Grants for Professional Artists – Part 1.

Among various funds and grants available to industries there are grants specifically awarded to professional artists and innovators. To promote importance and impact of the professional artists’ works, the Canada Council of Arts awards grants to artists, groups, collectives and art organizations. This is to help the artists to achieve their artistic endeavours and present their works in the national and international sphere.

Who receives the grant?

Any professional artist involved in performing arts or fine arts such as dance, music, media arts, theatre, literature and publishing, visual arts, etc. is eligible for Ontario grants.  The applicants should be either involved in creating works of art, promoting and propagating them to the general public or play a supporting role in the local, national or international scene.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for grant programs for artists, a professional artist must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or PR (permanent resident)
• Received specialized training in field of expertise
• Achieved recognition as a professional in the chosen field
• Should have a published body of work

What kind of projects receive grants? 

The Council awards grants to professionals and organizations for creating, promoting and supporting art and literature. It also awards grants for projects aimed at improvement and development of the arts sector in general. Grants are also available to cover costs of content/art creation, professional training and development, accommodation and residency, and travel and logistics.

Types of Grants 

As of 2015-16, $144.8M were awarded in grants to 2,055 professional artists and to 2,200 arts organizations. The grants are sub-categorized into six different programs:

• Explore and Create – This program funds artists and organizations committed to creating and propagating artistic works. It awards up to $135,000 and covers up to 60% of total annual revenues from last 3 years. The deadline is before the start date of your project.

• Engage and Sustain – This program primarily supports art organizations to develop expertise and excellence in the field. It covers up to 25% of total annual revenues from last 3 years and deadline is May 1, 2017.

• Creating, Knowing and Sharing – This program aims to encourage indigenous artists and art forms. It focuses on Inuit and Métis creative expressions. It awards up to $433,000 including all program components. The deadline is before the start date of your project or in case of  short-term projects, it is 15 April, 21 September, 21 December 2017 and 21 March 2018.

• Supporting Artistic Practice – This program offers opportunities to support collaboration and networking, achieving target initiatives within set deadlines and career development opportunities for professionals in fields of both fine and performing arts. It awards up to $600,000 including all program components. There are separate deadlines for each component under the program. Some components accept applications on quarterly basis.

• Arts Across Canada – This program aims to forge enduring relationships between Canadian artists and the general public. The grant from this program helps artists, groups and organizations share their work with communities across the country. It awards up to $300,000 including all program components and covers up to 60% of total annual revenues from last 3 years.

• Arts Abroad – This program enables Canadian artists to compete at the international platform.  It awards up to $400,000 including all program components and covers up to 60% of total annual revenues from last 3 years. There are separate deadlines for each component under the program. Some components accept applications on quarterly basis.

• Composite Grants – Composite grants are also available for projects with a timeline of over 1 to 3 years. This arrangement allows professionals, groups and organizations to send one single combined or composite proposal instead of separate applications. This is more flexible and efficient than core grants. To be eligible for composite grant, an applicant needs to have a history of receiving grants from the Canada Council.

Application Procedure

An applicant is required to register minimum 30 days before they wish to apply for a program. The acceptance of your application is based on meeting the eligibility criteria, sending in a complete application, deadline and published body of work. Each program has a limit on the number of applications accepted and/or the number of grants you can receive each year.  There are also overriding limits on applications that can be submitted to Canada Council for the Arts each year. This is important if you are planning to submit several projects in the same year.

Conclusion

So what does your upcoming project look like? Are you a professional artist or an art organization who meets the eligibility criteria to receive the grant? Do you want to know which is the best program for your purpose? Our team of experts can help you find out. Contact Kelid™ to set up a free consultation TODAY!