The Manitoba government has launched a new Safe at Home Manitoba grant, which will enable people staying home this holiday season to enjoy creative cultural, artistic, and fitness activities delivered by Manitoba organizations and businesses, Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox and Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires announced today.
“We are excited to invite organizations from across the province to create programs that bring Manitobans together while we are physically apart,” said Cox. “Manitoba is home to so many diverse artists, cultural organizations and festivals, and I look forward to enjoying all the creative ways they can bring safe at home ideas into our own homes.”
The Safe at Home Manitoba grant will provide $3 million in grant funding to a wide variety of Manitoba organizations and individuals who are able to produce free programming for Manitobans to stay safe at home, such as live streaming of the performing arts, cooking classes, at-home fitness programs, and home-based art programs for children.
“We recognize that staying home this holiday season as we fight the pandemic, and not being able to see our friends and family will be difficult,” said Squires. “This gives us an additional reason to stay home with our family, enjoy these home-grown Manitoba activities together and help make this time easier for us all.”
The province has partnered with five organizations that will adjudicate the grants, as well as actively seek out organizations to take part in the program. Partners include the Manitoba Arts Council, Sport Manitoba, The Winnipeg Foundation, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and the United Way of Winnipeg.
Eligible applicants for the grant include Manitoba municipalities, First Nations, local authorities, not-for-profits, charitable and for-profit businesses, government agencies, post-secondary institutions, and individual artists and are eligible to apply for up to $50,000 per project.
Grant requests may include the following:
• new projects that support social inclusion, mental health and physical wellness while staying home;
• expansion or additions to existing projects including the removal of fees or costs to participate;
• equipment or supplies required to deliver a program or project; and?
• administration or event costs?directly?related to?program delivery.
A number of programs are already scheduled to begin in December including:
• Legislative Building Open House – Manitoba’s holiday tradition will go online with a live broadcast of music, live performances and messages from Manitoba’s elected officials on Dec. 18 at 6 p.m.
• Royal Manitoba Theatre Company – A pre-filmed variety show featuring dozens of artists will be available to all Manitobans for download and streaming beginning Dec. 19; and
• Skills Manitoba – Manitoba families will be invited to complete a gingerbread house making exercise that tests creativity and geometry skills.
As well, special initiatives are in store from Festival du Voyageur, Sport Manitoba, The Manitoba Museum, and Manitoba Parks.
For more information on how to apply, as well as additional online programming listed above, visit the Safe at Home Manitoba website at www.SafeAtHomeMB.ca.
