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Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT?

Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship program provides support for newcomer and refugee artists to develop their artistic practice and to further their integration and inclusion to Toronto. We define a newcomer as: an immigrant or refugee who has lived in Canada for less than 7 years; a refugee is a person who was forced to leave their home country and is now located in Canada.

The program provides funding for individual newcomer and refugee professional* artists to be mentored (guided) in their chosen arts discipline. 

The mentorship application is submitted by the newcomer artist with the mentor as the co-applicant. Both the applicant and the mentor must identify as professional* artists. 

*A professional artist is:

  • someone who has developed their artistic skills through training and/or practice;
  • is recognized as a professional by other artists working in the same artistic tradition; 
  • actively practices their art; 
  • seeks payment for their work, and would spend more time on their artistic activity if financially feasible; 
  • and has a history of public presentation, publication and/or production

The total grant amount is $15,000. 

  • $7,500 is paid directly to the newcomer or refugee artist 
  • $7,500 is paid directly to the mentor. 

If you are a newcomer or refugee artist and you need help finding a mentor or accessing translation services, please contact: 
Liza Mattimore, Strategic Programs Manager: liza[at]torontoartscouncil[dot]org

WHO CAN APPLY AS A NEWCOMER AND/OR REFUGEE ARTIST?

To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must be:1

  • Professional artists working in any artistic tradition (see definition above)
  • Applicants must be residents of the City of Toronto 
  • Applicants must have arrived in Canada after January 1, 2018
  • Applicants 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.
  • Applicants must have a SIN (Social Insurance Number)
  • Past recipients of this grant program cannot apply.
  • Undergraduate students cannot apply. 
  • Professional artists pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their program of study. A letter from the graduate program director specifying that the project is not related to the graduate student’s program of studies must be submitted with the application. 

WHO CAN APPLY AS A MENTOR?

  • Professional artists working in any artistic tradition (see definition above)
  • Professional arts workers including arts managers, curators and producers working in any artistic tradition
  • Applicants must be residents of the City of Toronto, living in Toronto for at least 1 year prior to the deadline and live and work in Toronto for at least 8 months of the year.
  • Applicants 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.
  • Applicants must have a SIN (Social Insurance Number)
  • Undergraduate students cannot apply. 
  • Professional artists pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their program of study. A letter from the graduate program director specifying that the project is not related to the graduate student’s program of studies must be submitted with the application. 
  • Mentors may only be listed as a co-applicant on one Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant per year

TRANSLATED GUIDELINES

Additional Information

How do I apply?

Applicants register and submit the application through TAC Grants Online. 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. 

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).

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 Program Manager. Additional information here.

Can I apply to other TAC grants? 

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship is a Strategic program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Strategic grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Strategic grant at a time. However, we offer other types of granting opportunities through our Discipline Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for a Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

about our grants
Mentor Matching

Mentor matching and translation support is provided in partnership with Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network. Mentor matching request deadline: Friday, March 21, 2025. For translation, access and matching support please contact Liza Mattimore to learn more.

Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT?

The Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement program provides targeted funding to Toronto non-profit organizations and artist collectives engaging newcomers and refugees through the arts, supporting the integration and inclusion of newcomer communities to Toronto. We define a newcomer as: an immigrant or refugee who has lived in Canada for less than 7 years; a refugee is a person who was forced to leave their home country and is now located in Canada.  

The set grant amount is $20,000. This grant may cover up to 100% of project costs.

WHO CAN APPLY?

If you are a first-time applicant to the Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement program or if you have any questions about your project’s eligibility, please contact the Program Manager.

To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1

  • 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.
  • The activities for which the grant is requested must include the collaborative involvement of professional artists and newcomer and/or refugee community members. 
  • Applicants must have a strong track record of engagement with newcomer and/or refugee communities and demonstrate a viable administrative and financial plan for achieving the goals of the proposed activities.
  • The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto.

tHIS PROGRAM DOES NOT FUND:

  • Funding cannot be used to support an organization’s ongoing staff or faculty salaries. Where a portion of permanent staff or administrative resources are dedicated to the project, you may estimate the value of these resources and include a detailed breakdown in the budget as in-kind revenue.
  • Applicants may not receive funds from both this program and any other Toronto Arts Council program for the same activities and timelines.
  • Organizations receiving operating funding directly from the City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division are not eligible to apply to this program.
  • This program does not support schools, tuition-funded training programs, curriculum-based programs, or research projects. Projects with a school as the venue cannot take place during school hours.
  • Educational and religious institutions, unless there is a clear separation at both the program and budget level between their regular activities (i.e. religious/congregation activities or educational/student body activities) and their arts activities;
  • Schools that are part of Ontario’s public or private education system;
  • Individual artists;
  • Costs related to equipment purchase, capital projects (e.g. building purchases, renovations, etc.), film/video production, archiving, publishing, awards and award ceremonies, art therapy, fundraising events/projects and deficit reduction are not covered by these grants. Costs related to activities occurring outside of the City of Toronto are also not covered (e.g. touring, travel, etc.);
  • Arts-based research initiatives or arts enrichment programs for students.

when can the project happen?


Project activities may not start before July 1. Projects must be a minimum of 3 months in duration. Projects must be completed within two years of the date of your Notification Letter. 

Additional Information

How do I apply?

Applicants register and submit the application through TAC Grants Online. 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. 

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).

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 Program Manager. Additional information here.

Can I apply to other TAC grants?

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement is a Strategic program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Strategic grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Strategic grant at a time. However, we offer other types of granting opportunities through our Discipline Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for a Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement  grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

about our grants

Creative Communities Projects

What does this program support?

The Creative Communities Projects program provides funding to Toronto based professional artists, artist collectives and non-profit organizations 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 required. Eligible projects must: 

  • 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

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.  

Grants contribute to the costs associated with the proposed project, including artistic fees, production and technical costs, marketing and publicity costs, administrative costs, etc. Please note that artists’ fees are the highest priority; this program requires the payment of artists’ fees.   

Applicants may apply in one of two categories:

  1. 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. 

*Key Consideration – How does your project encourage maximum participation of your target community? 

Examples: 

  • Arts programs in neighbourhoods and communities that help overcome barriers to participation in the arts.  Examples of possible barriers are age, physical ability, health status, geography, or economic and socio-cultural barriers. 
  • Artists’ collectives partnering with a community organization to undertake a project or residency.  Applications relying on host-artist partnerships may include a Letter of Agreement between the host organization and the artist. 
  1. 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.  

*Key Consideration – How does your project preserve or develop an artistic community? 

Examples:  

  • An artist who practices an ethnically specific, culturally diverse, or traditional art form works to increase their artistic skills, knowledge, range of creative expression and build a community of practice, with the aim to engage a broader community upon completion of the project.  
  • An artists’ collective that is part of a specific cultural community seeking to work with artists who have experience working with that community to create and present work in one or more artistic disciplines, with the aim to develop emerging or under-represented artistic voices of community members and/or address issues relevant to their community. 
  • An arts organization or collective may hold an arts festival or event that celebrates a specific community. However, simply identifying as a community-based event does not of itself make the project eligible.  The event must include participatory arts activities in which members of the community are engaged by Toronto-based professional artists.

This Program Does Not Fund

  • Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively. 
  • Funding cannot be used to support an organization’s ongoing staff or faculty salaries. Where a portion of permanent staff or administrative resources are dedicated to the project, you may estimate the value of these resources and include a detailed breakdown in the budget as in-kind revenue. 
  • This program does not support schools, tuition-funded training programs, curriculum-based programs, or research projects. Projects with a school as the venue cannot take place during school hours. 
  • Organizations or collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC 
  • Educational and religious institutions, unless there is a clear separation at both the program and budget level between their regular activities (i.e. religious/congregation activities or educational/student body activities) and their arts activities; 
  • Schools that are part of Ontario’s public or private education system; 
  • Costs related to equipment purchase, capital projects (e.g. building purchases, renovations, etc.), film/video production, archiving, publishing, awards and award ceremonies, art therapy, fundraising events/projects and deficit reduction are not covered by these grants. Costs related to activities occurring outside of the City of Toronto are also not covered (e.g. touring, travel, etc.).  
  • Arts-based research initiatives or arts enrichment programs for students. 

When can the project happen?

Project applications submitted to the February deadline must be for projects commencing after June 1. Project applications submitted to the August deadline must be for projects commencing after November 1. Projects must be completed within two years of the date of your Notification Letter.  

Who can apply?

The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto. If you are a first-time applicant to the Creative Communities Projects program or if you have any questions about your project’s eligibility, please contact Senior Manager, Arts Discipline Programs.

To be eligible for this funding, applicants must be:1

  • Professional artists. 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. 
  • Artist Collectives. 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. 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. 
  • Incorporated non-profit organizations  

An applicant cannot apply as an individual and be part of an organization or collective applying in the same competition. 

Applicants 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.

Additional Information

How do I apply?

Applicants register and submit the application through TAC Grants Online. 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. 

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). 

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. Additional information here.

Can I apply to other TAC grants?

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Creative Communities Projects is a Discipline program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Discipline grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Discipline grant at a time. However, we offer other types of granting opportunities through our Strategic Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for a Creative Communities Projects grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

about our grants

Black Arts Projects

What does this program support?

The Black Arts Projects Program supports arts projects by Black artists, Black artist collectives (consisting of two or more Black artists), and  Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving non-profit organizations.2 For the purpose of this program, “Black”  refers to African descendant people across the diaspora including but not limited to African Canadian,  Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, East African, West African, Southern and Central African, Afro-Arab, Afro Indigenous, etc. This funding program is intended to support the development, continuation, and  flourishing of Black arts communities.

TAC recognizes the need to respond to barriers that Black arts communities face due to anti-Black racism. The program is designed to increase access to, awareness of, and participation in Toronto Arts Council funding by Black artists, while amplifying the work of Black artists in the city and creating avenues for sustainable art practice.

This program is multidisciplinary and recognizes a diversity of art practice, including new and emerging art forms, culturally relevant art practices, and multi/ interdisciplinary arts projects. Applicants can apply for projects that engage one or multiple arts disciplines. Applicants may apply in one of two categories described below:

1. Creation & Development: Supports full creation, partial creation, or completion of work-in-progress of an arts-based project at any stage and in any arts discipline. Project activities may include artistic creation in one or more stages of a project, including an arts education project (i.e., workshop(s)). This may also include OR solely focus on the beginning stage of research and development. The research and development stage may include testing an idea, developing processes, building scope, building collaborative relationships, gathering and organizing information, accessing, archiving or documenting knowledge. Applicants must clearly state in what stage is their project and for what part(s) of the project they are seeking funding. 

  • Open to individual artists and artist collectives 
  • Maximum grant in this category is $10,000
  • Maximum grant in this category including a mentorship component is $15,000
  • Expenses can include:
    • Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including venue, publicity, marketing and outreach;
    • Fees paid to collaborators, mentors and creative resources;
    • Studio costs, materials and production elements that are essential to creation;
    • Rental of space or software to conduct research interviews; accessing support materials, i.e., archives;
    • Visiting sites of significance.

2. Presentation: supports exhibition, presentation, and dissemination of work by Black artists in any arts discipline

  • Open to individual artists, artist collectives and arts organizations (this component does not fund creation of works meant for presentation);
  • Activities may include a series or one-off exhibition, festival, or presentation in one or more arts disciplines and/ dissemination of existing work;
  • This component does not fund workshops and conferences;
  • Maximum grant in this category is $15,000;
  • Maximum grant in this category including a mentorship component is $20,000;
  • Expenses can include:
    • Artistic, presentation, exhibition and administrative fees and costs, including installation, rehearsal, venue, and production;
    • Dissemination costs including publicity, marketing and outreach;
    • Fees paid to collaborators and mentors.

TAC may fund up to 100% of the requested amount. If the requested amount is below the total project budget, applicants must indicate other revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. 

Additional resources for project grant recipients include:

  • i. Mentorship – mentorship for project grant recipients interested in connecting with artists that can support them in building or acquiring skill sets to develop their art practice. A mentorship option will be available in each project grant category and applicants will be asked to indicate which mentor(s) they would like to work with and provide rationale for the mentorship.  An additional budget of up to $5000 is available as compensation for mentors and mentees.

Grant recipients will also receive information about additional supports such as Arts Career Development workshops and Black Futures Studios Co-Creation Lab as they become available:

  • ii. Arts Career Development – drop-in workshops focused on growing and establishing art practice. Project grant recipients may request and select sessions that are of benefit to them. 

All additional resources are optional. Arts career development workshops and Black Futures Studios co-creation lab may be accessed as needed. The mentorship component must be selected within the application. Please contact the Program Manager for more information about these supports.

When can the project happen?

  • The Project Start Date must be a minimum of 4 months after the submission date
  • All projects must be completed within two years of the date on the Notification Letter

Who can apply?

If you have any questions about your eligibility or the eligibility of your project, please contact the Program Manager. 

To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:3

  • Identify as a Black professional artist4 or artist collective, or be an incorporated not-for-profit arts organization that is Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving, including a majority of Black members on its Board of Directors and Board Executive.
  • The payment of artists’ fees is a requirement of all categories in this program.
  • You may not apply as an individual and an organization or collective for the same project at the same time. 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 year.
  • The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto
  • 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
  • Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Black Arts Project program, and may not also have a pending application to the Black Arts Operating program. However, applicants may still apply for different projects to arts discipline programs as well as other strategic initiatives programs that TAC offers. In this case, the applicant may receive up to one project grant in each funding stream and three project grants [3] total per calendar year. 
  • 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. For collectives of two artists, both must be City of Toronto residents and Black. For collectives of more than two artists, the majority of members must be City of Toronto residents and Black.

This Program does not fund:

  • Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively.
  • Non-Black artists, organizations and collectives;
  • Organizations and collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC;
  • Undergraduate students. 
  • 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;
  • This program is not intended to support ongoing operating costs, such as permanent staff salaries, general administration and ongoing activities of an organization or collective. 
  • Costs related to equipment purchase, capital projects , fundraising activities, deficit reduction, publishing and archiving projects, awards and award ceremonies, projects conceived for competitive purposes, art therapy;
  • Activities taking place outside of the City of Toronto.

Black Arts Program Development

Over the past year, TAC has been consulting with Black arts communities across Toronto to support the development of a community-driven funding program to support Black artists and Black arts organizations in Toronto. Over 300 Toronto-based artists and arts workers joined the conversation. Here is what came out of those conversations, which informed the development of this program:

Black Arts Funding for a Black Arts Future: Recommendations for Toronto Arts CouncilOpen PDF

Community Co-design

​Following the report ‘Black Arts Funding for a Black Arts Future’, TAC implemented recommendations from Black arts communities through a community co-design process, and increased the overall budget for the first year from $300,000 to $500,000. During the co-design process Black artists and arts workers shared their feedback about the program design, program guidelines, and application process. While the first consultation focused on community needs, this process focused on how the program would best address those needs through the program design.

We will be releasing a follow-up report soon outlining how community recommendations were implemented into the program through the co-design process. 

We want to thank all the Black artists and arts workers across the city who participated in the consultation and co-design process for their contributions to the development of this program.

Additional Information

How do I apply?

Applicants register and submit the application on TAC Grants Online. Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis, any time before 11:59 pm on the date specified in the Program Guidelines. 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. After 11:59 pm, your application can still be accessed in your Application History page in TAC Grants Online. To work on a new application after the date specified in the Program Guidelines, you can start a new draft from the Apply page after the program re-opens for the following granting year.

Please download the full Program Guidelines for complete program details and application specifics. 

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). 

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. Additional information here.

What is a rolling deadline?

We created rolling deadlines to offer flexibility to grant applicants. A rolling deadline means that applications are accepted on an ongoing basis with notification of results released approximately 3 to 4 months after the submission date. Program Guidelines include a specific date when applications for that year must be submitted. To work on a new application after the date specified in the Program Guidelines, you can start a new draft from the Apply page after the program re-opens for the following granting year.

Can I apply to other TAC grants?

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Black Arts Projects is a Discipline program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Discipline grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Discipline grant at a time. However, we offer other types of granting opportunities through our Strategic Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for a xxx grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

about our grants

Indigenous Arts Projects

What does this program support?

The Indigenous Arts Projects program is an annual multi-disciplinary project grant specifically for Indigenous artists, collectives and organizations. For the purpose of this program, “Indigenous” refers to people who self-define as a First Nations (Status or Non-status), Inuit, or Métis person of Canada. TAC recognizes Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants of what is now known as Toronto, which has great historical and cultural significance as a place for ceremony, gathering, trade, and exchange. This program is designed to increase participation in and access to Toronto Arts Council funding by Indigenous artists, while increasing the creation and presentation of high-quality Indigenous art in the City. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council.

The program recognizes a diverse range of art practices. You may apply in one of four categories described below.  Grants awarded may be less than the full amount requested.   With the exception of the Project Development and Creation categories, TAC will not fund 100% of a project: applicants must indicate other revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. 

1. Project Development: supports the development of an arts-based project in the beginning stage.  It is designed to support artists in: researching Indigenous ways of knowing, processes, seeking collaborative relationships, creating a body of research/support material, accessing knowledge/language keepers and archival and documentary materials to build on a component or the scope of a project. 

The maximum grant in this category is $3,000. TAC may fund 100% of a project in the Project Development category. 

Expenses can include: 

  • Mentor/Elder/Knowledge Keeper honoraria.
  • Costs towards networking or professional development events; visiting sites of significance. 
  • Rental of space or software to conduct interviews; accessing support materials, ie archives.

2. Creation: supports artistic creation in any artistic discipline, including research and development, film and media production, and commissions. If your project requires the work to be in done 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 collaborators, mentors and creative resources; 
  • Studio costs, materials and production elements that are essential to creation.

3. Exhibition, Presentation and Dissemination: supports the exhibition, presentation and dissemination of Indigenous artistic work in any artistic discipline.

The maximum grant in this category is $15,000.

Expenses can include:

  • Artistic, presentation, exhibition and administrative fees and costs, including installation, rehearsal, venue and production costs (not including film production). 
  • Dissemination costs including publicity, marketing and outreach.

4. Indigenous Arts Sector Development: supports projects that develop and advance the practice of Indigenous arts and Indigenous artists in Toronto. Projects can include:

  • Workshops and conferences;
  • Events designed to further develop or expand Indigenous arts practices;
  • The development of toolkits and resources to support Indigenous arts practices. 
    *Development projects must either benefit a group of Indigenous arts professionals or be an arts education project led by an Indigenous artist(s); individual professional development projects are not eligible. 

The maximum grant in this category is $15,000.

Eligible expenses include:

  • Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including venue, publicity, marketing and outreach.

This Program does not fund

  • Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively
  • Non-Indigenous artists, organizations and collectives
  • Organizations and collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC
  • Undergraduate students
  • 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
  • This program is not intended to support ongoing operating costs, such as permanent staff salaries, general administration and ongoing activities of an organization or collective
  • 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 competitive purposes, art therapy
  • Activities taking place outside of the City of Toronto (such as touring, travel, accommodations). Exception:  Indigenous led projects based in Toronto may provide programming outside the boundaries of Toronto that yields direct benefit for Indigenous artists and Indigenous communities in Toronto

When can the project happen?

  • The Project Start Date must be a minimum of 3 months after the submission date. 
  • 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 grant Program Manager.

To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:3

  • Identify as an Indigenous (Status or Non-Status First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) professional artist, or incorporated or unincorporated not-for-profit organizations or collectives. The payment of artists’ fees is a requirement of all categories in this program.
  • TAC recognises that Indigenous Peoples may have experienced intergenerational grief and trauma due to Ancestral dispersal, disruption, incomplete or inaccurate records, or enfranchisement/loss of status. TAC does not make determinations about an applicant’s Indigeneity, rather, applicants are asked to describe their relationship to their community and culture, if known.
  • 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.
  • You may not apply as an individual and an organization or collective for the same project at the same time. 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 year.
  • The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto. Exception:  Indigenous led projects based in Toronto may provide programming outside the boundaries of Toronto that yields direct benefit for Indigenous artists and Indigenous communities in Toronto.
  • Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Indigenous Arts program. However, applicants may still apply for different projects to arts discipline programs as well as other strategic initiatives programs that TAC offers. In this case, the applicant may receive up to one project grant in each funding stream and three project grants [3] total per calendar year. Please visit 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 Indigenous Arts Program Manager. 
  • 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 Indigenous Arts 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. 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 and Indigenous.
  • Organizations must be artistically and financially led by an Indigenous person, as defined above or provide proof via letter from a board that is primarily Indigenous that the Organization is artistically and financially governed by the board and guided by membership; must have 51% majority of Indigenous members on its Board of Directors; and 51% majority of Indigenous members on the Board Executive.
  • Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement. 

Additional Information

How do I apply?

Applicants register and submit the application on TAC Grants Online. Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis, any time before 11:59 pm on the date specified in the Program Guidelines. 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. After 11:59 pm, your application can still be accessed in your Application History page in TAC Grants Online. To work on a new application after the date specified in the Program Guidelines, you can start a new draft from the Apply page after the program re-opens for the following granting year.

Please download the full Program Guidelines for complete program details and application specifics. 

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). 

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. Additional information here.

Can I apply to other TAC grants?

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Indigenous Arts Projects is a Discipline program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Discipline grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Discipline grant at a time. However, TAC offers other types of granting opportunities through its Strategic Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for an Indigenous Arts Projects grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

About our grants
What is a rolling deadline?

We created rolling deadlines to offer flexibility to grant applicants. A rolling deadline means that applications are accepted on an ongoing basis with notification of results released approximately 3 to 4 months after the submission date. Program Guidelines include a specific date when applications for that year must be submitted. To work on a new application after the date specified in the Program Guidelines, you can start a new draft from the Apply page after the program re-opens for the following granting year.

Black Arts Annual Operating

What does this program support?

The Black Arts Program provides Annual Operating support to non-profit Toronto Black arts organizations (both incorporated and unincorporated). Organizations qualifying for funding will be Black-led, Blackfocused, and Black-serving; 5 with the requirement for a majority of the leadership (including but not limited to board members, founders, and staff) to identify as Black (Black-led), the primary goals of the organization to meaningfully support the Black community (Black-focused), as well as a significant portion of program activities prioritizing serving the Black community (Black-serving). Funding through this program supports both operations and programming. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council. TAC recognizes the need to respond to barriers that Black arts communities face due to anti-Black racism. The program seeks to address these barriers by providing pathways to sustainable support to Toronto’s Black-led arts organizations serving Black artists. This program also seeks to encourage the development and sustainability of Black arts communities by increasing availability of dedicated resources and support provided to Black artists and communities through Black arts organizations.

For the purpose of this program, “Black” refers to African descendant people across the diaspora including but not limited to African Canadian, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, East African, West African, Southern and Central African, Afro-Arab, Afro-Indigenous, etc.

ACTIVITY FUNDED

Professional, Black-led arts organization that supports the work of professional Black artists in a variety of arts disciplines. This can include:

  • multidisciplinary arts organizations that serve and support artist-members with a focus on Black artists-members
  • organizations whose primary purpose is to support the professional practice of Black artists

Please note: organizations are not required to exclusively support Black artists to be eligible, rather must have a consistent history of meaningful engagement of Black artists and a focus on Black artists in a significant component of their planned programming Operating costs covered by this funding could include staff retention, research and development, communications and donor relations, facility management, etc.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for this Annual Operating funding, an applicant must:6

  • be a non-profit professional arts organization;
  • be Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving
  • have professional artistic leadership and pay appropriate professional fees to artists;
  • be located in the City of Toronto and have a significant portion of its activities occurring within the City;
  • have a recent history of sustained arts activity of at least two years;
  • have a viable administrative structure;
  • demonstrate a range of revenue sources on an annual basis, which may include earned, government and private sector revenues;
  • provide audited financial statements or internally prepared statements including a balance sheet, statement of income and expenses (if audited financial statements or review engagement is unavailable) 
  • be governed by a majority Black-led Board of Directors or other body responsible for the organization. 

Please consult with the Program Manager to discuss your organization’s eligibility.

Schools, tuition-funded training programs and curriculum-based programs are not eligible to apply to this program. Organizations must conduct their activities on an annual, ongoing basis either throughout the year or on a seasonal basis.

Organizations whose level of activity varies from season to season, in keeping with their mandate, must describe their production cycle. 

Black Arts Program Development

TAC consulted with Black arts communities across Toronto to support the development of a community-driven funding program to support Black artists and Black arts organizations in Toronto. Over 300 Toronto-based artists and arts workers joined the conversation. Here is what came out of those conversations, which informed the development of this program:

Community Co-Design

​Following the report ‘Black Arts Funding for a Black Arts Future,’ TAC implemented recommendations from Black arts communities through a community co-design process, and increased the overall budget for the first year from $300,000 to $500,000. During the co-design process Black artists and arts workers shared their feedback about the program design, program guidelines, and application process. While the first consultation focused on community needs, this process focused on how the program would best address those needs through the program design.

We will be releasing a follow-up report soon outlining how community recommendations were implemented into the program through the co-design process. 

We want to thank all the Black artists and arts workers across the city who participated in the consultation and co-design process for their contributions to the development of this program.

Additional Information

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).

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. Additional information here.

Can I apply to other TAC grants?

Toronto Arts Council has two Grant Categories:

1. Discipline (e.g.: discipline-specific project grants and operating grants in Theatre, Dance, Music, etc.)

2. Strategic (e.g.: Animating Toronto Parks, Artists in the Library, Animating Historic Sites, Artreach, Open Door, etc.)

Black Arts Annual Operating is a Discipline program.  

Applicants may receive a maximum of one Discipline grant per calendar year. Applicants may not apply for more than one Discipline grant at a time. However, we offer other types of granting opportunities through our Strategic Category, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please note: if you apply for a Black Arts Annual Operating grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

For more detail on our granting categories, go to our About Our Grants page.

about our grants