Audience and Market Development Travel Grants
Deadline
Any time (at least 6 weeks before the start date of the project)
Program Description
The purpose of Audience and Market Development Travel Grants is to assist Canadian professional artists to develop their careers and reach new audiences and markets in Canada and internationally. Audience and Market Development is a cross-disciplinary program; it provides Travel Grants to promote knowledge and appreciation of Canadian arts, to enhance the development of Canadian artists’ careers nationally and internationally, and to provide ongoing access to professional Canadian artists and their works by both Canadian and foreign audiences.
Audience and Market Development Travel Grants provide support to the following applicants for the projects outlined below, by sector:
- artists’ representatives, which include managers, agents, tour directors, distributors and gallery dealers
- professional Canadian performing artists officially selected to showcase their works at a key contact event, trade fair, international festival or event
- professional presenters, which include curators, promoters, producers, programmers and festival artistic directors, and
- artists’ associations, arts organizations and presenter networks.
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 his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and who has a history of public presentation or publication.
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.
Eligibility
I–Media and Visual Arts
Media arts includes independent film, video, new media and audio. Visual arts includes architecture, craft and photography.
Applicant Eligibility
Distributors
Travel assistance is available for distributors to promote independent Canadian film, video, audio and new media titles at key trade fairs and festivals, in Canada and abroad.
Gallery Dealers
Support is available to commercial gallery dealers who present the works of professional Canadian contemporary visual artists at key trade fairs and art fairs, in Canada and abroad. Additional support to gallery dealers is also available through Assistance to Professional Canadian Contemporary Art Dealers, a program of the Canada Council Visual Arts Section. This program supports projects that will increase public awareness of Canadian contemporary visual art, nationally and internationally, and encourage the general public, private corporations and public institutions to purchase works by living Canadian artists. More information can be obtained from Doug Sigurdson, Visual Arts Section Officer, at 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5268 or at doug.sigurdson@canadacouncil.ca.
Curators and Programmers
Travel support is available for pre-circulation activity (i.e. prospection tours) to increase presentation and circulation opportunities for professional Canadian media and visual artists and their works in Canada and internationally. Applicants must provide a detailed itinerary, list of individuals and venues that they will visit as part of the proposed travel, and support material detailing the package of works they are promoting.
Travel assistance is also available to festival programmers and curators to present a package of works by independent Canadian film, video, audio and new media artists at key Canadian and international festivals and exhibitions, for the purpose of developing future broadcasts, installations, screenings and presentations. Applicants may apply as an individual, ad hoc group, collective or organization. The application can include travel for the programmer or curator, transportation of the works, and travel for the artists attending the presentation.
In all cases listed above, priority will be given to projects that represent a group of Canadian professional visual or independent media artists. Applicants must provide information on the works (e.g. titles, artists and images) that will be promoted and/or presented as part of their proposed travel.
International Media Arts Festivals
International media arts festivals can apply to the Canada Council for the Arts to support the travel of a group of professional Canadian independent media artists (more than three) invited to attend the screening of their work during the festival, where this will raise the overall profile of Canadian independent media artists and their works. Eligible costs include the direct costs for the media artists to travel from Canada to the international destination. The grant amount is generally paid directly to the international media arts festival to assist them in coordinating logistics.
Restrictions
- This program does not fund travel to exhibitions at Canadian embassies, consulates or high commissions.
- It does not support the development of international exchanges and residency projects for Canadian and international artists.
- It does not support the costs of travelling exhibitions or installations of visual and media artworks. Project support is available through the disciplinary sections. For more information, check the Canada Council’s web site at www.canadacouncil.ca.
- This program does not provide support to critics, curators or programmers to participate in workshops, residencies, symposiums, conferences or other professional development activities, including curatorial research. For media arts, support is available through the Travel Grants to Media Arts Professionals program. More information is available from Joanne Desroches, Media Arts Section Officer at 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5264 or at joanne.desroches@canadacouncil.ca. For visual arts, support is available through Travel Grants to Professional Artists: Independent Critics and Curators. Applicants can obtain more information from an Information Officer at 1-800-263-5588, ext. 5060.
Other Sources of Funding
For support in the international arena, applicants should consult with the appropriate sources. Information on Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) is available at http://www.international.gc.ca/.
Information on programs at the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) is available at http://www.pch.gc.ca/. Information on the Trade Routes Contribution Program is available from PCH at
1-866-999-7233 or at traderoutescommerciales@pch.gc.ca.
II–Writing and Publishing
Support is available for the promotion of Canadian literature in these fields: novel, short story, poetry, children’s literature, graphic novel and literary non-fiction. Support is also available for rap poetry, storytelling, spoken word and electronic literature.
Applicant Eligibility
Directors of Canadian Literary Festivals
Travel assistance is available for directors of major Canadian literary festivals (as defined in the Literary Readings, Literary Festivals and Author Residencies program of the Writing and Publishing Section). Grants may be used to attend Canadian and key international literary festivals to promote professional Canadian writers and to arrange for reciprocal readings.
International Literary Festivals and Book Fairs
International literary festivals and book fairs can apply to the Canada Council for the Arts for travel support for a group of professional Canadian authors (more than three) invited for public readings that create a profile of Canadian literature during their event. Eligible costs include the costs for the authors to travel directly from Canada to the international destination. The grant amount is generally paid directly to the international literary festival or book fair to assist them in coordinating logistics.
Canadian Literary and Art Magazines
Representatives of Canadian literary and art magazines can apply for travel assistance to attend major international fairs to promote professional Canadian writers and artists.
Rap Poetry, Spoken Word and Storytelling Artists
Travel support is available for travel to a showcase or one-off performance at a key international festival and/or event. Artists must submit confirmation of their performance from their host, along with confirmation of the performance fee. Artists must receive a fee to be eligible for travel assistance.
Applicants must clearly describe how the performance will introduce their work to new markets and new audiences, and provide greater touring and performance opportunities internationally. They should indicate how the performance will increase their visibility on the international stage and provide details on key promoters (e.g. presenters, festival artistic directors, labels and distributors) who will attend the festival or event to view work for future programming.
Priority will be given to projects that involve a group of Canadian rap poets, spoken word artists and/or storytellers (three or more Canadian artists).
Other Sources of Funding
Professional Canadian writers who have been invited to occasions that are of great importance to their careers, such as being a keynote speaker at an international conference, attending a book launch by a foreign publisher or receiving official honours or prizes are eligible for the Travel Grants for Professional Writers program. Applicants should consult with Marcel Hull, Travel Grants Officer, at ext. 4571 or at marcel.hull@canadacouncil.ca.
Literary agents attending major international rights fairs should consult with Peter Stephens at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC), at (613) 996-2161 or at peter.stephens@international.gc.ca.
III–Performing Arts
The performing arts include theatre, dance, music and other performance-based work, such as performance art, multidisciplinary work and interdisciplinary work.
Applicant Eligibility
Professional Companies, Ensembles and Individual Artists
Canadian Contact Events and International Trade Fairs
Travel assistance is available to professional Canadian performing artists who have been officially selected to showcase at a Canadian contact event or key international trade fair.
A showcase is defined as a live, 20- to 40-minute performance to a significant number of key presenters and programmers, rather than to the general public. These events introduce an artist to new markets and audiences. Artists must submit confirmation of their official showcase from the host trade fair and/or contact event.
See the Performing Arts Directories database at www.canadacouncil.ca for a listing of Canadian contact events and showcases, including international trade fairs.
Due to the volume of requests and the limited budget, applicants who have been selected as part of an official showcase lineup will be given top priority for funding. For Canadian contact events, priority will be given to those applicants traveling from out of province or territory.
For trade fairs where there is no official showcasing or where multiple unofficial showcases take place (e.g. Arts Presenters [APAP] and Annual North American Folk Alliance), artists’ representatives, arts service organizations and ad hoc groups may apply for travel funds to organize a showcase of a minimum of three professional Canadian artists/companies. These unofficial showcases can be organized regionally or thematically, but all applicants must demonstrate their ability to successfully organize these events and the cost-effectiveness of these initiatives. If these showcases are regionally based, applicants must demonstrate financial commitment from their local government agencies. Due to the volume of showcasing activity throughout the year, only a small percentage of applicants for unofficial showcase projects are funded.
International Festivals and/or Events
Grants are available to attend performance of a “showcase nature” at a key international festival and/or event that can lead to further performing opportunities. These events must incorporate a significant market component (i.e. a significant number of key promoters in attendance previewing work for future programming) to be eligible for travel support. Artists must receive a performance fee to be eligible for funding.
Applicants must submit confirmation of their performance from the host festival/event, along with confirmation of the performance fee. For travel support to perform at an international festival or event, applicants must clearly describe how the performance will 1) introduce their work to new markets and new audiences, 2) provide greater touring and performance opportunities internationally, and 3) fit into the applicant’s overall career development plans for the next couple of years. In providing these details, applicants must demonstrate how the performance will increase their visibility on the international stage. Applicants must include information on key presenters who will attend their performance. In all cases, applicants must demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the performance (i.e. they must show that it is more cost-effective to perform at the event than to invite a group of international presenters to the applicant’s home market to view a full performance).
For music applicants: The International Performance Assistance in Music program is under review following the December 2004 competition. Support for one-off performances is available through Audience and Market Development Travel Grants. However, these funds are highly competitive; therefore, it is important that submissions meet the requirements listed above. Priority will be given to projects that take place at key international festivals during the summer. This priority has been established in consultation with the Music Section to manage the level of demand and available resources, in particular for non-classical artists.
Please note that this program does not support travel for international touring, residencies, competitions or auditions.
Restrictions
- This program does not fund travel to performances at Canadian embassies, consulates or high commissions.
- Individual artists/groups/companies are not eligible to receive funding for self-presented showcases.
- This program does not support national or international touring activities. For information on touring activities in Canada, applicants should consult with the appropriate Canada Council disciplinary section. Travel support for international touring activities is available from Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC). For more information, please visit their website at http://www.international.gc.ca/.
Artists’ Representatives
Artists’ representatives, managers, agents, tour directors or artistic directors of professional Canadian companies may apply for travel expenses if they do not have artists showcasing but they wish to attend a Canadian contact event and/or key international trade fair, market event or festival. Applicants must provide information and support material on the artists that they represent. They should include a list of buyers and programmers whom they will meet while attending the event, and should link these activities to the potential development of performances and tours for their artists and overall market and career development plans for their roster, artists and/or company for the upcoming three years.
For Canadian contact events, priority will be given to those applicants travelling from out of province or territory.
Travel assistance is also available to artists’ representatives for pre-tour activity, to build upon an existing tour. Applicants must provide a detailed itinerary and a list of individuals/venues that they will visit as part of the proposed pre-tour, along with written documentation supporting the future tour (i.e. at least two venues or sites confirming interest in writing).
The Council has supported a number of collective initiatives by performing arts agents at key international trade fairs. For more information on these activities, please visit www.canadacouncil.ca/development.
Professional Presenters
Canadian professional presenters (such as programmers, producers, promoters and festival artistic directors) can apply for travel assistance to attend performances of works of professional Canadian artists for the purpose of considering presentation of these works in their programming. In this case, travel must be within Canada, but outside the applicants’ home province or territory.
Travel to contact events and trade fairs is not eligible for assistance.
Presenters and other arts professionals can apply for travel assistance to meet specifically to create new networks or develop existing networks to increase touring and dissemination opportunities throughout Canada for professional Canadian artists and their works. Requests must be submitted by a professional arts association, arts organization or ad hoc group that represents the group of applicants. Priority will be given to individuals travelling from outside the province or territory where the networking session will take place. Applicants must clearly articulate how the proposed networking session will increase touring and dissemination opportunities for professional Canadian artists, develop artists’ careers, and increase access by Canadian audiences to high-quality Canadian artworks on a national and/or regional basis (e.g. across-provincial or territorial boundaries). Applicants must submit a detailed agenda, including the objectives of the meeting.
Travel to board meetings, general assemblies, etc. is not eligible for assistance.
Applicants that receive support through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Arts Presentation Canada (APC) program are eligible to apply for travel support for these activities; however, they should clearly demonstrate that these activities are not already covered through the project support allocated through the APC program.
Applicants can apply for more than one trip in an application. The Canada Council encourages artists’ representatives and/or presenters to submit one application that covers all their travel plans over the upcoming 12 months.
Other Sources of Funding
All Canada Council programs are listed at www.canadacouncil.ca, by discipline.
In addition to the grant program, the Audience and Market Development Office manages a Performing Arts Directories database that maintains information about festivals, presenters and market events. This information is updated and expanded to include additional information on a regular basis. For a complete listing, applicants can visit www.canadacouncil.ca/development.
Support for musicians is also available through the provincial music industry associations. For a complete listing of associations and program details, please contact FACTOR at http://www.factor.ca/ (for English-speaking musicians) or MUSICACTION at http://www.musicaction.ca/ (for French-speaking musicians).
Information on Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) is available at http://www.international.gc.ca/. Applicants can contact Laila Gabrielle-Côté at (613) 995-0668 or at laila-gabrielle.cote@international.gc.ca.
Information on programs at the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) is available at http://www.pch.gc.ca/. Information on the Trade Routes Contribution Program is available from PCH at
1-866-999-7233 or at traderoutescommerciales@pch.gc.ca.
IV–For All Disciplines
Travel Assistance for International Buyers
The Audience and Market Development Travel Grants program provides travel assistance to professional Canadian arts organizations and companies to invite key international buyers (e.g. presenters, programmers, broadcasters, dealers and curators) to preview works presented by professional Canadian artists. This type of funding assists in building relationships with key buyers and creating greater exposure for Canadian professional artists who are developing international markets for their work.
Applicants may invite international buyers to preview Canadian works at performances, exhibitions, readings and screenings that are not part of a festival, contact event and/or trade fair already receiving support through FAC or the Trade Routes Contribution Program at PCH.
Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate collaboration among professional Canadian artists and companies and to applications that include a detailed itinerary of numerous performances, exhibitions, readings and screenings by professional Canadian artists.
Applicants must submit the following information as part of their application:
- the name of each buyer and a description of how this buyer will link professional Canadian artists to performances, screenings, readings, tours and exhibitions outside Canada
- a detailed budget showing travel and accommodation expenses, and outlining the contributions of the Canadian hosts and the buyers, and
- a complete list of the works by professional Canadian artists that the buyers will preview, as well as a list of the proposed meetings that the buyers will hold with other Canadian arts professionals while travelling on the Canada Council grant.
Applications requesting travel assistance to invite buyers to only one performance, reading, exhibition or screening are not eligible for support.
Special Audience and Market Development Initiatives
Support may be available for special collective projects to promote a group of professional Canadian artists or Canadian artworks, in Canada and/or abroad, to create greater opportunities for professional Canadian artists to access new markets and audiences for their work. Available resources for the support of these special initiatives fluctuate from one fiscal year to another. Applicants should discuss their project proposals with the Market Development Coordinator at least eight months prior to the proposed project dates to determine whether the project is eligible and whether resources are available. Wherever possible, these projects should be submitted to existing programs in the Canada Council disciplinary sections and assessed through the regular peer assessment process.
Any project submitted through the Audience and Market Development Office must be national in scope, respond to one or more of the Canada Council’s identified priorities (e.g. aboriginal Aboriginal arts, cultural diversity, work for young audiences or young artists) and meet the objectives of the Audience and Market Development Travel Grants program, as described throughout this information sheet. Final approval of these exceptional projects is by either the Board of the Canada Council for the Arts (over $100,000) or the Canada Council’s senior management (under $100,000).
Previous special initiatives supported by the Audience and Market Development Office have included Beyond Borders East: A Craft Marketing Conference, All Tribes (a showcase of Aboriginal film, music and spoken word), and Canadian Dance in Reel (a screening of dance on film at the International Tanzmesse). Support is not available for the development of media kits, promotional materials, artists’ web sites, etc.
Grant Amount
Grant amounts vary according to individual requests and the availability of funds. Applicants may or may not receive the full amount that they request. The maximum available per project is usually $10,000.
Applications must show financial contributions from other sources, including the applicant. Some provinces and territories provide support for market development initiatives. Further information can be obtained from local arts councils or ministries.
Retroactive funding is not available.
Eligible Expenses
Travel grants contribute to direct travel costs, specifically airfare, train fare, bus fare and/or travel by personal vehicle (at 45.5¢ per kilometre), as well as freight expenses associated with the transportation of materials (e.g. instruments) or artworks essential to the performance or installation. Travel allowances are based on the cheapest available return fare (e.g. economy airfare).
The program’s maximum daily contribution for combined accommodation and per diem is $100 per person, to a total maximum of $700 per individual per project.
Other costs (such as registration, booth rental, administration and marketing costs) are rarely funded due to the limits on resources available to this program.
Because of the large number of competitors for these grants, the program gives priority to the direct travel expenses portion of the request (i.e. getting the individuals and artworks to the event).
Assessment of Applications
The Market Development Coordinator makes recommendations, which are reviewed by internal disciplinary committees consisting of Canada Council Section Heads and Program Officers. Requests are prioritized based on the overall merit of the project in comparison with the other applications, according to the program’s assessment criteria and subject to the availability of funds for that period of activity.
Requests are assessed according to the following criteria:
- the artistic quality of the works, based on the material submitted and/or external assessments of the works, if available (specifically in theatre and dance)
- the merit of the proposed project, its potential to increase touring and circulation opportunities for professional Canadian artists, its relevance to the development of the artists’ careers, and its potential to increase access by Canadian and foreign audiences to high-quality Canadian artworks
- the applicant’s demonstrated understanding and adequate development of the market and audiences served
- the cost-effectiveness of the proposal, and
- the capacity of the applicant to carry out the project.
Requests are also assessed according to the identified priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts (including cultural diversity, regional access, Aboriginal arts and young audiences).
Applicants will be notified of the results of the competition, in writing, within six weeks of the Canada Council’s receipt of the completed application form. Results are not released by telephone, email or fax.
Application Form
Audience and Market Development Travel Grants (pdf, 387KB)
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line
Further Information
Kelly Langgard, Acting Coordinator
Audience and Market Development Office
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5272 or 4118
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
Fax: (613) 566-4390
April 2006