On May 19th, the Honourable Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister of the Status of Women announced several new recipient projects of Ontario’s Creative Engagement Fund. The Fund supports partnerships between arts organizations, artists and sexual violence prevention advocates for projects that inspire dialogue on consent, rape culture and gender equality to help prevent sexual violence and harassment. One of those projects is based in Peterborough. "Zoongda: Strong Heart" is a multidisciplinary community project devoted to the impact of missing and murdered Indigenous women, the resilience of sexual violence survivors, and the relationship between land, water, body and violence.
May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month and Ms. Naidoo-Harris recognized the opportunity that this month provides us “to raise awareness about sexual assault and gender-based violence and to promote our collective responsibility to end this violence for good.”
The government is currently supporting 11 projects through this $2.25 million Creative Engagement Fund. The Fund represents an important part of It’s Never Okay, the government’s action plan to stop sexual violence and harassment and change attitudes, improve supports for survivors and make workplaces and campuses safer.
You can view the backgrounder to learn more about the newly funded Creative Engagement Fund projects.