Applying to the Canada Council for the Arts
What is the Canada Council for the Arts?
The Canada Council for the Arts is a national arm’s length agency created in 1957 to "foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts." To fulfil this mandate, the Canada Council provides grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in dance, media arts, music, theatre, writing and publishing, interdisciplinary work and performance art, and visual arts.
Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
Professional artists in one of the above artistic fields (e.g. published writers, visual artists, musicians) may apply. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The Canada Council defines a professional artist as someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by her or his peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and who has a history of public presentation or publication. Artists who are awarded a Canada Council grant will be required to devote a substantial portion of their time to their program of work during the period of the grant.
Professional artists are divided into three categories: emerging, mid-career and established. The criteria for these categories differ from one artistic discipline to the next and are listed in each grant program document. Generally, emerging artists are those at an early stage in their career who have completed their basic training and have created a modest independent body of work, mid-career artists are those who have created an independent body of work for a number of years, and established artists are those at a mature stage in their careers who have created an extensive body of work and have reached an advanced level of achievement.
Canadian non-profit arts organizations - such as theatre companies, art museums, public galleries, artist-run centres, dance companies, orchestras and film co-operatives - that are staffed by arts professionals who create artistic works, or present them to the Canadian public, are also eligible, as are professional publishing houses.
How do I apply for a grant?
Contact the Canada Council in one of the ways indicated at the end of this document. If you require information on a specific grant program, request the program information sheet (or, if you have already decided to apply, request an application form and guidelines for that program). If you need a listing of all grants available in your particular discipline, request the summary of grants available for that discipline.
Application forms - how can I find them on this web site?
Downloadable application forms are NOT located in one central spot on this web site, but are attached to each specific grant program information page. You will find the link for application guidelines and forms in the right-hand margin of the grant program information page of interest to you. --> Example
What type of activities can I apply for?
Grants for Professional Artists are intended to help individuals pursue professional development, independent artistic creation or production. They will not cover expenses related to starting a business or capital costs, such as the purchase of computers, musical instruments, film and video equipment, or printing presses.
Annual and Multi-Year Grants offer operating support to non-profit arts organizations. Project Assistance is available to these organizations as well as to artists’ collectives or groups for time-limited activities (e.g. to publish an exhibition catalogue or to record a CD).
Candidates cannot apply for a grant for work already completed.
How much can I request?
Grants for Professional Artists offer amounts of $3,000 to $20,000 (or up to $34,000 for established visual artists only), in increments of $1,000. Grants provide a contribution towards expenses directly related to your program of work, such as your living expenses and the cost of certain materials related to your artistic practice. Travel Grants are also available, with fixed amounts of $500, $750, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000 or $2,500, depending on your needs. You should apply for the fixed amount that will cover your travel costs based on excursion fares. Note that the fixed amounts of $2,000 and $2,500 are available only to applicants who are travelling to or from northern Canada or to international destinations other than the United States and Europe. Touring, project and production grants in some disciplines may provide amounts other than those described above.
Who decides who will receive a grant?
The Canada Council for the Arts evaluates all applications on the basis of artistic merit and according to the published criteria for each program. With some exceptions, applications are reviewed by peer assessment committees. You can refer to the program information sheet for a particular program for detailed information on the assessment process and criteria.
Peer assessment committee members are specialists in a particular field and reflect a broad range of artistic practices. If you are a dancer, you will be assessed by other dancers, choreographers and artistic directors; if you are a musician, other musicians will evaluate your submission; and so on. In addition to being peers of the applicants, the committee members are chosen to ensure fair representation of both official languages, gender, Aboriginal peoples, regional and cultural diversity, and genres of expression within your artistic discipline. New peer assessment committees of three to seven members are selected for each competition; the Canada Council welcomes suggestions for potential participants on the committees.
What are my chances of success?
As available funds are limited in a given competition, not all qualified applicants will receive a grant. On average in recent years, approximately one in six eligible applicants has received a grant, although this success rate varies among programs and from competition to competition.
When will I get the results of my application?
You will be notified of the results, by letter, three to five months after the competition closing date, unless specified otherwise in the program information sheet or application guidelines. This time span is necessary to allow the peer assessment committee to be formed and the submitted applications to be considered. Travel Grants, which are generally assessed by Program Officers, can usually be processed within six to eight weeks of their receipt. Results are not given over the telephone.
If you are successful in obtaining a grant, you will be sent information on the conditions of the grant with your notification letter. Grants to artists are generally paid in one instalment, while the payment schedule for grants to organizations may vary.
When can I apply again?
Whether you have been successful or unsuccessful in obtaining a grant, you can apply again. As peer assessment committees change for each competition and your work may evolve as your career advances, you may be successful on a subsequent application even if a previous application was turned down.
Note, however, that you may apply for only one Grant for Professional Artists in each fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). You may receive a maximum of two Grants for Professional Artists in any 48-month period (excluding Travel Grants). As an individual artist, you may also apply once a year for a Travel Grant.
If you are an established professional artist who works in more than one discipline, and you meet the eligibility criteria as an established artist in both disciplines, you may apply to two different Grants for Professional Artists programs (for creation) per fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). You must, however, accept or refuse the first grant offered by the Canada Council for the Arts within two weeks of the date of the grant notification.
Do I have to pay taxes on grant money?
Yes. Canada Council grants are taxable and T4A slips are issued at the appropriate time (they must be mailed before 28 February each year). Applicants should direct any tax-related questions to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, their provincial revenue department or their accountant.
How do I prepare my application?
When you have decided to apply to a particular program, obtain a current copy of the appropriate application guidelines and form. Read the application guidelines and application form carefully before you complete the form. If you are a first-time applicant, you should contact the Program Officer in charge of the program.
Proofread and review all the information you are providing before you submit it. Peer assessment committees must review many applications in a limited period. The committee members will be better able to evaluate your application if you have followed the application guidelines carefully, prepared your proposal in a clear manner, and attached only the support material that has been requested. Support material is crucial to the peer assessment committee's consideration of your application - make sure that it adequately reflects the quality of your work.
Most sections at the Canada Council for the Arts require you to submit all support material (audio, visual and written) with your application form. Do not include original works or documents unless specifically requested to do so (i.e. do not send us your only copy of your work or other material). The Canada Council is not responsible for the loss or damage, whatever the cause, of materials submitted in support of your application.
When Should I Apply?
Allow ample time before the competition closing date to obtain and complete the application form, and to organize your support material. If letters of appraisal are required for your application, allow enough time for appraisers to submit them on your behalf. (Refer to the application form and guidelines to determine whether letters of appraisal are required.)
The Canada Council does not send or accept applications by fax or e-mail.
Your application must be postmarked no later than the competition closing date. If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
If your application is incomplete or has been postmarked after the deadline, it will not be presented to the peer assessment committee.
May 2003