International Touring Assistance in Music (Pilot Project)
Deadline
1 December 2007 for international tours occurring before 31 March 2009
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. You will not be contacted if your application is incomplete.
Program Description
The International Touring Assistance in Music (Pilot Project) program provides project assistance for Canadian professional music artists (individuals, ensembles, bands, collectives, groups and organizations) to tour outside of Canada.
The objectives of this program are to
- increase the visibility of Canadian professional music artists on the world stage
- increase international touring opportunities for Canadian artists
- increase opportunities to perform Canadian compositions
- extend the life of Canadian music works of high quality by increasing international performance opportunities.
Eligibility
You may apply if you are a professional Canadian artist, or you represent a professional Canadian group (for example, ensemble, band or collective) or organization. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
You may submit only one application per deadline for this program. An application to the International Touring Assistance in Music (Pilot Project) does not affect your eligibility to apply to the domestic Music Touring Program.
The Music Section supports music made for artistic and cultural purposes. It values distinctive artistic voices and supports excellence, innovation, experimentation and creativity in all established and emerging traditions of music. Competitions for funds are national in scope.
The Canada Council defines a professional musician as someone who
- has specialized training in the field
This training will be consistent with the standards of his or her practice. Training may include post-secondary academic study, mentorship, private instruction, workshops, periods of self-directed study, community-acquired knowledge or any combination of the above.
- is recognized as a professional artist by his or her peers
Other music artists working in the same tradition identify the applicant as an artist of superior achievement and/or potential. Peer acknowledgment may include a history of support or recognition at a local, regional or provincial/territorial level.
- is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if he or she can afford to
The applicant pursues his or her own artistic vision, retains creative control and is committed to the creation and/or promotion of original work. The applicant exhibits high professional standards and is dedicated to the ongoing development of the artistic practice.
- has a history of public presentation.
The applicant receives compensation for the public presentation of his or her work, and actively seeks to maximize the audience for their work, regardless of market appeal.
Orchestras and Choirs
To apply to this program, you must represent an orchestra or choir that first meets the eligibility criteria of the Canada Council’s Professional Orchestra Program or Professional Choir Program. (See the Canada Council website.) Then you must demonstrate that the orchestra or choir is receiving professional fees, as determined by the professional touring market.
If you are planning to apply to this program on behalf of an orchestra or choir, you must inform the appropriate Music Section Officer as soon as possible (preferably 18 months in advance of the tour start date).
For an assessment of your eligibility, contact the appropriate Music Section Officer as follows:
Orchestras:
Rolf Bertsch, ext. 5248
Choirs:
André Jutras, ext. 5071
Payment of Professional Fees
Your application cannot be considered if you, or the applicant you represent, are not receiving professional fees. The peer assessment committees that evaluate applications generally use the salary scale of the American Federation of Musicians to determine a “fair” minimum.
Definition of a Tour
For the International Touring Assistance in Music (Pilot Project) program, the Canada Council defines a tour as a series of at least three consecutive* performances in three different cities or towns, outside your country of residence.
* In the case of a tour that contains both Canadian and U.S. dates, the three or more U.S. dates need not be consecutive as long as the itinerary is efficient and logical. Please note, however, that Canadian dates are not eligible within this program.
If you have questions about your eligibility, contact the appropriate Music Section Officer listed at the end of this page.
This program is open to Aboriginal arts organizations or artists and arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Grant Amount
Grants will be awarded to a maximum of $50,000 per project, and will vary according to individual requests and assessment committee evaluation.
Successful applicants may or may not be awarded the full amount requested. Retroactive funding (in other words, money spent before the deadline date) is not available.
Applicants cannot receive funding from another federal funding agency for the same touring project.
Eligible Costs
Grants contribute to travel, accommodation, per diem and freight between Canada and international destinations, as well as between different countries based on the submitted tour itinerary. Other eligible costs include visas, health insurance, carnets and (or) broker fees related to the shipment of freight across international borders.
The grants do not cover any travel, accommodation, per diem and freight within a foreign country, if the international presenter has agreed to pay these costs, as confirmed by the signed contract and (or) performance offer. This includes meals and accommodation costs often contributed by the presenter for performance days.
Application Guidelines and Form
International Touring Assistance in Music Guidelines and Form (PDF Acrobat format)
This document can be printed only; it cannot be filled out online.
International Touring Assistance Budget Sheets (Excel format)
International Touring Assistance in Music Itinerary (Excel format)
Further Information
Music Section
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, plus the Music Section Officer’s extension number
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: 613-565-5194
Music Section Officers:
Ian Babb, Non-Classical Music, ext. 4294
Karen Barber-Ing, Classical and New Music, ext. 4243
Fax: 613-566-4409
October 2007