and criteria.

For more information on The Regional Municipality of York, the services we offer and links to our nine area municipalities, please visit our Web site at: www.region.york.on.ca.

Contact: Wendy Lewis, Corporate Communications Services, York Region

- (905) 830-4444 or 1-877-464-9675, ext. 1238

- Email: wendy.lewis@region.york.on.ca

York Region awards Arts & Culture Tourism Grants