Great Big Theatre Company

Our Goal Is Participation

At GBTC, we would like to make it possible for every child who is interested in participating in our programs to attend.

We therefore try, where we can, to provide subsidies for families who are interested in enrolling their children and would be prevented for financial reasons from paying the full amount of the registration fee.

For the current year, we have made available a low-income registration option at the discounted rate of $ 130.00 wk (approximately 50 % of our full summer registration rate); eligible families can register online for camp-weeks for which this option is available. Please see Low-Income Option, on our Theatre Day Camps menu, for further information on eligibility for this option.

For those families who might require a larger discount than the above-noted 50 %, or for whom the only camp locally available is one for which that option is not provided: there are some options for additional subsidies. Please note there is a limited amount of financial assistance available; we receive some funding each year from outside sources (for example, the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund, Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, Guelph Community Foundation, Cambridge-North Dumfries Community Foundation, Hamilton Community Foundation) to support summer campers in particular areas. We also provide support from funds donated to our own GBTC Camp Fund.

However, it is not generally possible to supply funding from these sources for all who might wish to attend.

We are therefore including the following additional information regarding subsidies available to residents in particular cities. We plan to expand this list over time. We suggest that you contact the following sources, where possible, prior to applying for funding through GBTC.

In addition, if your city is not among those included above, we suggest that you contact your local community's Parks and Recreation department and ask about funding support for your child to attend a Great Big Theatre Company program. In some cases, funding may be available through your community; in others, it may be provided through the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program, or through other sources.

Keep in mind also that assistance through tax credits is also available. Summer camp programs are eligible for the Child Care Tax Credit; our classes and camps are both eligible for the new federal Children's Arts Tax Credit program.

Assistance Through Communities and Municipalities

Brampton

Active Assist is a fee subsidy program provided by the City of Brampton which is designed to help low-income families and individuals in the city participate in Recreation programs. For more information, visit the Active Assist web site or call 905-874-2313

Burlington

The City of Burlington provides fee assistance through Canadian Tire's Jumpstart program for parents wishing to register their children in programs offered by local organizations. For more information, call 905-332-1996 ext 8501

Georgetown

Some fee assistance is availability through the Town of Halton Hills. Where the funding is for local programs, the assistance is provided through the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program. For more information, contact the Town of Halton Hills Community Support at 519-853-3310

Guelph

The Guelph Children’s Foundation Grants provide financial assistance for children in need so that they can participate in sports, cultural and recreational activities. Funds are available for the activity of the child’s choice as long as the activity will benefit and enrich their own personal development. There is an online application available on the organization's web site, at this location: Funding Application or call them for more information at 519-826-9551. Their information page is here.

Whitby

The Access Program provides funding for Town of Whitby recreation programs. Eligibility is based on financial need, and applicants must be Whitby residents. For further information, contact 905-430-4310, or e-mail: subsidy@whitby.ca . You can apply using the online application form . Please note that you must submit your most recent income tax notice of assessment and proof of Whitby residency with your application. For programs like GBTC's which are not offered directly through the Town of Whitby, parents will, in addition, need to apply for Jumpstart funding made available through the Canadian Tire Foundation for Families. There is also an online application form for this program. Please note that you must first be approved for the Access Program in order to apply for Canadian Tire Jumpstart funding.

Other Resources

President's Choice Children's Charities provides assistance to families of children who are physically or developmentally disabled. This includes assistance with attendance at summer camp programs. There is an Online Application Form available.

Great Big Theatre Company Subsidy Program

If you are interested in applying for a camp subsidy directly through GBTC, please complete and return our Subsidy Application form as soon as possible along with our completed registration form for the particular program in which you are interested (all of these are available in PDF format on our Registration page).

It is much easier for us to fill requests for partial subsidies, e. g. 25 % or so, than for full (100 %) subsidies.

Normally, we will not be able to make any commitment as far as confirming subsidy for a camp or class program until approximately one month before the start of the program, since until that time we do not know how much funding, if any, will be available to us from outside sources. Please download and complete the subsidy application form below and return it to us along with the PDF version of our registration form for the program in which you are interested. All of these are available on our Registration Page

Download Subsidy Application Form