Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program
Deadlines
Theatre Touring Grants and Special Initiatives Grants have the same deadlines: 1 May (for projects taking place after the following August) and 1 December (for projects taking place after the following March).
Applications and all required support material must be postmarked no later than the deadline date. If it falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
The Canada Council will not accept applications postmarked after the deadline, incomplete applications, or those submitted by fax or email.
Program Description
The Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program provides assistance to projects that serve and reinforce Canada's theatre touring and presenting infrastructure, and contribute to the development of increasingly appreciative and knowledgeable audiences for theatre in Canada.
There are two components to this program: Theatre Touring Grants and Special Initiatives Grants.
Theatre Touring Grants
This component is for Canadian professional theatre artists (individuals) and companies (collectives or groups) touring in Canada.
The objectives of this component are to:
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facilitate access to theatre across Canada;
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increase touring opportunities for theatre artists and companies;
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increase audience knowledge and appreciation of theatre;
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enhance programming options for presenters;
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extend the life of theatre works and provide performance opportunities.
The grants provide a contribution towards direct touring costs, such as travel, accommodation, per diem and transportation costs. Other costs, such as pre-production, administration and marketing costs, can be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Special Initiatives Grants
This component provides one-time-only assistance to Canadian professional theatre artists, companies, presenters, agents, etc., for skill and/or market development initiatives that serve the theatre touring or presenting milieu at large.
The objectives of this component are to:
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create or reinforce theatre touring and presenting infrastructures, particularly in cases where the milieu is not well served by existing infrastructures;
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encourage new theatre presenting and touring opportunities, and to develop new audiences;
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encourage initiatives that will benefit large sectors of the milieu.
Eligibility
Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and Canadian groups, collectives or organizations may apply. All Canada Council for the Arts programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Specific eligibility criteria for each of the components are indicated below. Please note that meeting the eligibility criteria allows an artist, collective or company to apply to the program and to have the submitted application assessed. Funding is not, however, automatic. Grant recommendations are determined by a peer assessment committee, based on the overall merit of the project in a national comparative context (see Assessment, below, for details).
Theatre Touring Grants
Non-profit professional Canadian theatre groups, collectives, companies or individual artists who have developed a tour are eligible. The Canada Council recognizes 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.
Tours to a co-producing partner’s locality are not eligible. Tours where the presenter does not guarantee a fee are not eligible.
Special Initiatives Grants
Canadian theatre professionals and organizations (artists, companies, presenters, agents, etc.) are eligible to apply for support for new initiatives.
Grant Amount
There are no minimum or maximum amounts that may be requested or received through this program. Grants will vary according to individual requests and the peer assessment committee's evaluations. Applicants may or may not be awarded the full amount requested, but Special Initiatives Grants will cover a maximum of 50 percent of a proposed project’s expenses.
Retroactive funding is not available.
How to Apply
Theatre Touring Grants
Candidates for Theatre Touring Grants must fill out a touring application form, which can be obtained from the Theatre Section, and submit it with the required support material.
Each request requires an assessment of the production in question. Those intending to apply for these grants must contact the Theatre Section, before the deadline, to arrange an assessment. If the Canada Council has already received an assessment of the production, a second evaluation is not necessary.
Each request for a Theatre Touring Grant must be accompanied by at least one letter of confirmation from a presenter. This letter should indicate the date of the performance and the guaranteed fee.
Special Initiatives Grants
For Special Initiatives Grants, there is no application form. Candidates must submit a detailed description of their project and its potential impact on the theatre touring and presenting milieu at large. Candidates must also submit a budget indicating other sources of funding (confirmed and unconfirmed) as well as letters of support from potential partners for the project.
If the project has the potential to continue, applicants must submit a plan outlining how it will be funded in the future without the assistance of a Special Initiatives Grant.
Assessment of Applications
It is the responsibility of the artist, group, collective or company submitting a Theatre Touring Grants application to ensure that the theatre production presented on tour is assessed by the Canada Council. Applicants must contact the Theatre Section to arrange the assessment before submitting an application.
Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program applications will be reviewed by a peer assessment committee made up of theatre peers knowledgeable about touring and presenting. Every effort will be made to ensure balanced representation of gender, regional and cultural diversity, Aboriginal peoples, genres and both official languages on the committee. Some committee members also sit on the Theatre Section's Advisory Committee.
The peer assessment committee establishes funding priorities based on the overall merit of the project in comparison with those of other applicants, in a national competition according to the assessment criteria below and subject to the availability of funds.
Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria for the Theatre Touring Grants component are:
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artistic quality of the touring production;
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demonstrated understanding and adequate development of the market served;
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reasonable balance between revenues from fees, box office and other funding sources and, in the case of in-province tours, contributions from provincial funding bodies or financial partners;
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demonstrated ability to co-ordinate a tour effectively;
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commitment to and understanding of audience development and outreach initiatives on the part of the artist/company, presenter or local partner;
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the presenter’s commitment to the tour and his or her track record of paying reasonable fees and supporting engagements adequately.
The assessment criteria for the Special Initiatives Grants component are:
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the project’s potential to create or reinforce Canadian theatre touring and presenting infrastructures;
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the applicant’s background and ability to carry out the project;
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the reasonable balance between projected revenues and expenses;
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the project’s potential impact and beneficiaries.
Priority will be given to projects that involve at least one financial partner other than the Canada Council. Priority will also be given to projects that develop communities with little or no existing infrastructure.
Special consideration will be given to development projects in areas specifically identified as Canada Council priorities: regional access, Canadian creation, interdisciplinary art, new technologies, Aboriginal art, culturally diverse art, festivals, international and young audiences.
Notification of Results
Applicants will be notified of the results, in writing, following the meeting of the peer assessment committee and, depending on the size of the grant, approval by the Canada Council’s Director or Board. Results are not released over the telephone.
Further Information
For further information, contact the Theatre Section.
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4483 or 4480.
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
Fax: (613) 566-4410
February 2006