Grants for Individual Artists 2024 (Canada)

It provides essential funding for the development, creation, production, and presentation of projects, and assists artists to leverage additional funding from other sources as they advance their practice and their careers.

Goals and Objectives

• This program is intended to provide local professional artists working in any discipline, at any stage of their career, with financial support to aid in the creation of art works, to provide recognition of and encouragement for their practice, and to create new opportunities for audiences to experience these works of art. Supporting individual artists at the research, development, creation, production, and presentation stages of their work strengthens the artist’s overall creative capacity and contributes to a vibrant artistic and cultural milieu, enhancing community well-being for all the residents. Direct financial support to individual artists at the municipal level makes it more likely that artists can continue to work in Peterborough. It supports programming at local arts and community organizations, opens up new opportunities for creative initiatives and enhances the sustainability of the arts in the city.

Program Components

• Component One: Mini Development Grants for Individual Professional Artists
  • This grant provides grants for local professional artists to undertake a program of activities that aid their creative research and development, fuel innovation and imagination, and support the sustainability and/or advancement of their practice, including, but not limited to:
    • Development of new projects or ideas, research, experimentation.
    • Advancing works in progress.
    • Transitioning to new disciplines or mediums.
    • Advancing skills and knowledge to build or strengthen their work. (professional development etc.)
    • Adapting existing works or developing new approaches to creating and producing their work, or the distribution/presentation of their work, including, but not limited to, the use of new technologies or digital platforms.
    • Curatorial projects, teaching projects (e.g. teaching courses or presenting general workshops), and starting new businesses are not eligible for funding.
    • The program welcomes applications from professional artists working in any form/medium, or discipline, in cross-disciplinary, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary practice, contemporary or traditional art forms. (For work in film/video, film/video development falls under Component One, film/video production falls under Component Two.)
    • Artist fees must be paid.
    • This program strives to support proposals that reflect and promote the cultural diversity of Peterborough and Canada today and welcomes applications from artists in equity-seeking communities.
• Component Two: Project Production and Presentation Grants for Individual Professional Artists
  • This grant provides grants to individual professional artists for the creation, production and presentation of innovative new projects or works in progress in any artistic discipline, taking place virtually or live in Peterborough, in the next two years. The program welcomes applications from professional artists working in any form, or discipline, in cross-disciplinary, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary practice, and in contemporary or traditional art forms. (For work in film/video, film/video development falls under Component One, film production falls under Component Two.)
  • Projects can take place at any location within the city or county, including new or established indoor venues, outdoor spaces, mobile activities, broadcast, banners, billboards, and publications.  For virtual projects, platforms may include social media, live streaming, websites, etc.
    • This is a program of grants to individual professional artists; however, artists may work as part of collectives, ad hoc groups, or with established arts organizations, as long as the individual artist applying retains creative control of the project and all participating artists are paid.
    • Project applications may include the work(s) of one artist or several. Partnerships and collaborations with other community organizations are welcome and encouraged.
    • Live/in-person projects may take place anywhere in the City or County of Peterborough. Pop-ups, one-time, short-run, series, longer runs, exhibitions, or continuous project proposals are all eligible.
    • Curatorial projects, teaching projects (e.g. teaching courses or presenting general workshops), and starting new businesses are not eligible for funding.
    • Artists’ fees must be paid.
    • This program strives to support applications that reflect and promote the cultural diversity of Peterborough and Canada today and welcomes applications from artists in equity-seeking communities.

Funding Information

• Mini Development Grants for Individual Professional Artists
  • This grant provides up to $1,500 maximum.
• Project Production and Presentation Grants for Individual Professional Artists
  • This grant provides up to $3,500 maximum.

Ineligible Expenses

• Capital expenses are not eligible for grant funding in either component. Capital expenditures pay for items that will have value after the current projects are completed. Typically, these are relatively expensive items that can be used for several years, such as:
  • Computers, printers, and significant technical equipment
  • Artistic tools and equipment
  • Office equipment and furniture
  • Facility and related technical equipment
  • Land, buildings, and renovations of leased spaces
  • Vehicles

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for either Component One or Component Two of the Grants for Individual Artists Program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person upon whom refugee protection has been conferred, and who are legally entitled to work in Ontario.
  • Peterborough City or County resident (including Curve Lake and Hiawatha).
  • Professional Artist.
  • Age 18 or over.
  • Must have completed and submitted all outstanding reports from any previous EC3 grants, and had those reports approved.
  • Student projects (i.e. projects undertaken as part of course credit) are not eligible for this program.

For more information, visit EC3.