"Arts are vital to keeping a community thriving and flourishing. Visual art, poetry, music, theatre, comedy and more are what bring us joy in life, and allow us to express a full range of emotions we sometimes can’t find words for. Humans thrive when creativity thrives. The Arts also allow us to express ourselves in ways that seem increasingly scarce in this century. People should be supported to create art, participate in art, heal through art, make a living through art. Art programs need to be financially supported in order to foster community well-being."

Oct 13, 2026
2 min read
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Guelph Arts Council Survey

On September 2nd, Guelph Arts Council on behalf of the Guelph Arts Advocacy Alliance put out a call for municipal election candidates to complete a survey about their perspectives on arts and culture in Guelph. Only 28 of 49 candidates chose to respond to the

  1. Morgan commits to modernizing the Community Fund and divide it into two distinct streams (social service organizations and arts & culture organizations) while at least doubling current funding levels available through the Community Fund or its successor programs.

  2. Morgan commits to expanding non-financial support for arts organizations by working with the arts & culture sector to identify and implement practical supports such as reduced or waived municipal fees, improved access to City spaces, and more flexible bylaw and permitting processes.

  3. Morgan commits to sustained investments in arts & culture by providing stable, multi-year funding for a minimum of five years to support implementation of Culture Plan 2030. Reliable funding allows organizations to plan ahead, strengthen their programs and make the most of public investment.

  4. Morgan commits to establishing ongoing sector engagement through regular, structured meetings with the Guelph Arts Advocacy Alliance to share updates, discuss challenges, and stay aligned on priorities.

  5. If elected, Morgan Dandie commits to advocating and voting for the initiatives proposed in the commitments: modernizing the Community fund, expanding City in-kind support, and properly funding and budgeting for the Culture Plan 2030.

Morgan regularly supports and engages with the arts in the Guelph community.

Supporting the arts is something I love doing! Volunteering is how I attend many events, including Hillside Festival, Guelph and District Multicultural Festival, Art on the Street, Praise the Ward, the Guelph Comedy Festival, and at Royal City Mission for Beat the Winter Blues. I was thrilled to be able to go, for the first time, to various events as part of the Jazz Festival this year, when they were made free, granting access to people like me who struggle with affordability. As a City Councillor, I would be better able to support artists throughout the city.