Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants
Deadline
1 May 2006
Description of Program
Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants support Canadian non-profit organizations for the presentation of a specific component of programming and workshops at multidisciplinary festivals. These festivals provide a crucial meeting point for the intergenerational exchange of ideas and sharing of artistic experiences between an audience and professional artists.
This program of support encourages festivals to develop new programming initiatives, enhance existing programs, and introduce Canadian artists from diverse regions and cultural backgrounds to new audiences. It does so through project support for a specific element of the festival’s overall programming. Contributions are intended to assist with the direct project costs for the programming or presentation of artists and their work, and to support programming that challenges audiences and includes elements of artistic risk.
Priority will be given to programming projects that display vision and innovation in the presentation of Canadian artists’ original and interpretive work, including works:
- by Aboriginal artists;
- by artists from diverse regions of Canada and by culturally diverse artists;
- by young artists (under the age of 30);
- that are intended for young audiences.
Assistance is available to help with the presentation of work, including workshops, by Canadian artists in all professional art forms. Eligible art forms include dance, interdisciplinary work, media arts, music, performance art, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, storytelling, circus and street arts, and artists and community collaborations. Projects may include part of a single- or multi-venue festival and allow the participation of artists presenting art forms or practices that are new to the festival and that enhance its general programming. The variety of art forms may be used to address particular constituencies, diverse interests, or particular themes or ideas.
All applicants eligible for the Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants program are also eligible to apply for support from the Artists and Community Collaboration Fund (ACCF). This designated investment for 2006-07 increases the Canada Council for the Arts’ commitment to diverse artistic activities that bring together professional artists and the broader community and that give the arts a stronger presence in everyday life. For further information about the ACCF, potential applicants should contact an Information Officer at the telephone number given at the end of this document, ext. 5060, to request the “Guidelines for Applicants: Artists and Community Collaboration Fund (ACCF).” The information is also available on the Canada Council’s Web site.
Note: Applicants can apply to either the Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants program or the ACCF, but not both.
Eligibility
Applicant Eligibility
Multidisciplinary festivals are considered to be events featuring a number of professional artists, where no single artistic discipline or practice predominates. These festivals usually last more than one day, but take place within a concentrated period of time.
To be eligible for this program, multidisciplinary festivals must:
- feature equally at least three distinct art forms, practices or disciplines that are thematically linked under a particular artistic direction;
- be national in scope, featuring artists from at least two provinces or territories in addition to the province or territory in which the festival is being held;
- have as their purpose the presentation of Canadian artists and the dissemination of their work;
- have a history of artistic programming and have presented at least two full editions of a multidisciplinary arts festival as a provincially and federally registered non-profit Canadian professional arts organization, by the date of application;
- be professionally curated, display a distinct artistic vision and demonstrate community support through earned revenues (usually in the form of ticket sales, funds raised, gifts- and/or services-in-kind, and volunteer support);
- pay professional artists’ fees.
All Canada Council for the Arts programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
First-time applicants to this program are strongly encouraged to contact the Inter-Arts Office, prior to the deadline, to discuss their eligibility.
Restrictions
Competition powwows and showcase events are not eligible.
These project grants are intended to fund specific components of festival programming. Festivals must submit a clearly defined project. Applicants submitting their entire program for funding will be considered ineligible.
Applicants to the Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants program may not apply to any other Canada Council for the Arts program to support artistic programming for the festival. Music festivals should apply to the Music Festival Programming Project Grants program in the Music Section. Media arts festivals should contact the Media Arts Section. Literary festivals should apply to the Literary Readings, Literary Festivals and Author Residencies Program of the Writing and Publishing Section.
Applicants may submit only one request per festival to this program, per competition.
Grant Amount
Contributions are available to a maximum of $25,000 per festival. Given the limited funds available for this program, applicants may not be awarded the full amount requested.
Applicants may request contributions toward artistic costs (artists’ performance fees, an artistic director's honorarium, travel expenses, accommodation and per diem expenses, etc.); production costs (for sound/screening equipment, crews, costumes, sets, staging and venue rental); and promotional and publicity costs, including program costs. Only costs directly related to the proposed project may be included, and production/promotional/publicity costs may make up a maximum of one-third (33 percent) of any request.
Capital expenses, operating costs, administrative salaries, costs of a permanent Web site and other costs not directly related to programming are not eligible for support.
Assessment of Applications
Applications are reviewed by a peer assessment committee drawn from the relevant artistic communities, and selected for their expertise. Committee members are also selected to ensure fair representation of gender, Aboriginal peoples, regional and cultural diversity, ages, various art forms and Canada’s two official languages.
The assessment criteria for this program is described in the application guidelines accompanying the form.
Applicants will be notified of the results, by mail, within four months of the application deadline. Results will not be released over the telephone or by email.
Application Forms
This application form consists of all documents below. These documents can be printed. The form cannot be filled out on-line.
Further Information
This program summary provides an outline of the Multidisciplinary Festivals Project Grants program. For further details, contact Claude Schryer, Inter-Arts Officer.
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4204
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
Fax: (613) 566-4118
Inter-Arts Office
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
February 2006