Ontario Arts Presenters Projects Grant Program (Canada)

Deadline: 15-Feb-23

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is seeking applications for the Ontario Arts Presenters Projects Grant Program to develop audiences for the arts in Ontario regions outside of Toronto.

It supports Ontario-based presenter organizations, ad hoc groups and collectives led by volunteer community members, as well as municipalities, colleges and universities to present professional artists in all OAC-funded disciplines and to offer associated audience engagement activities. The program supports activities in communities with limited professional arts activity.

Objectives

OAC’s key funding objectives for Creating and Presenting are to:

• Support artists in creating, producing and presenting innovative and diverse work.
• Foster healthy and resilient arts organizations and communities.
• Support new ways of creating and working, as well as new organizational models.
• Showcase high-quality, relevant artistic work that inspires and engages audiences.
• Empower new and emerging voices, approaches and perspectives.
• Ensure access to the arts in regions and communities across Ontario.

Priorities

The program’s priorities are to support:

• activities that include the presentation of Ontario artists and their work
• activities taking place in isolated or fly-in communities in Ontario

Categories

The program has two categories:

• Volunteer-led organizations, ad hoc groups and collectives
• Municipalities, colleges and universities

Funding Information

• Volunteer-led organizations, ad hoc groups and collectives: maximum $7,500
• Municipalities, colleges and universities: maximum $5,000

What this Program Funds?

• Projects where the primary activity is the presentation of professional artists in one or more of the following disciplines:
  • Dance
  • Literature
  • Media arts
  • Multi and inter-arts
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Visual arts and craft
• Associated audience engagement activities
• Notes:
  • Presentations may include performances, exhibitions, screenings, readings of professional artists and associated audience engagement activities that take place in Ontario and outside of Toronto.
  • Presentations must be open to public audiences.
  • Presentations may be part of a festival or series (including youth and family series).
  • Presentations may be part of a touring circuit or presenter network that block-books artists or arts groups.
  • Programming does not need to be confirmed at the time of the deadline. Applicants must describe the overall artistic vision and how it determines the proposed programming.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants include Ontario-based:
  • individual professional artists and arts professionals
  • ad hoc groups and collectives
  • organizations
• In some project programs, municipalities, colleges, universities, school boards, First Nations and schools administered by a First Nations or Indigenous Education Authority are eligible.
• Applicants must meet program and OAC eligibility criteria at the time of application submission.
• An individual must:
  • be a professional artist or arts professional
    • The OAC defines a professional artist or arts professional as someone who has developed skills through training or practice, is recognized by artists working in the same artistic tradition, has a history of public presentation or publication, seeks payment for their work and actively practices their art. Short breaks in artistic work history are acceptable.
  • be 18 years of age or older
  • be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, or have an application pending for permanent resident status and, if requested, be able to provide documentation to verify this.
  • be a resident of Ontario
• To establish residency in Ontario, you must have lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months before submitting an application. This applies to new Ontario residents and former Ontario residents returning after frequent or long-term absences.
• As an Ontario resident, you may be absent from the province only under the following circumstances to maintain your eligibility:
  • If you are absent from Ontario on a recurring basis, such absences must not exceed four months (cumulatively) of the 12 months before the submission of your application. This applies even if you kept an address in Ontario during your absence.
  • If you are absent from Ontario on a temporary, one-time basis (for a residency or contract, for example), such an absence must not exceed 12 months of the 12 months before the submission of your application. You must also have been in Ontario for at least 8 months of the year preceding an absence of this length. During this absence, you must not have applied to public funding agencies or ministries in the jurisdiction of your temporary residence.
• If requested by OAC, you can, at any time, provide documentation to verify your residency information.
• An ad hoc group or collective must:
  • be comprised of at least two members who meet the eligibility requirements for individuals and who will be responsible for the administration of the grant on behalf of the ad hoc group or collective
  • have at least 50 per cent of its members residing in Ontario (or both members in the case of two-person collectives)
  • not be a corporation
  • be able to deposit a grant cheque in the name of the ad hoc group or collective
• Note: Ad hoc groups are formed for a one-time project, while collectives have ongoing activity.
• An incorporated not-for-profit organization must:
  • be incorporated in Ontario or federally
  • have a head office in Ontario
  • be governed by a volunteer board of directors or an advisory board
• A for-profit organization must:
  • be an Ontario-based, Canadian-owned book or magazine publisher eligible for funding in OAC’s publishing programs
  • be incorporated in Ontario or federally
  • have a head office in Ontario
• A college or university must:
  • be Ontario-based
  • present or produce professional Ontario artists, arts professionals, arts groups, arts collectives or arts organizations
  • be registered through the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  • have a staff member responsible for arts programming
• A municipality, school board, First Nation, or school administered by a First Nation or an Indigenous administered authority must:
  • be Ontario-based
  • engage professional Ontario artists, or present, produce or publish the work of professional Ontario artists, arts groups, arts collectives or arts organizations
  • have a staff member responsible for arts programming

Ineligible

• individuals
• organizations that receive an OAC operating grant
• ad hoc groups and collectives composed mainly of students
• ad hoc groups and collectives composed of professional artists / arts professionals
• Toronto-based ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations

For more information, visit OAC.