Individual Arts Grants for Professional Performing Artists (Canada)

Performing arts includes dance, music, theatre, multidisciplinary, or other performing arts practices such as circus arts and comedy.

Categories

• Category 1: Creation Phase supports the initial stages of the creative process including research, project development, and early drafts of new work.
• Category 2: Development Phase supports projects engaging in creation-based residencies and workshops, staged readings, and presentations in development.
• Category 3: Production and Realization Phase supports the latter stages of project development, full production, remounts, post-production, and projects with a full range of activity from Creation to Production and Realization.

Funding Information

• Category 1: up to $15,000.
• Category 2 and 3: up to $25,000.

Eligible Projects

• A theatre artist workshopping a solo show and holding a stage reading with audience feedback.
• A musician composing their own work and hiring additional artists to collaborate.
• An artist leading a collaborative, multidisciplinary piece, and workshopping the movement and spacing of the work-in-progress.
• A comedian embarking on a self-produced comedy tour.
• A playwright working on an early draft of a play, alongside a dramaturge.
• A dancer commissioning a choreographer and musician to create an original work.

Eligible Costs

• Costs of materials or supplies directly related to the project.
• Purchase of equipment up to $2,500, if directly related to the project.
• Rental of equipment or space when directly related to the project.
• Fees paid to other professionals to help complete the project. For example, other artists, practitioners, technicians, an editor, or sensitivity reader.
• Travel expenses directly related to completing the project.
• Accessibility costs related to the project that are not eligible in the Access Support program.

Ineligible Costs

• Operating or ongoing expenses.
• Capital expenses (for example, construction, renovation, or significant purchases of property).
• Equipment purchases over $2,500.
• Feasibility studies, start-up costs or seed money.
• Project deficits, budget deficits or contingency funds.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
• Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in the province for at least 12 months immediately prior to the application closing date. You must be prepared to provide documentation to support your residency status (if requested).
• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be an independent artist committed to working full-time within the performing arts when financially possible.
  • Demonstrate you are an established performing artist or arts and culture practitioner in a CV or resume, by having:
    • Completed appropriate and relevant training in your field of practice. Training may include post-secondary institutions, traditional knowledge transfer, or a series of professional level workshops or apprenticeships with a qualified practitioner or mentor.
    • Worked at a level that is recognized as professional by other practitioners in a similar field or by organizations in the artistic practice
    • Have a minimum of two years of actively working in your field after completing basic training, with at least two public presentations for which you have been paid a professional fee, as outlined in the discipline-specific criteria outlined below:
      • Theatre Artists: A minimum of two public presentations for which you have directed, or been contracted, presented, or held creative control on and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • Playwrights: a minimum of two short works or one full-length work professionally produced, published, or publicly workshopped, and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • Music Artists: A minimum of two public presentations in any music genre for which you have composed, or been contracted, presented, or held creative control on and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • Dance Artists: A minimum of two public presentations in any dance genre for which you have choreographed, or been contracted, presented, or held creative control on and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • Multi- and Interdisciplinary Performing Artists: A minimum of two public presentations that integrates multiple fields of practice, for which you have been contracted, presented, or held creative control on and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • Other Performing Artists: (i.e.: Comedy or Circus Arts) A minimum of two public presentations for which you have been contracted, presented, or held creative control on and for which you have been paid professional fees.
      • D/deaf, Disability and Mad Arts: A minimum of two public presentations across any performing arts practice for which you have received professional fees.
      • Community-Engaged Performing Artists: Lead or facilitated two participatory performing arts projects in a community setting or learning environment for which you have received professional fees.

For more information, visit BC Arts Council.