Glossary of Council Terms
This glossary defines terms commonly used by the Canada Council for the Arts. (Some terms, such as “Aboriginal peoples” and “accessibility,” may mean different things to different users. This glossary shows the Canada Council’s meanings.) A few terms show more than one definition, and these definitions are numbered.
The Canada Council is a national, arm’s length agency that provides grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations in these disciplines:
- dance,
- media arts,
- music,
- theatre,
- writing and publishing,
- interdisciplinary work,
- performance art and new artistic practices,
- visual arts.
All Canada Council programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
For more information on the Canada Council for the Arts, contact an Information Officer, toll-free at 1-800-263-5588, or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5060, or by e-mail at info@canadacouncil.ca.
TTY (TDD) machine (for hearing-impaired callers): (613) 565-5194
Fax: (613) 566-4390
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
February 2005
Aboriginal peoples
First Nations (both Status and Non-Status), Inuit and Métis people.
Aboriginal Arts Advisory Committee
See Kakaekwewin.
Aboriginal Arts Secretariat
A section of the Canada Council that develops policies, strategic initiatives and budgets to support Aboriginal artistic practices in all art forms that the Canada Council recognizes, as well as those defined by Aboriginal artists. The Secretariat collaborates with Aboriginal arts communities, the Kakaekwewin and the rest of the Canada Council’s sections. See Kakaekwewin.
access
- The opportunity (along with the means) of members of society to participate in the organizations established for their benefit. They have this opportunity regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, physical ability or region of habitation. They can participate as clients, as staff and on advisory and assessment committees and boards.
- Canadians’ right to see works of art and cultural materials that reflect their identity.
Access to Information Act
A law that gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada the right to examine or obtain copies of records held by federal government institutions (including the Canada Council for the Arts).
accessibility
The Canada Council’s programs are accessible to professional artists who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, to artists’ collectives, to Canadian non-profit incorporated arts organizations, and to Canadian-owned publishers.
The Canada Council’s programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
advisor
An outside expert who advises Canada Council staff or serves on an advisory committee. See advisory committee.
advisory committee
A committee that advises the Canada Council on artists’ needs, on Canada Council policies and programs, and on Aboriginal peoples and cultural diversity. Members are chosen to represent the various art forms that the Canada Council supports. Note that advisory committees do not make recommendations about whether specific applicants should receive funding.
See Kakaekwewin; peer assessment committee.
advocacy
A campaign that an individual or organization undertakes to promote any measure that would broadly benefit society. A Canadian example of advocacy is ParticipAction, which promoted the benefits of exercise.
Note that advocacy is not to be confused with “lobbying,” which promotes measures that would benefit only certain individuals, companies or other narrow interests.
anthology
A collection of short literary works, such as essays or stories. Anthologies are usually published in book form.
applicant
An individual or organization who has sent the Canada Council an application for a grant or prize.
apprenticeship
An activity in which an apprentice and a mentor (an organization, institution or individual) learn by working together. This may also be called a mentorship.
arm's length
The relationship of the Canada Council to the Government of Canada. The Canada Council operates quasi-independently from the federal government. It sets policies and makes decisions within the terms of the Canada Council Act. These include programs’ artistic criteria and funding amounts, but it follows governmental policies concerning Canada’s official languages, human rights and other matters. The Canada Council is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. See Parliamentary appropriation.
art form
The medium or field in which an artist works. Examples are theatre, writing and music.
artistic and financial risk
- Artistic risk: development, discovery and presentation of an artist in a way that encourages innovative, challenging artistic work.
- Financial risk: concerns how programming decisions may affect the financial health of an individual or organization.
Artistic and financial risk may be incurred when any employee, independent artist, or member of an artistic company presents artists to the public.
artistic assessment
- Analysis and evaluation that peer assessment committees make about the artistic merit of applications for funding.
- Analysis and evaluation conducted on site visits, usually by independent assessors.
artistic excellence
The main and most heavily weighted criterion upon which a peer assessment committee bases its recommendation to award a grant. The peer assessment committee carefully considers all the applications in a competition and recommends which applications (by the consensus of the committee members) have the greatest artistic merit in a national competitive context.
artist-run centre
An incorporated, non-profit organization usually created for dissemination or information exchange activities (such as mounting exhibitions or organizing conferences or symposiums). It may also produce, distribute or present artwork. The centre may have a short- or long-term existence. It is administered by a board, the majority of whose members are practising artists.
artists’ collective or group
Two or more people contributing to a common creative goal. (Some Canada Council sections require that a collective have a minimum of three members.) The collective or group need not have an established administrative structure or maintain a site, but it must be represented by one member who takes administrative and artistic responsibility for a proposed project. The collective or group must demonstrate accountability to the artists engaged in its activities, and it must be able to receive a grant payable to its name. A group usually forms for a specific project; a collective may undertake a series of projects or activities. See collaboration.
artists’ fees
Compensation paid to artists for their work or use of their work. The amount varies depending on the field in which the artist works and the nature of the project.
artists’ manager
An individual or company recognized as a professional manager of artists, under contract to an applicant or applicants. In certain disciplines, managers apply for funding separately from the artist.
artist statement
- A short text, written by the artist, that provides background information and influences on the artist’s body of work and overall artistic philosophy.
- A brief history of the artist’s development.
arts community
An interacting, diverse population of artists, arts professionals, audiences, critics, service providers and educators.
arts service organization
A non-profit organization that furthers the interests of artists, creators, arts organizations and elements of the arts community. The organization’s activities can include policy development, advocacy, provision of professional services, and production of collective projects.
Audience and Market Development Office
A section of the Canada Council that encourages the development of new markets and more knowledgeable audiences (nationally and internationally). The Office provides grants (travel assistance to artists and arts professionals to attend showcases, trade fairs, networking and pre-tours) and services in all disciplines. The Office collaborates with the Canada Council’s other sections to develop a cohesive approach to increase touring, exhibition and performance possibilities for Canadian professional artists. The Office managed the Outreach program, now known as Audience and Market Development Travel Assistance.
The Audience and Market Development Office maintains an on-line directory of presenters, agents, festivals as well as other material useful to touring artists.
audience development
Identification, engagement and retention of audiences, and building of their commitment to, knowledge of and appreciation of specific arts disciplines and art forms. Activities include public lectures, panel presentations, discussion groups, workshops and demonstrations, and the distribution of printed material. See new market development.
audio art
- Recorded-sound artworks such as soundscapes, sound installations and sound sculptures.
- Documentary, narrative, conceptual and live works for radio and the web.
audition
A trial performance that allows assessors to appraise an artist’s work. Auditions are conducted live as well as on videotape or audiotape.
author royalty
Compensation paid to an author for the use of his or her work. It is usually a percentage of the revenues from sales or usage.
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block grant
Funding given to a book publisher to offset future publication deficits. The award is based on the publisher’s recent production and stated future intentions and a peer assessment of its artistic and professional excellence.
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Canada Council Board
The board that governs Canada Council. It comprises a chair, vice-chair (both for a five-year term) and nine other members from across Canada (each for a three-year term). All members are appointed by the Governor in Council (that is, the Governor General). Board members may serve two consecutive terms. They are eligible for re-appointment 12 months after the end of their second term.
Canadian creation
Art that is defined by the origins of the work or creator, as well as the approach of its creator.
co-author or collaborator
A member of an ad hoc group working on a project. Members may be co-authors, collaborators, joint applicants, or affiliated in some other manner. Each member of the group is recognized equally as a contact for an application for a Canada Council grant.
collaboration
Work carried out by artists participating equally in artistic research and in creation and production of a work. See artists’ collective or group.
collaborator
See co-author or collaboration.
collective
See artists’ collective or group.
commission
- A request from an individual or organization to an artist or group of artists to create a specific artwork.
- A financial contribution toward a commissioned work.
committee
See peer assessment committee; advisory committee.
component
A subdivision of certain grant programs. Components have their own objectives, criteria, grant values, deadline dates and application requirements.
confidential
A type of information that may be disclosed only to authorized individuals or on a need-to-know basis. This basis is determined by the Access to Information Act. See Access to Information Act; personal information; Privacy Act.
conflict of interest
A conflict between an individual’s personal interest and his or her public duty. This can exist whether or not money is involved, and whether the conflict is actual or only perceived.
contact
Includes contact with applicants, artists, arts organizations, service organizations, peer assessment committee members, staff, Canada Council Board members, members of Parliament, government officials, media representatives, private businesses or any contact of any kind with the Canada Council on matters of official business. See contact event.
contact event
A gathering of presenters and artists. This is a meeting place for presenters from a specific region and artists (and their representatives) who wish to tour in that region. A contact event may include artists’ showcases, professional training workshops, forums, round table discussions, and a contact room. Contact events take place annually or biennially, and usually last several days.
contemporary art
Artistic work from the present era that uses the current practices and styles of its discipline.
coordinator
The person responsible for the administration of an organization, project, event or production.
co-production
- Two or more production organizations working together to create a work that requires the talents of both organizations. The organizations share the costs of the production for the primary purpose of distributing it through their own venues. They also share design elements of the production.
- A partnership between a production company and a presenting company.
copyright
The exclusive right to copy a creative work, or allow someone else to do so. It includes the sole right to publish, produce or reproduce, to perform in public, to communicate a work to the public by telecommunication, to translate a work and, in some cases, to rent the work.
corporate plan
The result of a process in which an organization, institution or business analyzes its objectives, priorities, strategies and environment in light of its mandate. A corporate plan looks at the present as well as the longer term. The plan guides the board and staff in a cohesive effort to carry out the organization’s mandate. It informs everyone involved (including the public and stakeholders) about the organization’s priorities and objectives. Each year, the Canada Council uses qualitative and quantitative measures to assess how well it is achieving objectives in its corporate plan.
creation and production
- The artistic effort (including the research) of producing a new or substantially revised artwork (play, dance, score, script, sculpture, video, installation, etc.).
- The remounting of works.
- The presentation phase in some disciplines, such as theatre and dance.
cultural diversity
- The presence and participation of many cultural communities in the overall culture of a society.
- Recognition that all cultural communities have the potential to equally contribute value to society.
culturally diverse community
An artistic community whose practice may be identified with or composed of distinctive cultural elements that are rooted in ethnic or racial heritage.
curriculum vitae
A written and chronological description of your work experience, educational background, and skills. Also called a CV, a résumé or simply a vitae.
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digital arts
The creative combination of art and technology. Some artists work exclusively in the digital realm. Others integrate digital elements into their traditional work. An example is a choreographer who integrates interactive systems technology into a dance piece.
Note that the Canada Council usually assesses an applicant’s use of digital tools such as web promotion, distribution and electronic box office to evaluate its administrative capacity, not its artistic capacity. See new media; strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts.
discipline
An art form, such as dance, music or writing.
dissemination
Methods to present artworks to the public. This includes exhibition, touring, the circulation of exhibitions, the promotion and distribution of artworks and literature, extension services, library and resource centre activities, and outreach activities. See presentation; strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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eligible applicant or project
An applicant or project that meets a program’s application criteria. Note that an application’s being considered eligible is not a statement about the quality of the applicant’s work.
emerging artist
An artist who has specialized training in his or her field (not necessarily gained in an academic institution), who is at an early stage in his or her career, and who has created a modest independent body of work.
endowment
A contribution of a sum of money whose net investment return supports a specific program, mandate, award or prize.
equity
Recognition of the need for measures to ensure fairness. Equity is achieved through practices that correct and prevent disadvantages for designated groups through reasonable accommodation of differences and programs that remove barriers.
Equity Office
The Canada Council office that ensures that culturally diverse artists and organizations (such as those of Asian, African, Latin American, West Asian, Arab, and mixed heritage) have equal access to funding. See Aboriginal Arts Secretariat; equity.
established artist
An artist who is at a mature stage in his or her career and who has created an extensive body of independent work. An established artist has reached an advanced level of achievement by sustaining a nationally or internationally recognized contribution to the discipline.
evolution of art form
Growth in an artists’ practice or in the development of an artistic genre.
exhibition
A public presentation, in a critical context, of one or more art works by one or more professional artists.
external assessor
An expert in a specific discipline (not an employee of the Canada Council) who evaluates applicant’s artistic work. After evaluating the work, the assessor provides the Program Officer with a confidential opinion on the relative merit of the application. An assessor may be required to attend a performance and provide a written report. Though assessors do not determine grant amounts, peer assessment committees value their opinions highly when evaluating applicants.
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Far North
See Northern Canada.
fellowship
See prizes and fellowships.
field of specialization
See discipline.
final report
A brief written report on the activities and work accomplished with a Canada Council grant. Some final reports must include financial tables.
First Peoples
See Aboriginal Peoples.
fiscal year
A 12-month period during which an organization accounts for its annual financial business. The Canada Council’s fiscal year is 1 April to 31 March (the same as that of the federal government).
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genre
See discipline.
grant
Financial support that an individual or group has applied for, and that a peer assessment committee, Program Officer, board or director of the Canada Council, has recommended. To receive the grant, the applicant must accept the terms and conditions of the funding. Note that Canada Council grants to individuals are taxable income.
group
See artists’ collective or group.
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honorarium
A payment or fee rendered in recognition of professional services.
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independent production
A production over which a director or artist maintains complete creative, artistic and editorial control.
ineligible applicant or project
An applicant or proposed project that does not meet a program’s application criteria. Note that an application’s being considered ineligible is not a statement about the quality of the applicant’s work. See eligible applicant or project.
infrastructure support
- A contribution toward the costs of operating an arts organization that creates, produces or disseminates. These expenses may include salaries for artistic and administrative directors, rent, marketing and publicity expenses, and bookkeeping or accounting expenses fees. (Note that production costs are not eligible for infrastructure support.)
- Training for artists and arts administrators to develop their expertise in touring, creation, production, marketing, audience development, networking, etc.
Note that the Canada Council does not fund the renovation, building or buying of physical structures: concert halls, theatres, museums and other arts venues.
innovative project
A project that entails novel themes and subjects, points of view, or aesthetic strategies.
installation
- An artwork that exists in a multi-dimensional context, such as in a room or building. An installation often combines elements in various media (such as painting, drawing, photography, video, or found or constructed objects).
- The setting up of a production or art exhibit.
interdisciplinary work A process that integrates and transforms distinct art forms. The resulting artwork is outside the framework of usual disciplines. At the Canada Council, interdisciplinary art is served by the Inter-Arts section. See strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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jury
See peer assessment committee.
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Kakaekwewin
A Canada Council for the Arts committee of Aboriginal artists and other arts professionals. Members have extensive knowledge of diverse Aboriginal communities and have experience in issues of equity and the arts. The Committee collaborates with the Aboriginal Arts Secretariat to identify ways to assist Aboriginal artists, arts organizations and artistic practices. Kakaekwewin means “to meet together; to consult about the future.” (Until 2002, this group was called the Aboriginal Arts Advisory Committee.)
mandate An order to carry out a certain task. The Canada Council for the Arts is mandated “to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.”
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master
See mentor or master.
mentor or master
An artist with extensive knowledge and experience in a particular art form or practice who transmits this knowledge to another (usually less experienced) person.
mentorship
See apprenticeship.
mid-career artist
An artist who has created an independent body of work over a number of years and who has received regional or national recognition through publication or public presentation of his or her work.
milieu
Social and cultural surroundings or landscape of a particular area or domain.
multi-year operating grant
See operating assistance.
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new artistic practices
New artistic practices are outside current experimentation and innovation occurring in disciplines supported at the Canada Council. Such practices subvert established notions of what art is, opening new and expanded terrains for art and artists, and for their relationship with audiences, communities and the general public. New artistic practice activities often take place outside conventional art domains. Since the focus of these practices is often on process and thematic concerns, the category is open to projects that do not necessarily result in a recognizable art product in the traditional sense.
new market development
Creation of a market for an artist in a place (in a region or province/territory, internationally), where the artist is currently unknown. See audience development.
new media
Artworks that use multimedia, computers or communications technologies in creative expression. See digital arts.
non-profit organization
An organization whose purpose is other than to make a profit. With a few exceptions, only non-profit organizations are eligible for Canada Council funding. The exceptions are publishing houses, artists’ managers and agents, architectural firms and professional contemporary art dealers (see the Canada Revenue Agency’s Interpretation Bulletin IT-496.)
Northern Canada
The part of Canada that is north of the 60th parallel.
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operating assistance
Grants awarded to arts organizations to help pay costs of administration, equipment and production facilities, residency programs, professional development, research and analysis, audience development, publication activities, marketing and promotion and artistic expenses. Funding that covers more than one year is called “multi-year operating assistance”.
outreach
Initiatives to reach professional Aboriginal artists, culturally diverse artists, artists who live in a region where their first language is the minority language, emerging artists, and in regions where artists have little contact with Council officers and who tend not to apply to the Canada Council. In outreach activities, the Canada Council and artists share information. This improves artists’ access to Canada Council funding. See Aboriginal Arts Secretariat; Audience and Market Development Office; culturally diverse community; emerging artist.
Outreach Office
See Audience and Market Development Office.
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Parliamentary appropriation
The main source of funding for the Canada Council. Through the annual federal budget process, the Parliament of Canada decides how much money to allocate to the Canada Council.
partnership
A clearly defined artistic, financial, or administrative relationship. Partners share responsibility and often share risk. A partnership lasts whatever length of time suits the partners and their undertaking.
peer
A professional artist or arts professional experienced in an applicant’s discipline or working in the same artistic tradition or context as the applicant whose work is being assessed.
peer assessment
Assessment of funding applications by representatives of the applicants’ peers. Assessment by peers is a principle of the Canada Council’s grants programs. Note that the Canada Council calls on independent assessors when peer assessors require more input.
peer assessment committee
A group of applicants’ professional peers who assess applications for funding. Committee members are selected for their artistic accomplishments and their expertise in arts management. Members also provide balanced representation of artistic specialization, gender, age, Aboriginal peoples, regional and cultural diversity, and both official languages. Most committees are convened to assess applications and to make funding recommendations for a single program competition. Their recommendations for grants surpassing $60,000 must be approved by the Canada Council Board.
peer evaluation
See peer assessment.
performance art
A multi-dimensional artistic practice that involves the live presence of the artist in a temporal dimension. Performance art is often presented in a critical and process-oriented context.
personal information
Information related to a person’s private life or concerns, recorded in any form. Such details include home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, age, marital and financial status, race, national or ethnic origin, and religion. Personal information that the Canada Council collects is protected under the federal Privacy Act. See Privacy Act.
practitioner
A person who practices a specific profession or occupation.
presentation
The exhibition, performance or publication of a completed artwork. See dissemination.
presenter
An individual or organization that selects an artist or group of artists for programming purposes, assumes all or part of the artistic and financial risk, and oversees all aspects of presenting the work to its audience.
priority funding
Project content that earns the applicant extra points in funding competitions. For example, some programs give special consideration to projects falling within the strategic priorities of the Canada Council. See strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Privacy Act
The federal Act that protects the privacy of people’s personal information that government has on file. The Act also gives individuals a right of access to that information. Note that this Act applies to the Canada Council’s records.
See personal information; Access to Information Act.
prizes and fellowships
Funds awarded to artists and scholars in recognition of their excellence in their field or their contribution to the arts, humanities and sciences. Many of these prizes are privately endowed and are given in perpetuity, in memory of the donors. Each year, the Canada Council awards nearly a hundred prizes and fellowships. Details are available from the Canada Council’s Endowments and Prizes Section. See endowment.
production
See creation and production.
professional artist
An artist who:
- has specialized training in his or her artistic field (not necessarily obtained in an academic institution);
- is recognized as such by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition);
- is committed to devoting more time to the artistic activity if this becomes financially feasible;
- has a history of public presentation.
professional company or organization An organization that supports, presents or produces the work of professional artists. Eligibility details for such applicants vary from program to program.
professional development
Increase of knowledge or skill through study, travel, research, workshops or courses, sabbaticals, internships, apprenticeships, residencies or work with a mentor or master. See mentor or master.
program
An activity that the Canada Council funds. Applicants request financial assistance from specific programs within their discipline. Each program has particular objectives, eligibility and assessment criteria, award values, application deadline dates, and application submission requirements.
program summary
An introductory document that describes a program. Further details are provided in the program’s application form and guidelines.
programming
The planning, scheduling and presenting of a program of arts activities or events (such as live performances, exhibitions and publications).
proposal
- A plan or suggestion.
- A document that describes how a plan will be carried out.
records Information contained in forms such as grant application files, corporate policy files, letters, memos, reports, photographs, and databases.
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referee
See external assessor.
retroactive funding
Funding for projects already completed or for expenses already undertaken at the time of the program deadline. Note that the Canada Council does not provide retroactive funding.
risk
See artistic and financial risk.
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section
A division of the Canada Council for the Arts that handles funding for a particular discipline, practice or function. These are Canada Council’s arts sections: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Writing and Publishing, Endowment and Prizes, Inter-Arts Office, Equity Office, Aboriginal Arts Secretariat, and Audience and Market Development Office.
shared authority
See collaboration.
Strategic Plan
The findings of a review, planning and consultation process that the Canada Council conducted in 1994 and 1995. Its full title is The Canada Council: A Design for the Future (March 1995). The Strategic Plan was incorporated into the Corporate Plan of the Canada Council (March 1999).
strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council’s priorities are:
- investment in the arts,
- leadership, advocacy and fostering appreciation of the arts,
- building partnerships and other forms of support,
- promoting equity, access and new practices,
- improving program delivery.
These topics and audiences get priority in competitions for grants:
- Aboriginal artists and arts organizations,
- artists and arts organizations from diverse regions and culturally diverse communities of Canada,
- works directed to young audiences,
- dissemination within Canada,
- international promotion of Canadian art and artists,
- festivals,
- interdisciplinary art,
- new technologies in the arts.
subsistence costs
Necessary living expenses, such as for housing and food.
successful applicant
An applicant who receives an award or grant.
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Traditional art forms
Tradition-based productions include, for example, art forms rooted in Aboriginal culture (basketry, quill work, beadwork, birchbark biting, etc.). Knowledge systems, creations, innovations and cultural expressions that (usually):
- have been transmitted from generation to generation,
- pertain to a particular people or its territory,
- evolve in response to a changing environment.
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young audience development
Activities that identify, expand and educate the audiences of the future (children, adolescents and young adults) and that build their commitment to Canadian arts. See strategic priorities of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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