Applications open for Co-productions Arts Abroad (Canada)

Funding Information

• Grant amount: Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $50,000.

Eligible Activities

• Artistic co-productions of new works or exhibitions in collaboration with foreign arts organizations, which result in a public presentation or publication
• Financial co-productions by Canadian performing arts presenters and festivals investing in new works by foreign artists, which result in a public presentation in Canada
• Book publishers

Ineligible Activities

• In addition to the criteria set out in the applicant profiles, the following activities are not eligible for grants from the Canada Council:
  • activities proposed by someone under 18 years old
  • activities that are illegal according to the Criminal Code of Canada
  • artistic activities that are led by non-professionals (this does not apply to new and early career artists)
  • activities that are carried out to satisfy the course requirements of an educational institution
  • activities that directly support the delivery of an educational program or course
  • activities that are funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) (unless applying to a component of Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples)
  • self-publishing or author-subsidized publishing of literary works (unless applying to a component of Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples)
  • activities carried out by organizations that have not paid, or do not pay, fees or royalties to artists according the standards of the arts practice or sector
  • fundraising activities
  • capital expenditures, unless explicitly eligible
  • contests and competitions (including prizes and awards), except practices in:
    • powwow
    • hip-hop and urban arts – such as street dance battles, poetry slams, etc.
  • any expenses incurred due to COVID-19-related measures, including quarantine expenses
  • contributions to endowment funds

Eligible Expenses

• Direct costs related to the activity, including:
  • for artistic co-productions:
    • remuneration of artistic and technical personnel
    • artistic and production or publication expenses
    • space, equipment and artistic materials
    • transportation
    • accommodation and per diem
    • promotion and project management expenses
  • for financial co-productions:
    • co-production fees to the international artist, group or organization

Eligibility Criteria

• Types of potential applicants to this component include:
  • artistic groups and collectives
  • artistic organizations
  • festivals and presenters
  • literary book publishers
  • Your eligibility to apply to this component is determined by the validated profile created in the portal.
  • Additionally, you must:
    • presently receive core (operating) support from the Canada Council or
    • have received at least 1 Canada Council project grant in the last 5 years.
• You may be eligible for Application Assistance to pay someone to help you with the application process if you are experiencing difficulty and self-identify as:
  • an artist who is Deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness
  • a First Nations, Inuit or Métis artist facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers.

Evaluation Criteria

• Your application to the Co-productions component of Arts Abroad will be assessed by a peer assessment committee representing a discipline or group of disciplines on the following weighted criteria, and must receive a minimum score in each category to be considered for a grant:
  • Artistic Merit 50% (minimum score of 35 out of 50):
    • The artistic quality of your and your partners’ previous work
    • The artistic rationale, including timeliness and suitability of the project
    • The suitability and involvement of your partners
  • Impact 30% (minimum score of 15 out of 30):
    • The potential of the project to:
      • develop and enhance your international profile and that of Canadian artists or arts practice
      • build international connections
      • generate future opportunities
  • Feasibility 20% (minimum score of 10 out of 20):
    • The capacity and experience you and your partners have to undertake the project
    • A reasonable budget, including efficient use of resources

Application Requirements 

• Once registered in the portal, you will need to provide information about:
  • your project and its potential impact
  • your timeline
  • your budget
  • the partners/artists
• You will also need to include:
  • a co-production agreement
  • for artistic co-productions – samples of your recent work and your partners’ recent work
  • for financial co-productions – samples of the international artist’s recent work.

For more information, visit Canada Council for the Arts.