Application deadlines: March 3 and August 5, 2025
For questions about this program, contact Peter Kingstone, Program Manager, Visual & Media Arts.
What does this program support?
The Visual and Media Arts Projects: Presentation program provides funding to professional, non-profit Toronto visual arts/media arts organizations, collectives, curators or programmers to pursue one-time or time-limited projects involving the exhibition or distribution of contemporary visual or media arts and/or other activities that contribute to the development of the visual arts/media arts in Toronto (for example residencies, artists workshops). The City of Toronto provides the funding for this program through its Community Partnership and Investment Program.
The maximum grant available in this program is $15,000. Proposed projects must have a secured venue in the city of Toronto or be produced in Toronto and shared online, and have a well-focused audience development plan. You may apply for the following types of projects:
- Exhibition: an exhibition must present work in a curatorial or critical context. Applicants exhibiting the work of their own members must likewise have a clearly defined curatorial or critical framework informing the selection and exhibition of work.
- Screening Series: a screening, including film/video festivals, must present work in a curatorial or critical context and must include some work from Toronto artists. Applicants screening the work of their own members must likewise have a clearly defined curatorial or critical framework informing the selection and screening of work.
- Lecture Series: a lecture series must present work in a curatorial or critical context. The audience development plan for the series must include a rationale on how the project contributes to the development of contemporary media and/or visual arts in Toronto. Applicants presenting their own members must likewise have a clearly defined curatorial or critical framework informing the selection of speakers.
- Residency/Workshop Series: the audience development plan for the series must include a rationale on how the project contributes to the development of contemporary media and/or visual arts in Toronto. Applicants that have residencies or workshops including their own members must likewise have a clearly defined curatorial or critical framework informing the selection of participants.
Due to potential public health restrictions, social distancing rules and venue closures, projects conceived on digital platforms are eligible.
Grants awarded may be less than the full amount requested. In all categories TAC will not fund 100% of a project: applicants must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. For all categories, project expenses could include: artists fees, production and technical fees, marketing and outreach costs, administrative costs, childcare costs, etc. The payment of artist fees is a requirement in this program.
TAC Accessibility grant
Projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may apply for an additional TAC grant by completing the Accessibility Expenses section of the application and including the requisite information in their budget. A TAC Accessibility grant will provide up to a maximum of $5,000 towards accessibility costs for artists incurred during the project. Accessibility costs include but are not limited to: ASL interpretation, audio description, closed captioning, communications assistants, attendant care (including helpers for Elders), support workers and equipment rentals or other supports required to meet artists’ accessibility needs).
When can the project happen?
Applications submitted to the March deadline must be for projects commencing after June 1. Applications submitted to the August deadline must be for projects commencing after November 1. TAC does not fund retroactively. Projects that have commenced prior to the adjudication will not be considered. Projects must be completed within two years of the date of your grant Notification Letter.
Who can apply?
If you are a first-time applicant, or if you have any questions about the eligibility of your project, please contact the Visual/Media Arts Program Manager Peter Kingstone.
- To apply to Visual/Media Arts Projects: Presentation applicants must be an incorporated non-profit organization, an unincorporated collective operating on a not-for-profit basis, or an individual programmer or curator living in Toronto.
- A collective is defined as two or more artists, curators or programmers working together under a group name, either on a single project or on an ongoing basis.
- 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.
- Organizations/collectives must be located within the City of Toronto and the activity for which the funding is requested must occur within the City of Toronto.
- Artists must be professional. A professional artist is someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by others working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices; seeks payment for 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.
- The payment of artist fees is a requirement in this program.
- Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Visual/Media Arts 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.
This program does not fund:
- Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively.
- Organizations or collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC
- Schools that are part of Ontario’s public or private education system
- Student exhibitions or screenings
- Educational and religious institutions, unless there is a clear separation in both programming and budget between their regular activities and their arts activities;
- Individuals; the creation or production of individual visual or media artworks
- Curatorial/programming research. Applicants must have already selected the artists or artworks they wish to present, or have developed clear critical or curatorial objectives and be able to provide a list of artists and/or artworks under consideration.
- Screening programs or festivals that do not include the work of Toronto artists, this is not intended to exclude works by non-Toronto artists.
- Ongoing operating costs, such as permanent staff salaries and general administration of an organization. This program is not intended to support an organization or collective’s ongoing activities. For information about Annual Operating funding, please contact TAC’s Visual/Media Arts Program Manager.
- Costs related to equipment purchase, capital projects (such as building purchase or renovations), publishing, archiving, awards and award ceremonies, art therapy, fundraising events/projects and deficit reduction.
- Activities taking place outside of the City of Toronto (such as touring, travel, accommodations).
How do I apply?
Applicants register and submit the application on TAC Grants Online (https://tac.smartsimple.ca). Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline dates. TAC does not accept applications by any other means of delivery. You will receive a confirmation email when your application is submitted. Check your spam/junk mail folder if it doesn’t arrive in your in-box.
Please download the full Program Guidelines for complete program details and application specifics. Program Guidelines will be added 3 months prior to the application deadline.
Application Accessibility Support For Deaf Persons Or Persons With Disabilities
Applicants who are Deaf or have a disability and need support to complete their grant applications can apply for funds to cover the costs of assistance from Application Support Service Providers. Up to $500 is available per eligible applicant in each calendar year. Please contact your Grant Program Manager at
least six weeks before the grant program deadline to determine eligibility.
Questions?
Contact Program Manager, Visual & Media Arts, Peter Kingstone (he/him):
peter[at]torontoartscouncil[dot]org, 416-392-6802 x 208
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