Application Deadlines: February 18 and August 5, 2025
For questions about this program, contact Tafiya Itiaba-Bayah, Program Manager, Dance.
What does this program support?
The Dance Projects program provides funding to professional dance artists, organizations and collectives for the creation, production and presentation of dance works, and other projects that support the development of professional dance in Toronto. The program recognizes a diversity of dance practices. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council.
You may apply in one of four categories described below. Grants awarded may be less than the full amount requested. In all categories except Creation, TAC will not fund 100% of a project: applicants must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services.
1. Creation: supports choreographic creation, including research and development, and commissions. Some form of presentation (e.g., in-studio, with invited peers or public) must be included as part of the process. If you create your work in stages, you may apply for funding for different stages of creation, but note that you can only receive one grant in a calendar year from this program.
The maximum grant in this category is $10,000. TAC may fund 100% of a project in the Creation category.
Expenses can include:
- Fees paid to choreographers, dancers, and creative resources such as a musical composer, outside eye, mentor, elder, dramaturge, etc.
- Studio costs and production elements that are essential to the choreography.
2. Production and Presentation: supports the rehearsal, production and presentation of live dance. The maximum grant in this category is $20,000.
Expenses can include:
- Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including rehearsal, venue, publicity, marketing and outreach.
3. Dance Series and Festivals: supports dance series and festivals that present Toronto choreographers, dance artists and dance companies.
The maximum grant in this category is $10,000.
Expenses can include:
- Artists’ engagement fees, production and administrative fees and costs, including publicity, marketing and outreach.
4. Dance Field Development: supports projects that develop and advance the practice of professional dance in Toronto. Development projects must benefit a group of dance professionals; individual professional development projects are not eligible. Individuals are not eligible applicants in this category; the applicant must be an organization or collective.
Projects can include:
- Short-term dance technique or choreographic workshops, laboratories, etc.;
- Events designed to further develop or expand a specific dance technique, practice, or movement style.
The maximum grant in this category is $8,000.
Expenses can include:
- Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including venue, publicity, marketing and outreach.
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.
Works conceived for digital platforms are eligible in all categories.
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?
- The Project Start Date must be a minimum of 3 months after the submission deadline date. Applications submitted to the February deadline should be for projects taking place after June 1 and applications submitted to the August deadline should be for projects taking place after November 1;
- All projects must be completed within two years of the date on the Notification Letter.
Who can apply?
If you are a first-time applicant, or if you have any questions about your eligibility or the eligibility of your project, please contact the Dance Program Manager.
- To apply to Dance Projects, applicants can be individual professional dance artists, or professional not-for-profit dance organizations or collectives. The payment of artists’ fees is a requirement in this program
- 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.
- You may not apply as an individual and an organization or collective for the same project in the same competition. If you are one of the members of an applicant collective, you may also apply as an individual for an unrelated project in the same competition.
- 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 Dance 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 note: if you apply for a Dance project grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project. Please consult TAC’s website for other granting opportunities.
For Individuals:
- Individuals must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents or have an application pending for Permanent Resident status or be a Protected Person (approved refugee claimant) and, if requested, be able to provide documentation to verify this.
- Individuals must have been a resident of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline, and live and work in Toronto for at least 8 months a year. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet the residency requirement. Note: Temporary absences of up to one year may be considered, subject to written explanation and special permission. Please contact TAC’s Dance Program Manager.
- The project’s choreographer must have completed at least one year of independent dance practice and a minimum of three publicly presented pieces, excluding student presentations.
- Professional artists who are pursuing a graduate degree may not apply for work related to their thesis. Note: A letter from the graduate program director confirming that the project is not related to the graduate student’s thesis may be required. Please contact TAC’s Dance Program Manager.
For Organizations and Collectives:
- Organizations and collectives must be incorporated non-profit organizations or unincorporated collectives which operate on a non-profit basis. A collective is defined as two or more artists working together under a group name, either on a single project (ad hoc) or on an ongoing basis.
- The majority of the members of an organization or collective must have completed at least one year of independent dance practice.
- Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement.
- 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.
This Program does not fund:
- Projects that have been started or completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively
- Choreographers who direct dance organizations that receive Operating funding from TAC
- Organizations or collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC
- Dance studios and schools
- Schools that are part of Ontario’s public or private education system
- Educational and religious institutions, unless there is a clear separation in both programming and budget between their regular activities and their arts activities
- Undergraduate students
- 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 Dance Program Manager
- Costs related to equipment purchase, capital projects (such as building purchase or renovation), fundraising activities, deficit reduction, publishing and archiving projects, awards and award ceremonies, projects conceived for the creation of a film or for competitive purposes, art therapy
- 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.
Application Accessibility Support
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, request application support funding, and to review the process for payment to be made to your Service Provider. Requests for application support require approval from the Grant Program Manager.
Questions?
Contact Tafiya Itiaba-Bayah (he/him), Program Manager, Dance:
416-392-6802 extension 224, tafiya@torontoarts.org
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