This ministry provides leadership within the arts and culture community to support a strong and stable culture sector that will help to build vibrant and liveable communities and a creative and innovative knowledge-based economy in Ontario.
We work with the culture sector to develop and implement policies, programs and services that enhance the contribution of cultural industries, arts, heritage, archaeology, libraries, museums and cultural agencies to Ontario's quality of life.
Among our activities, we:
If you are interested in Ontario's cultural, entertainment or educational programs, visit agencies and attractions, museums and libraries.
Those of you who support or are involved with Ontario's Aboriginal arts organizations can visit resources for Aboriginal communities.
Aspiring or licensed Ontario archaeologists, land developers, heritage consultants or those interested in Ontario's archaeological sites — including Aboriginal hunting camps and villages, battlefields, pioneer homes, burial grounds and cemeteries, shipwrecks or other evidence of past human activity — visit archaeology.
Ontario artists can learn more about the resources available to you in our Arts and artists section. It includes training the next generation of artists and cultural producers, find a job and market your work, legal and copyright information and health and safety information.
Businesses that create, produce and distribute cultural and creative goods and services can learn what we are doing for your industries in our creative cluster section. We created it to provide those of you involved in book and magazine publishing, film and television production, music, interactive digital media, commercial theatre and broadcasting with access to our framework for growth. You can also visit government programs and services, learn about your connection to our economy and our current policy initiatives and issues.
Those interested in Ontario's rich heritage — from community groups to municipalities — can visit Ontario's heritage places, cemeteries as well as Heritage Conservation Districts, find out where to search for information about Ontario's heritage buildings, sites and cemeteries, learn about what's involved in designating heritage properties and land use planning, see our tools for individuals, municipalities and communities and read Ontario's standards and guidelines to protect provincial heritage properties.
Librarians and the public can visit our libraries section for public library statistics, public library awards and events, information on our public libraries and Ontario's Carnegie libraries.
Municipalities and Aboriginal governing authorities can learn about what we are doing to support cultural planning — a place-based approach to planning and development.
If you belong to an arts group, cultural group, or other creative industry in need of funding or worthy of public recognition, you may be eligible for support from one of our funding programs. You may even qualify to win one of our awards.
Or you may be eligible for support from agencies that deliver funding on behalf of our ministry, such as Ontario Library Services (North and South), Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Media Development Corporation and Ontario Trillium Foundation.
We also encourage you to visit — and download from — our publications.