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If you're looking for a software that is a bit more robust and flexible than Canva, check out Affinity.

www.affinity.studio

Powerful, precise, and free forever. Discover Affinity — the next generation of professional photo, design, and layout software built for creative freedom.

Previously, it was a low-cost alternative to the Adobe Suite, having Affinity Publisher, Photo and Designer (much like Adobe's InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator). However, I noticed the other day that they must have been acquired by Canva and Canva has now made the software free to download and use if you have a Canva account.

Check it out!

Are you passionate about classical music and think that we need to work to ensure it remains a viable choice for young musicians?

Do you have strategic knowledge and can you help usher in a new era at one of Ottawa's longest running music festivals?

Then you are in luck, the National Capital Region Music Festival (aka Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival) is currently recruiting new Board Members.

Check out the attachment to learn more about becoming a board member. 

For more information in the role email us at info@okmf.ca 

Hey, OFN members! You can help guide the future of culture in Ottawa!

In 2025, the City of Ottawa launched its first city-wide Municipal Culture Plan since 2012 to better support the city's diverse communities.

Now, the City is giving you the option to complete a short (2–5 min) or long (approx. 10 min) survey to help the City understand what culture means to you. This process will help identify critical needs, such as those around spaces and places.

Take the survey before November 1st: https://engage.ottawa.ca/culture-plan/surveys/ottawa-s-next-culture-plan

Hi everyone,

In 2026, the Ottawa Festival Network is turning 30! To celebrate, we are in the process of creating a short film in collaboration with Digi60 that will premiere at the Ottawa Festival Summit next month.

We want to highlight the wide variety of festivals and events that take place in Ottawa, and to do this we’re in search of videos and photos from our members to include in the film. See below for the type of content we’re looking for:

1. Festival atmosphere & highlights

- Wide crowd shots - audience enjoying performances, markets, parades, etc.

- Close-ups of performances

A reminder to check you inboxes - the invitations for this year's Festival Summit have gone out. The event takes place on Wednesday, Nov 19th from 12 - 5pm in council chambers at City Hall.

The invitations will have come from the Mayor's Office - double check your other inbox folders in case you missed it.

There is limited seating. Please RSVP early.

Looking forward to seeing you at the event!

Accept your invitation here:

https://www.ottawafestivals.ca/summit

This one-time program supports tourism businesses and organizations in creating engaging, high-quality products and experiences that celebrate Ottawa’s 200th anniversary and strengthen the city’s appeal as a destination.

We’re looking for product activations between March 1 and December 31, 2026, that reflect Ottawa’s founding as Bytown and contribute to increased overnight visitation, visitor spending and private sector investment.

Priority consideration will be given to projects and initiatives that align with at least three of the following focus areas:

• Arts

• Culture

• Nightlife

Hello everyone! Just a heads up that in the coming days, the Member Forum function of the portal will be turned off, as it'll no longer be supported by our hosting platform.

We are migrating the forum discussions and categories over to Discussion Groups. It'll be a slight format change but the core function of being able to post and respond to different ideas will remain the same.

As always I am available to answer any questions you may have while navigating the OFN Member Portal. Send me a chat using the Members Chat button on the bottom left of your screen or send me an email hayley@ottawafestivals.ca

Best!

The Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF) wants to fund your project! OCAF is looking to connect with new organizations in Eastern Ontario, and to learn more about the exciting cultural and heritage activities happening in your community.

OCAF is an investment program of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming with a mandate to help cultural organizations (nonprofit corporations, municipalities, Indigenous communities) boost event visibility through:

•           Funding the marketing and promotion of cultural and heritage events

•           Professional capacity-building opportunities

Good morning OFN members! I'm here with another quick update on what you'll find new in our Resource Hub!

First, the big item: we've uploaded a multi-page mental health PDF linking to all kinds of advice and resources. From tackling burnout to partying safely to finding support, this guide is meant as a practical roadmap for team members and team leaders alike.

We've also made some small updates to our media and event venue lists, which we continuously update as we find and receive more information.

Is there anything else you'd like to see us add to the Resource Hub? Don't hesitate to comment below with your needs and ideas!