Deadline: 1-Feb-23
The Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is seeking applications for its Creative Communities Project Grant Program to provide funding for Toronto non-profit organizations and collectives to pursue one-time or time-limited arts projects that enable public participation and engagement in arts and culture.
The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council. Creative Communities projects create a powerful sense of inclusion, understanding and the possibility of self-expression among participants. Projects can involve one or more art practices, such as music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and storytelling, but the collaborative involvement of professional artists with community members is a necessary component.
Projects
Emphasis is placed on projects that:
- highlight co-creative processes between artists and communities
- offer skill building experiences that can lead to presentation or exhibition opportunities for participants
- increase access to arts activity for the broader community
Categories
Applicants may apply in one of two categories:
- Arts Engagement: Projects in this category engage the community through their art form, work with community members to encourage maximum participation in the arts practice and the art making, and recognize that the process of collaboration is as important as resulting artistic products.
- Arts Community Development: Projects in this category develop artistic communities through the development of art practices, art forms and/or emerging artistic voices. Eligible applications must define their artistic community and terms of engagement with one or more art forms.
Funding Information
The maximum grant available in this program is $15,000. Applicants may receive less than the full amount requested. TAC will fund 100% of the project budget up to $8,000. For requests to TAC over $8,000:
- the budget must show revenue from other sources
- the TAC contribution may not exceed 50% of the project budget
- in-kind contributions may not exceed 25% of the project budget.
Eligibility Criteria
- To apply to Creative Communities Projects applicants must be either an incorporated non-profit organization or an unincorporated collective operating on a not-for-profit basis.
- A collective is defined as two or more artists working together under a group name, either on a single project or on an ongoing basis.
- Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement. Organizations with a regional Toronto office must have operated in the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline.
- For collectives of two artists, both must be City of Toronto residents. For collectives of more than two artists, the majority of members must be City of Toronto residents.
- Artists must be professional. A professional artist is someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices her/his/their art; seeks payment for her/his/their work; and has a history of public presentation.
- TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) that some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and contexts. Potential applicants from equity-seeking communities are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the Program Manager in advance of submitting an application.
- The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto.
- Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Creative Communities program and may not apply to other TAC discipline programs. However, TAC offers other types of granting opportunities through its Strategic Initiatives envelope, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please consult TAC’s website for other granting opportunities.
For more information, visit TAC.