August 13th, 2025

Author’s Note:
Amid funding cuts, political shifts, and rising pressure on the arts sector, we wanted to share what this moment means for us at Hand Eye Society, and why we believe it matters to everyone who cares about creativity, access, and culture.

Arts organizations across Canada are at a breaking point. From music festivals to film programs, galleries to game communities, the effects of shrinking public funding, cultural policy shifts, and institutional instability are becoming harder to ignore.

At Hand Eye Society, we’re feeling it too.

We’re a small but mighty nonprofit dedicated to videogames as a creative practice. We run affordable workshops, pay artists fairly, and create public programs like Super FESTival, Futures Forward, and more. All this is made possible and accessible through public funding, grants, and donations. As government funding opportunities in the arts shrink and that support becomes harder to secure, we’re turning more than ever to the community that believes in the work and the importance of art.

We want to keep paying artists, running workshops, and creating accessible events, and we need your help.

The Landscape Is Changing Fast

The challenges facing Canada’s arts sector aren’t new, but this past year, they’ve become impossible to downplay.

In a Maclean’s article, cultural leaders pointed to a perfect storm: rising costs, delayed funding, and deep burnout. In Toronto, a growing number of small venues and collectives are closing their doors, not for lack of interest, but because of rising costs and minimal institutional support.

And this isn’t just a Canadian story. In the U.S., the National Endowment for the Arts recently faced sweeping cuts, reigniting debates over whether culture should be publicly funded at all. A dangerous question with real consequences.

At Hand Eye Society, we’re seeing this play out firsthand. Funding decisions are slower. Grant programs are more competitive. Increasingly, programs that receive support are expected to be economically marketable and risk-averse.

But we’re here to support indie artists and make certain their games reach communities and the masses.

We’ve always believed games are more than products; they’re a form of public expression. Our mission has never been about fitting in; it’s about making space for experimentation, creativity, and games that challenge expectations. We champion creators who are queer, racialized, disabled, experimental, or working outside the mainstream, and we believe that work is not just valid, but vital.

What’s at Stake

Without community support, programs like ours are at risk. The impact of shrinking funding isn’t abstract; it means:

• Fewer paid opportunities for artists
• Fewer workshops to support indie creators
• Fewer platforms for new voices
• Fewer accessible events in a city already struggling with affordability

The disappearance of arts spaces isn’t just a funding issue. It’s a cultural one. What we lose when funding disappears isn’t just events; it’s perspective, diversity, and space for cultural risk-taking. When public culture shrinks, power consolidates, and the stories that get told or funded start to look increasingly the same.

If You’re Tired of Losing Culture and Arts, Support What’s Still Here

We want to keep showing up for this community, creating work that’s playful, political, weird, and unafraid. Because games can be art, expression, and resistance.

But to do that, we need you.

💛 If you believe in the value of creative, community-driven game culture, please consider donating.

Even $10 helps us pay artists, keep events free, and offer space to those who rarely get it.

If you’re not in a position to give, sharing this post is just as valuable. The more people who hear about this, the better our chance of weathering this moment.

 

Thank You for Being in This With Us

We’re proud of what we’ve built together. And we’re not done yet. The fight for arts and culture in Canada is ongoing, and it’s not one we can afford to lose.

We know things are hard for a lot of folks right now. That makes your support, whether it’s a donation, a repost, or showing up to one of our events, all the more meaningful. 

We’re here because of you.

– The Hand Eye Society Team💛