21 May Artistic Grants
Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Council for the Arts champion and invest in artistic excellence through grants, services, prizes and payments to Canadian artists and arts organizations.
Arts Abroad celebrates the creativity, innovation and excellence of Canadian artists by helping to bring Canadian works to the world.
This program supports artists, arts professionals, groups and organizations to enhance international exposure, undertake artistic exploration or exchanges with international colleagues, and nurture new and existing art markets in a global context.
Arts Across Canada fosters meaningful relationships and exchanges between artists and the Canadian public. Artists, arts professionals, groups and arts organizations can apply to present and share artistic work with diverse communities across the country, engage more deeply with the public and develop a stronger national profile.
This program supports Indigenous individuals, groups, Indigenous-led arts organizations and arts/cultural sector development organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem. This program is divided into small scale activities, short term projects and long term projects.
This program supports the career growth of Canadian artists and artistic groups by encouraging participation in a wide range of development opportunities. Grants fund activities that contribute to the professional advancement of Canadian artists working in all artistic disciplines.
This program supports the initial stages of the creative process. Canadian artists, artistic groups and arts organizations can apply to develop and make creative works. Grants provide support for creative research, creation and project development.
The Professional Development for Artists component of Explore and Create supports the career growth of Canadian artists and artistic groups by encouraging participation in a wide range of development opportunities. Grants fund activities that contribute to the professional advancement of Canadian artists working in all artistic disciplines.
This program supports the career growth of Canadian arts professionals by encouraging knowledge-sharing and participation in a wide range of development opportunities. Grants fund activities that contribute to the advancement of Canadian arts professionals.
City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa’s Arts Funding program provides grants to individual artists for production and script development.
- A Grants are for established professional artists: maximum award $5,500
- B Grants are for emerging professional artists: maximum award $4,000
A and B grants are awarded to established and emerging local artists of all disciplines and backgrounds, supporting the creation and production of new, original work or the completion of works in progress. Funding is awarded to individual professional artists residing in Ottawa in the disciplines of literary, performing, media and visual arts. Artists may apply for projects involving a collaboration of more than one artist.
Ontario arts council
The Ontario Arts Council offers several programs for individuals working in media arts. They also fund the organizations that help artists create, distribute, screen, exhibit and perform their work and otherwise engage with audiences and communities.
Purpose: The program provides supplementary funds to Deaf- and disability-identifying project grant recipients to help them remove barriers to accessibility they may face while completing their OAC-funded project.
Eligibility: individuals who identify as Deaf or as having a disability. Ad hoc groups and collectives with one or more members who identify as Deaf or as having a disability. Incorporated not-for-profit organizations that have a mandate to serve Deaf artists and artists with disabilities and are led by board and/or staff members who identify as Deaf or as having a disability.
Deadline: The program is open year-round.
Purpose: The program provides grants of $500 to $2000 to assist individual artists with costs related to presenting their work in an exhibition. Grants are made through third-party recommenders (public art galleries, artist-run centres and arts service organizations) throughout the province. Artists must apply directly to a recommender located in the zone in which they live. Approved applications are forwarded to OAC by the recommender once the decision to award a grant has been made.
DARC is one of three media art recommenders for the OAC’s Exhibition Assistance program. The program provides grants to assist Ontario artists at all stages of their careers. DARC’s typical grant award is $750.
Applicants must apply in advance of their exhibitions as funds cannot be awarded retroactively. DARC supports installation, performance and online exhibitions in all forms of media art including video, film, new media and audio.
Eligibility: Ontario-based professional visual artists, craft artists, media artists and artist collectives who have a confirmed, upcoming public exhibition. Applicants must be Ontario residents with a permanent physical address in Ontario. Applicants must submit their application before their exhibition start date.
Recommenders establish their own application deadlines for exhibition assistance, or may decide to accept applications on an ongoing basis. DARC accepts applications for media art exhibition assistance from artists across Ontario. DARC Exhibition Assistance deadlines are announced annually each fall.
Purpose: The program supports Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) artists to research, develop and create new work and engage with their communities, as well as opportunities for Indigenous organizations and communities to strengthen their relationships with the arts. There are three categories:
Eligibility: Professional artists who self-identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and are Ontario residents. Ad hoc group and collectives comprised of individuals, of whom at least 50 per cent identify as Indigenous. Not-for-profit Indigenous organizations, centres and councils. Applicants must have a permanent physical address in Ontario.
Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to call with questions about their applications before the deadline. Because so many applicants call during the weeks before the deadline, please call with questions as far in advance as possible.
Purpose: The program supports individual professional Ontario-based media artists/directors working with film, video, audio, digital, new media, video and electronic games, and virtual reality as independent artist-controlled art forms in the production and post-production phases of their projects. There are two categories:
Emerging Artist: You have completed at least one independent media work and are not currently enrolled in a formal media arts education program.
Mid-Career & Established Artist: You have completed at least two previous media works independently. Mid-Career artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 5 years. Established artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 15 years.
Eligibility: This program is open to Ontario-based emerging, mid-career or established artists/directors who have completed the requisite number of independent works, work with or without a producer and hold copyright over the work. Contracts with producers or other funders must not require that you give up such control, even if they are arranged after you have received confirmation of OAC support. It is also open to graduate students who are applying to the Mid-Career and Established category only. Applications must provide a letter from the department head stating your proposed project is not a part of their academic program.
Purpose: The program supports not-for-profit organizations and ad hoc groups/collectives that present, document or disseminate the work of professional Ontario media artists, or that provide media artists with professional development opportunities. There are three categories: Presentation; Professional Development; and Publication.
Eligibility: Ontario-based organizations and ad hoc groups/collectives, media arts organizations and ad hoc groups/collectives that have a history of, or expertise in, media arts programming, and organizations working in other arts disciplines that undertake media arts projects. Applicants must show evidence of media arts expertise through the arts professionals directly involved in the project, or through the expertise of an advisory committee of media arts professionals.
Purpose: The program supports the creation, production and presentation of art work; professional development; and community arts engagement initiatives that benefit communities in northern Ontario.
Eligibility: Professional artists who have a permanent physical address in northern Ontario, for at least one year prior to submitting an application, and continue to live for at least eight months each year in northern Ontario.
Purpose: Funds professional development and skills building opportunities. Applicants can request funding for training, mentoring, or apprenticing in all contemporary and traditional art forms.
Eligibility: This program is open to Ontario-based Indigenous arts professionals and arts professionals of colour.
