“Creating, Knowing and Sharing” Short-Term Projects in Canada

The Creating, Knowing and Sharing program supports activities in 3 broad areas:

• Creating provides support for research, production and creation of new works of art.
• Knowing provides support for the retention, maintenance, innovation and transmittal of cultural knowledge and creative practice. This includes contemporary and historical critical discourse, arts/cultural training and initiatives that seek to pass cultural knowledge to younger generations through artistic practice, and the renewal and maintenance of customary art practices.
• Sharing provides support for the dissemination, exhibition, presentation and distribution of works of art by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, which enrich and engage communities in Canada and abroad.

Objectives

• To support the creative capacity and professional development of First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, groups and organizations
• To facilitate the retention, renewal and transmission of cultural knowledge and creative practice
• To support exploration, creation and production of customary, traditional and contemporary work by First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists
• To support the presentation, exhibition, and sharing of works by First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists in Canada and internationally
• To strengthen and support the presence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis arts and artists

Funding Information

• Grant amount: up to $100,000.
• Grants provide support for any combination of eligible Creating, Knowing and Sharing activities for projects lasting up to 12 months.

Eligible Expenses

• All expenses related to supporting the above activities, including subsistence. Capital expenses are not eligible.

Eligible Activities

• You can apply for any combination of eligible Creating, Knowing and Sharing activities lasting up to 12 months, including but not limited to:
  • Creating: research; creation; production; critical discourse (including research or writing); residencies; collaborations
  • Knowing: mentorships; artistic training; community-based initiatives to engage young people through artistic practices; language preservation through artistic practices; intergenerational transmission of artistic knowledge; preservation of traditional knowledge through artistic practice; development of administrative, artistic, cultural or organizational capacity; research; collaborations
  • Sharing: local, regional, national or international exhibitions; implementation of dissemination strategy and organizational objectives; publishing activities; gathering events involving artistic practices; collaborations; marketing and publicity; presentations, festivals and showcase events; networking events involving artistic practices; outreach activities

Ineligible Activities

• The following activities and expenses 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

Eligibility Criteria

• First Nations, Inuit and Métis professional artists
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis aspiring artists working under the mentorship of a project-related mentor
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis arts/cultural professionals
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultural carriers
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis for-profit organizations that have been in operation for at least 2 years
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis not-for-profit organizations.

For more information, visit Canada Council for the Arts.