Electric City Culture Council

EC3 is honoured to welcome Chelsea Day as our new Director of Granting and Marcela Moreno as our Operations & Administration Manager! Chelsea brings years of experience in the local theatre community, while Marcela joins the team with a strong background in communications and a deep connection to Peterborough/Nogojiwanong’s arts and culture sector. We’re thrilled to have them both as part of EC3! At the same time, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Gabe Pollock for his incredible contributions to EC3 and the local arts community over the years. His work supporting programs including GFIA, Artsweek, the Bierk Art Bursary, Peterborough Arts Awards, and more has had a lasting impact on our community. Read the full bulletin through the link in our bio

We’re hiring!! Looking for a Multimedia Archivist to join the EC3 team this summer!☀️ If you’re into arts, storytelling, and keeping community history alive, this one’s for you. 📎 Full job posting + details → link in bio Deadline: June 5 at 5pm

Artspace presents Peterborough’s 10th Anniversary Book + Zine Fest Join us at the Peterborough Public Library for the 10th Annual Artspace Book + Zine Fest, a celebration of regional press, zine, comic, and paper arts. Artspace, 378 Aylmer Street North, Peterborough, ON Friday, May 1, 5-9 pm Saturday, May 2, 12-4 pm Artspace is co-hosting Peterborough’s 10th Annual Book and Zine Fest with the Peterborough Public Library on May 1 and 2, 2026. This cherished event is a wonderful opportunity to peruse and support the work of over 25 local and regional comic artists, graphic novelists, children’s authors, letterpress printers, zine makers, and more! Book + Zine Fest is family-friendly and welcoming to all. From handmade books to artist prints to poetry, and usually subversive in tone, there is truly something for everyone. Artist-vendors will include such local favourites as: Brooklin Stormie Bennett Bedokian Derek Newman-Still Kathryn Bahun Marta Chudolinska Mumblethief Stuart Hill “I became a zine maker thanks to the Artspace Book+Zine Fest. It let me see how powerful this medium was and how much zines could do transformative social justice work,” says Derek Newman-Stille. “Zines are a unique form of rebellion and they speak to me as someone who likes to push boundaries. They challenge not just the topics they write about, but also the entire publishing industry by putting the power in our hands as writers/creators and I adore that about them. The Artspace Book+Zine Fest has given me a space to make connections, explore collaboration possibilities, meet the most interesting people (and add to my zine hoard). It is ridiculously fun and engaging.” About the 10th anniversary, the Executive Director at Artspace, Leslie Menagh said, “some of our vendors have been with us since the beginning. We’re really proud of this annual event, especially because digital media has such an intense presence in our lives now. B+Z is almost exclusively about analog materials and paper-based making. The Book+Zine Fest is a treasure.”

The City of Peterborough is currently undertaking a variety of engagement strategies to help inform the development of a new Municipal Cultural Plan that will guide its financial investments, cultural priorities, policies and directions over the next ten years. If you care about the future of arts, culture, and community in our city, this is your chance to share your ideas. Take the survey + learn more → link in bio 📅 Survey open until May 4

The Creation with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra and directed by Michael Newnham. When: Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 and Sunday, May 10 at 3:00 p.m. Where: Emmanuel United Church, Peterborough Tickets: $50 adults, $10 students. We recommend that tickets be purchased online through our website. Choose the performance date and the seat you want. Ticket Tailor will apply a processing fee.

PAUL AND LINDA PLAN A THREESOME By Jane Cooper Ford A staged reading at Market Hall Peterborough/Nogojiwanong Saturday May 2, 2026, 7pm Sunday May 3, 2026, 2pm On May 2nd and 3rd, you are cordially invited to watch Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome by Jane Cooper Ford, an outrageous new comedy and the talk of the town during its sold-out run at Stratford’s Here for Now Festival. What's this play about? A successful and serious couple, Paul and Linda, aim to shake up their stale marriage by planning a threesome, much like they might plan a dinner party. Things don’t go quite as they planned -- best laid plans and all -- and a night of spicy hilarity ensues. We'd tell you more, but we don't want to spoil the (fore)play. You'll just have to wait till the lights go down...

EC3 advocates for the arts at all levels of government. Our work has included supporting the status of the artist through direct funding, basic income programs, stronger copyright laws, and increased investment in the government programs that support arts organizations and DEI initiatives in the arts. While we continue to advocate at the municipal and provincial levels at the City of Peterborough, the OAC and the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, we wanted to draw attention to the advocacy work of Canadian Coalition for the Arts, working at the federal level, by sharing their recent newsletter. EC3 also had an opportunity to meet briefly with MP Emma Harrison to discuss the mission and mandate of the arts council, and the value and importance of funding programs at Canadian Heritage. Our MP suggested that arts organizations advise her office when they do make an application to the federal government for funding. We look forward to future conversations. Read the full bulletin here: https://mailchi.mp/ecthree/canadianartscoalition

As you may know, the City of Peterborough has hired a consulting company, EVOKE, to undertake work on a Municipal Cultural Plan. The folks at EVOKE have asked EC3 to share this flyer and encourage people to attend these sessions. Your input is crucial. Many thanks.

EC3’s GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS fueled 17 new projects by talented local artists, creating a diverse bounty of new writing, theatre, circus arts, visual arts, dance, music and more for Peterborough audiences. The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is proud to announce the 17 local artists who have been awarded a total of $35,250 through the 2025 Grants for Individual Artists program. This multidisciplinary program is funded jointly by the City of Peterborough and EC3, and is designed, delivered, and administered by EC3. This year, 50 artists applied for grants ranging from between $1,500 and $3,500.00. Grants are adjudicated and awarded by a five-person peer assessment jury. Check out our bulletin for more information on the program and 2025 recipients - https://mailchi.mp/ecthree/gfia-10598930

City of Peterborough News Release: Residents are invited to an event to recognize and celebrate International Women’s Day in the City of Peterborough on Saturday, March 7, 2026. International Women’s Day, which is held annually on March 8, is dedicated to acknowledging the achievements, contributions and leadership of women and girls. Mayor Jeff Leal has issued a proclamation in support of International Women’s Day. The Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, the Kawartha World Issues Centre and the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton have organized events on Saturday, March 7, 2026. The day begins with a rally and march that begins at City Hall, 500 George St. N., at 11:30 a.m. City Councillor Joy Lachica will read the International Women’s Day proclamation. The rally will also include drumming from the group Naandewegaan (Healing with Drums) and a poem from Peterborough’s Poet Laureate, Ziysah. The rally will be followed by a march downtown with an afternoon of activities in Friends of the Library Community Room at the Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. N. Events include music, light refreshments and a discussion with Kat Owens from the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. All events are free to attend, though registration for the events at the library is encouraged. Registration can be done online by visiting the program calendar page at ptbolibrary.ca. Quotes “International Women's Day is a day to celebrate achievements, leadership, and resilience of women and girls in our community and around the world. It is an opportunity to recognize the countless ways women contribute to our families, workplaces, and neighbourhoods, often while overcoming barriers and inequities,” Mayor Jeff Leal said. "This day invites us to reflect on the work that remains to advance fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all. By marking International Women’s Day, we reaffirm the importance of recognizing women’s contributions, amplifying their voices, and continuing efforts toward a more equitable future for current and future generations,” said City Councillor Joy Lachica.

APPLICATION DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY (February 27th)!! EC3 is hiring an operations and administration coordinator! This position provides a unique opportunity to work in the arts community supporting EC3’s activities across all arts disciplines and genres, delivering a broad cross section of programs from grants and awards - to festivals and artist residencies, while providing administrative support and some event support for EC3’s operating and programming activities. The position reports to the Executive Director and works with other staff and contract employees to advance and reinforce EC3’s administrative and management capacity. This includes building information systems and data collection and retention, as well as production support and day to day administrative support. This person is expected to know and understand the organization’s mission and vision, follow EC3’s policies and protocols, respect confidentiality and conflict of interest guidelines, and conduct themselves in the best interest of the organization and the community it serves. Knowledge of the arts and of the local arts sector, and the professional role of an arm’s length arts council, is an asset. Full job description here: https://1drv.ms/w/c/610740973f0e5e6e/IQAX41LIRqFWSJaySz_RAY08AYBeyFOf3AB50ifOEt9h0d8?e=QJcsND

EC3 is honoured to welcome artist, educator and cultural activist Chet Singh to the EC3 Board of Directors. An accomplished artist and educator, Chet brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our work as a municipal arts council in Peterborough. His deep community connections, capacity to work in institutional and grassroots environments, and passion for the arts and artists will provide an enormous asset to our organization and our work for the arts in Peterborough. Dub poet, educator and social activist Chet Singh emerged with the first wave of Caribbean dub poets in the early 1980’s. He fronted the punk, reggae band One Mind, comprised of Trent students. After returning to Nogojiwanong two decades later, he’s released 6 albums. A founding member of Canada’s Dub Poets Collective, he also served on the board of the Ontario Arts Council. His work advancing diversity, equity, decolonizing and critical education has been recognized with awards for teaching excellence and educational leadership. Read our full bulletin here: https://mailchi.mp/ecthree/chet-singh