Opera/Music Theatre Program
Deadline
1 December 2006
If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Your completed application and all support material must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.
The Canada Council will not accept applications postmarked after the deadline, incomplete applications, or those submitted by fax or email.
Program Description
This Canada Council for the Arts program provides assistance to professional Canadian opera/music theatre companies. Grants contribute to the development and presentation of conventional operatic repertoire and to the creation and production of new, original Canadian works for opera and music theatre. The program has two components:
A) Multi-year funding for three years and annual funding support for overall activities;
B) Project funding.
All Canada Council programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
A) MULTI-YEAR AND ANNUAL FUNDING
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- be a Canadian professional, non-profit company and have a Board of Directors in place at the time of application;
- have completed at least three full years of professional activities;
- produce and stage at least two productions a year* of which two performances are given; (*small music theatre companies must produce and stage at least one major production a year, complemented by relevant public activities such as workshops, public readings, training sessions for singers/performers in techniques appropriate to this repertoire, etc.);
- receive significant support from other levels of government, the public and the private sector;
- engage professional artistic and administrative personnel.
All companies that have received multi-year funding in the past or at least two annual grants for their overall activities from this program in the last two years must apply for multi-year funding.
Companies that meet the eligibility criteria, but are new to this program must have their work assessed by the Canada Council on at least two occasions before they may apply for annual funding. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ask the Music Section for an assessment of their work. Companies that have received project grants in each of the last two competitions and meet the basic eligibility criteria may apply for annual funding.
Please note that opera/music theatre and other organizations cannot request operating support in more than one Canada Council program. Applicants must consult the Theatre and Music Sections to determine what peer assessment committee may better assess the request for their overall activities.
The Opera/Music Theatre Program does not support projects involving market-driven forms of music and/or music for which an established commercial support structure exists (such as musicals, rock operas, etc.).
Applications are reviewed for eligibility, according to the published assessment criteria, by the Music Section, with outside consultation if needed.
Grant Amount
The peer assessment committee recommends funding priorities and establishes the value of the Canada Council’s contribution to the applicant’s proposed activities in relation to the program’s assessment criteria.
Assessment of Applications
Eligible applications are evaluated, in a national competitive context, by a peer assessment committee. The committee is a representative body of specialists in the field, with various kinds of expertise, whose members are also chosen to ensure fair representation of gender, regional and cultural diversity, and both official languages.
The committee bases its review of applications on the assessment criteria listed in the application guidelines. These assessment criteria are defined in a national comparative context and within the context of each organization's artistic mandate, geographic and artistic environment, and available resources.
Application Form
Opera/Music Theatre Guidelines and Form 2006 for Muti-Year and Annual Funding (PDF Acrobat format) This form can be printed; it cannot be fille out on-line.
Opera/Music Theatre Financial pages 6 and 7 2006 MultiY and Annual Funding 2006 (Excel format)
B) PROJECT FUNDING
Project funding provides a contribution to specific programs, particular events or special initiatives proposed by professional Canadian opera/music theatre companies, particularly in the areas of Canadian creation, development of young audiences and outreach/dissemination.
A project is defined as a specific event or activity taking place in a defined and concentrated period, with a clearly delineated budget. The Canada Council's project funding contributions are directed towards specific artistic, production and promotional costs and may not be used to support the applicant's organizational structure or overall activities. Seasons of activities are not eligible.
Eligibility
Professional non-profit, incorporated Canadian opera/music theatre companies, music organizations, theatre companies, artists’ collectives and other production companies are eligible to apply for support.
Companies that receive multi-year support may apply in mid-cycle on a limited basis for project funding to enable them to benefit from special initiatives or programming opportunities that were not foreseen when their long-range operating plans were formulated, if such initiatives or opportunities cannot be covered by general operating revenues.
The Opera/Music Theatre Program does not support projects involving market-driven forms of music and/or music for which an established commercial support structure exists (such as musicals, rock operas, etc.).
Some projects may belong more to theatre than to music theatre. In case of doubt, applicants must consult the Theatre or Music Sections to determine which peer assessment committee may better assess their request.
Grant Amount
Project funding is available annually and each request is subject to peer assessment. It is not guaranteed, ongoing yearly support. There are limited funds available for project support.
The grant amount is recommended by the peer assessment committee.
Assessment of Applications
Applications will be assessed by a peer assessment committee, whose members will be selected as described above. The committee evaluates all applications, in a national comparative context against the assessment criteria listed in the application guidelines.
Application Form
This application form consists of all documents below. These documents can be printed. The form cannot be filled out on-line.
Opera/Music Theatre Program: Project Funding (Acrobat Adobee format)
FOR BOTH COMPONENTS
Notification of Results
Applicants to the multi-year and annual funding component will be notified of the results of the competition, in writing, following the Spring meeting of the Canada Council for the Arts Board. Applicants to the project funding component will be notified within four months of the deadline.
Further Information
This program summary provides an overview of the Opera/Music Theatre Program. For further information or to receive an application form, please contact Angela Birdsell, Music Section Officer.
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5248
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
Fax: (613) 566-4409
Music Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
October 2006