Orange County’s Cultural Tourism grant program, administered through the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and funded by a portion of the Tourist Development Tax, awarded a grant to Orlando Ballet. The program, which began in 2002 with four organizations receiving a combined $471,582, this year provided grants to 39 organizations of up to $190,000 each, totaling $5.1 million, the largest investment in its history. Recipients have been recognized through the ACT Awards since 2023.
Founded in 1974, Orlando Ballet operates with an annual budget exceeding $12 million and presents five mainstage productions each season at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, featuring 28 professional dancers and a second company of rising artists. The company welcomed 42,000 patrons last season and has already reached that number midway through the current season. Its school serves more than 600 families and runs a summer intensive program for over 350 students, while arts education residencies reach 48 public schools annually and 15,000 second graders attend a live performance of The Nutcracker each year.
Press release issued by Orange County Government Newsroom:
https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2026/03/orlando-ballet-awarded-cultural-tourism-grant/
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