Deadline: 31-Aug-23
Applications are now open for the Professional Development Grants to assist professional artists, cultural practitioners, production and technical personnel, and arts administrators with specific, short-term learning activities or opportunities to advance their practice or career.
Activities should lead to clearly articulated learning or career outcomes, goals, or objectives.
The designated priority groups consist of applicants who are:
- Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) Peoples;
- Deaf or experience disability;
- Black or people of colour; or
- Located in areas outside greater Vancouver or the capital region.
Fields of Practice
- Community Arts, Dance, Deaf, Disability, Literary, Media, Arts, Museums, Music, Publishing, Theatre, Visual Arts.
Funding Information
- The maximum request amount is $7,500.
What Types of Activities are Eligible?
- Contact a Program Advisor to confirm the eligibility of an activity. Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Course or Workshop: A course or workshop following a specified curriculum or including specific skills acquisition or learning outcomes. This may include masterclasses or private studies with a specific focus. Online courses are eligible if registration is required, live instruction or mentorship is provided, and classes follow a schedule. Self-directed online learning is not eligible.
- Mentorship: An individual structured relationship with a qualified professional, or a group of professionals.
- Learning Residency: A learning-based residency that includes significant opportunities for skill development or knowledge exchange. Projects may offer a mix of learning and creation; however, as learning is the priority of this program, creation must not be the sole or primary objective. Self-directed residencies without significant opportunities for learning and knowledge transfer are not eligible. For creation-based residency projects, consider applying for a discipline-specific Individual Arts Grant.
- Cohort or group learning projects are eligible. Each member of the cohort must be eligible and must apply to this program individually. Each application will be assessed separately. Shared expenses should be identified.
What Expenses Can Be Funded?
- Grants are available to support:
- subsistence expenses (maximum $750/week for full-time activities) intended to support basic living costs when you are devoting most of your time to the learning activity. For part-time activities, the weekly subsistence rate should be prorated accordingly. Weeks do not need to be consecutive;
- travel expenses, accommodation, and meal per diems for professional development activities outside of your region. Travel expenses may be for yourself or for a mentor/advisor. The maximum meal per diem is $65 per day. Expense details must be provided in the budget;
- consumable supplies and costs of materials directly related to the learning activities, including software subscriptions;
- rental or lease of specialized equipment and supplies directly related to the learning activities;
- accessibility services (e.g., ASL, personal support worker) or rental equipment related to access needs of mentors or advisors during project activities;
- fees paid to mentors, instructors, advisors, Elders, and Traditional Knowledge Keepers. Compensation must align with activity and community contexts and industry standards within the field of practice (e.g., CARFAC, IMAA, etc.), including adhering to international intellectual property rights standards and cultural ownership protocols;
- course, workshop, or learning residency registration fees;
- childcare costs associated with time off for classes or learning activities;
- rental of venue or studio required for learning activities; * If you identify as Deaf or having a disability, you may request additional funding for access support expenses (e.g., ASL interpretation, personal support worker, transcription, specialized equipment, etc.) to carry out the learning activities.
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants are encouraged to confirm their eligibility and the eligibility of their project with a Program Advisor prior to applying. Ineligible applications will not be forwarded for assessment. To be eligible, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in the province for at least 12 months immediately prior to submitting an application. You must be prepared to provide documentation to support your residency status upon request.
- demonstrate professional status by meeting the following criteria:
- have completed appropriate and relevant training in your discipline at a level that would be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in similar disciplines. Training may be through post-secondary institutions, traditional knowledge transfer, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner;
- have a minimum two years of professional practice in your field following basic training;
- be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in a similar discipline;
- be committed to working full-time at your practice when financially possible;
- meet discipline-specific criteria, as:
- Performing Artist: a demonstrated body of previous professional work;
- Visual or Craft Artist: at least two professionally curated shows or exhibitions where artists fees have been received;
- Visual Arts Critic or Curator: have curated two or more exhibitions or published two or more works of critical writing for which you have received professional fees;
- Media Artist: have directed/created or hold creative control on at least one project subsequent to basic training for which you have been paid professional fees. This may include student works which have been professionally exhibited or screened;
- Creative Writer: at least one book professionally published;
- Arts Administration, Publishing, Producer, Artistic Support Staff: two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts or cultural administration, artistic support, or at a professional book or periodical publisher;
- Deaf, Disability and Mad Arts: a demonstrated body of work in or across any artistic practice;
- Community-Engaged Arts Practice: facilitated two participatory arts projects in a community setting or learning environment;
- Multi- and Interdisciplinary Practice: a demonstrated body of professional public work that integrates multiple fields of practice;
- Museum or Indigenous Culture Centre Professional: two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in a museum or Indigenous Cultural Centre;
- Production and Technical Personnel: two or more years of full- or regular part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts and cultural production or as a technician in an arts and cultural institution, organization, or venue.
- have submitted any overdue final reports on previous BC Arts Council grants as of the submission deadline for this program.
- have received at least one grant through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council ‘s Indigenous Arts Program and have submitted any outstanding final reports for that grant.
For more information, visit Professional Development Grants.