TAC Accessibility Grant How It Works The TAC Accessibility Grant is offered to most grant1 applicants. Projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may apply for the TAC Accessibility Grant by completing the Accessibility Expenses section of the application and including the requisite information in their budget. Applicants may not apply for the TAC Accessibility Grant on its own. The TAC Accessibility Grant is an additional grant that applicants can apply to while they are applying to another TAC grant. The funding available through this grant is always in addition to the funding provided through other TAC grant programs. What Does this Grant Support? The 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 equipment rentals or other supports required to meet artists’ accessibility needs Additional Information How do I apply? The TAC Accessibility Grant is only available through TAC Grants Online, within other TAC grant application forms. Applicants must complete the Accessibility Expenses section of the application and include the requisite information in their budget to apply for this funding. For all TAC grant programs, applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline date. 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.
Artists in the Library WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT? Created in 2014 as a partnership between Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Public Library, Artists in the Library program provides paid opportunities and space for Toronto artists while increasing access to the arts in Etobicoke, York, North York, East York and Scarborough through programming in the local branches. Funding for this program is provided by the City of Toronto. Artists in the Library program provides funding to professional artists, arts organizations and collectives working in any artistic discipline to create and deliver free community-engaged arts programming at one of the listed branches of the Toronto Public Library. This program encourages applications from TAC’s equity priority groupsand artists local to the branches. Grant recipients will have an opportunity to explore their art practice in a community setting; access space and facilities for arts programming and presentation; engage with the branch and its surrounding community in a meaningful way; work closely and be supported by the branch team; navigate a multi-stakeholder environment and create and deliver community-engaged arts programming from start to finish. Community engagement is a requirement in this program, but its format may vary. Activities may include exhibitions, installations, performances, concerts, screenings, readings, filmmaking, storytelling, workshops, artist talks, open studios, participatory programs, arts education and mentorship programs, presentations of work in progress, and other arts programming. Permanent exhibitions and installations are not eligible. All funded projects will be produced by the grant recipient and hosted and supported by the assigned library branch. The maximum grant amount is $20,000. This grant may cover up to 100% of project costs. Payment of professional artist fees is a requirement of this program. Participating Branches: To be announced. WHEN CAN THE PROJECT HAPPEN? All projects must be completed in the 2026 calendar year and, in exceptional circumstances, no later than within two years of the date on the Notification Letter. WHO CAN APPLY? This grant program is open to professional artists, not-for-profit arts organizations or artist collectives operating on a not-for-profit basis. If you are a first-time applicant or have questions about your eligibility or your application, please contact the Strategic Programs Manager. Eligibility includes:2 Eligibility criteria specific to Individuals: If the applicant is an individual artist, the following eligibility criteria apply: 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). If requested, you must be able to provide documentation to verify this. Grant recipients must have a Social Insurance Number. 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. 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. Eligibility criteria specific to Organizations and Collectives: If the applicant is an organization or a collective, the following eligibility criteria apply: Organizations and collectives must be incorporated non-profit arts organizations or unincorporated arts 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. Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement. Collectives must be prepared to submit bank account information (in the name of the collective as listed in the application) if the application is successful. Additional Information How do I apply? Applicants register and submit the application, including the required support material, on TAC Grants Online. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline date. 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. New applicants to the program are encouraged to attend the information session (or watch the recording) and speak with the Program Manager prior to submitting an application. 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.) Artists in the Library 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 Artists in the Library 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
Animating Toronto Parks WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT? The Animating Toronto Parks grants program provides funding to professional artists, arts organizations, artist collectives, and non-profit organizations to create and present free arts programming in selected Toronto parks located in Etobicoke, East York, York, North York and Scarborough. For the purposes of this program, “arts programming” may include the presentation of dance, literary arts, music, theatre, visual and media arts, community-engaged arts, Indigenous arts, and other fields of artistic practice. Community consultation and/or engagement is a requirement of the program. Animating Toronto Parks is a Strategic Funding Program managed by Toronto Arts Council (TAC), in partnership with Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts in the Parks initiative, City of Toronto Arts & Culture Services, Parks and Recreation (P&R), Black Creek Community Farm, and community partner Park People. The maximum grant in this program is $25,000. Grants awarded may be less than the full amount requested. Applicants are not required to secure other sources of funding. The payment of artists’ fees is a requirement of this program. Grant recipients will be provided with: funding toward artist fees and production elements access to the park space (permit dates subject to approval by TAC and Parks & Recreation) coverage under the TAC’s liability insurance information regarding additional requirements (emergency action plan, waste and recycling diversion plan, etc.) or additional permits (noise exemption, building permit, etc.) an introduction to City of Toronto P&R permit staff and park supervisors, Park People, and local community/parks groups support under Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts in the Parks initiative, including marketing, promotion, inclusion on the artsintheparksto.org website, wayfinding signage, onsite volunteers, assistance with local community outreach, and other support. Participation in Arts in the Parks is a requirement of the program. Program Partners: Toronto Arts Foundation (Arts in the Parks) City of Toronto Parks & Recreation Park People Black Creek Community Farm WHAT IS ARTS IN THE PARKS? Arts in the Parks is a free city-wide initiative managed by Toronto Arts Foundation (TAF), in partnership with Toronto Arts Council (TAC), Parks and Recreation (P&R), and community partner Park People. Arts in the Parks offers a wide range of in-kind supports to artists and arts organizations working in parks across the city, such as support with marketing, community engagement, on-site wayfinding signage, and volunteer coordination. Arts in the Parks is a core resource for Animating Toronto Parks grants recipients. To learn more about Arts in the Parks please visit https://artsintheparksto.org/. when can the project happen? All projects must be completed in the 2026 calendar year, and, in exceptional circumstances, no later than within two years of the date on the Notification Letter. The project cannot begin before the results are announced. WHO CAN APPLY? This grants program is open to professional artists, not-for-profit arts organizations or artist collectives operating on a not-for-profit basis, and *not-for-profit organizations. (*not-for-profit organizations that are not arts-based may only apply to undertake projects that involve the artistic leadership of 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 field; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation or exhibition. TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) 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. Eligibility 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). If requested, you must be able to provide documentation to verify this. Grant recipients must have a Social Insurance Number. 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. Eligibility 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. Not-for-profit organizations that are not arts-based are eligible to apply to this grants program. Projects must include the collaborative involvement of professional artists with community members, as well as the payment of professional artist fees. Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement. parks list Following is a list of parks that have been pre-approved by City of Toronto Parks & Recreation for this program. You can choose one or more parks in the “Parks Selection” section of the grant application. Build your application around your preferred park(s). List your alternative park preferences. The grant review panel may assign a different park (or parks) for your project, where necessary. Be prepared to be flexible. It is strongly recommended that the first-time applicants select one park. For all applicants: if you want to program multiple parks, consider outreach for each of the local communities, obtaining permits for each park, site visits, etc. and include it in your work plan and budget. Parks list: list of available parks is subject to change; an alternative park may be assigned for your project. Alexmuir Park (Scarborough) Amos Waites Park (Etobicoke) Bell Manor Park (Etobicoke) Black Creek Community Farm (North York) Cedar Brook Park (Scarborough) Dentonia Park (East York) Earl Bales Park (North York) Flagstaff Park (Etobicoke) Fountainhead Park (North York) Fred Johnson Park (Scarborough) Fundy Bay Park (Scarborough) Guild Park and Gardens (Scarborough) Lee Lifeson Art Park (North York) Maidavale Park (Scarborough) Memorial Park (York) Milliken Park (Scarborough) Morningside Park (Scarborough) Neilson Park (Etobicoke) Neilson Park (Scarborough) Parkway Forest Park (North York) Prairie Drive Park (Scarborough) Raymore Park (Etobicoke) Rowntree Mills Park (Etobicoke) R.V. Burgess Park (East York) Shawn Blu Rose Park (Scarborough) Summerlea Park (Etobicoke) Taylor Creek Park (East York) Thomson Memorial Park (Scarborough) Walter Saunders Memorial Park (North York) Wincott Park (Etobicoke) Go here to check out a map of all park locations. you will need a special events permit Any activity in a City park (including rehearsals) will require a permit from Parks & Recreation (P&R). Park permits are all subject to approval by P&R, taking into consideration existing permits and limitations on some parks. If you receive an Animating Toronto Parks grant, you will still need to apply to PR&F for a special events permit. The special event permit fee will be waived so you do not need to budget for that, but there may be other costs associated with your activity in the park, such as noise exemptions or building permits. Be prepared to budget for these expenses. If your special events permit application is not approved by P&R, TAC, Toronto Arts Foundation and P&R staff will work with you to find an alternative park for your project. Be prepared to be patient and flexible. The above park permit information does not apply to Black Creek Community Farm, where there is no permitting process, but the applicants for this location will still need to work out the details of their projects and the schedule with the farm’s staff.Please review the Program Guidelines for more information about Special Events Permits. In summary: Animating Toronto Parks grant recipients need to apply for a Special Events Permit, however, Special Events Permit fees will be waived. Fees for permits required for any additional activity will not be covered under this program. Other Toronto Arts Council grant recipients may be eligible for reimbursement of park permit fees. Information sessions Watch this Video Recording of an information session that took place on October 24, 2022: Additional Information How do I apply? Applicants register and submit the application, including the required support material, on TAC Grants Online. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline date. 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 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.) Animating Toronto Parks 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 Animating Toronto Parks 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
Animating Historic Sites WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT? The Animating Historic Sites program provides funding to professional artists, arts organizations and collectives working in any artistic discipline (i.e.: theatre, dance, music, visual arts, media arts, community-engaged arts, Indigenous arts, Black arts, disability arts, arts education, literary arts, etc.) to pursue time-limited projects involving site-specific research, development, creation, production, presentation, and programming that responds to or interprets the selected site or museum. This grant may cover up to 100% of project costs, including artist fees, equipment rental, materials, and other project costs. The maximum grant amount is $30,000. Grant recipients will have the opportunity to conduct artistic research, investigate the site and its exhibits and archives, explore its surrounding landscape, historical and environmental context, engage with the local community, and create new site-responsive work in collaboration with the site or museum. The recipients will deliver free site-specific programming following research and development, which may vary in scope depending on the project. Programming may include activities such as: exhibitions, installations, performances, concerts, screenings, readings, workshops, presentations of work in progress, community-engaged arts activities, and other arts programming. Permanent exhibitions and installations are not eligible. All funded projects will be produced by the grant recipient and hosted and supported by the partnering site. WHEN CAN THE PROJECT HAPPEN? All projects must be completed in the 2026 calendar year, and, in exceptional circumstances, no later than within two years of the date on the Notification Letter. The project cannot begin before the results are announced. WHO CAN APPLY? Eligibility includes:1 This grants program is open to professional artists, not-for-profit arts organizations or artist collectives operating on a not-for-profit basis, and *not-for-profit organizations. (*not-for-profit organizations that are not arts-based may only apply to undertake projects that involve the artistic leadership of 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 field; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation or exhibition. Eligibility 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). If requested, you must be able to provide documentation to verify this. Grant recipients must have a Social Insurance Number. 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. Eligibility for Organizations and Collectives: Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement. 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. Not-for-profit organizations that are not arts-based are eligible to apply to this grants program. Projects must include the collaborative involvement of professional artists with community members, as well as the payment of professional artist fees. PARTICIPATING MUSEUMS & SITES Evergreen Brick Works Toronto History Museums: Gibson House Montgomery’s Inn Scarborough Museum Spadina Museum Todmorden Mills The Village at Black Creek Please review the site descriptions at the end of the program guidelines. Site visits for Animating Historic Sites applicants Toronto History Museums Gibson House: Thursday, June 12, 1–2pm; contact: i’manuel.brown@toronto.ca Montgomery’s Inn: Open for tours Wednesday–Sunday, 11am – 5pm; contact: bryna.tallman@toronto.ca Scarborough Museum: TBC Spadina Museum: Tuesday, June 10, 1–2pm; contact: alexandra.kim@toronto.ca Todmorden Mills: Thursday, June 12, 1–2 pm; contact: melissa.beynon@toronto.ca Evergreen Brick Works When: June 17, 5:30-7:00 pm Where: Meet outside Picnic Café (550 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M4W 3X8) Contact: Alexis Nanibush-Pamajewong, ananibushpamajewong@evergreen.ca The Village at Black Creek Artist Open House: Saturday, June 21st @ 11.30am; contact: allison.white@trca.ca information session An information session about this program is taking place online on Thursday, May 29, 1–2:30pm. Register at tac-ahs-info-session.eventbrite.ca/. Additional Information How do I apply? Applicants are required to register and submit the application, including the required support material, on TAC Grants Online. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline date. 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 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.) Animating Historic Sites is a Strategic program. Applicants may receive a maximum of one Discipline 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 Animating Historic Sites 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 Annual Operating What does this program support? The Creative Communities Program provides Annual Operating support to non-profit Toronto arts organizations (both incorporated and unincorporated) engaged on an ongoing basis in work that enables public participation in arts and culture. 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. Art practiced at a community level creates a powerful sense of inclusion, understanding, and the possibility of self-expression among participants. It can involve one or more art practices, such as music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and storytelling. The collaborative involvement of professional artists with community members is a necessary component. TAC contributes to the development of community arts in Toronto by supporting community-engaged arts activity that demonstrates vision and excellence. In addition to funding professional arts organizations and community groups engaged in community arts activities, TAC recognizes the vital contribution emerging arts organizations make to the cultural life of Toronto and provides funding opportunities to assist these groups to access professional artistic leadership. Who can apply? To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 be non-profit; 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 history of sustained creative communities activity over the two years prior to this application; have received a minimum of two project grants through TAC’s Arts Discipline or Strategic programs; have a viable administrative structure; have sound financial management; submit verification of financial results of the last completed fiscal year: for requests over $50,000, audited financial statements are required; for requests of $50,000 or less, if annual operating revenues are $100,000 or more, a review engagement is required, (or, if available, audited financial statements); for requests of $25,000 or less, if annual operating revenues are under $100,000, unaudited financial statements that include a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenses is required, (or, if available, audited financial statements or a review engagement); demonstrate a range of revenue sources on an annual basis, including earned, government and private sector revenues; be governed by a Board of Directors or other body responsible for the organization. Schools, tuition-funded training programs and curriculum-based programs are not eligible to apply to this program. Organizations must conduct their creative communities activities on an annual, ongoing basis either throughout the year or on a seasonal basis. A single project does not constitute annual or seasonal activity. Organizations, whose level of activity varies from season to season, in keeping with their mandate, must describe their multi-year creation and production cycle. Annual and biennial festivals that have completed a minimum of two editions are also eligible. First-Time applicants First-time applicants are organizations that did not receive an operating grant last year. First-time applicants must consult with the Creative Communities Program Manager before submitting an operating grant application. Additional eligibility requirement. First-time applicants must have at least $75,000 in total revenues for the last completed year, and in projected revenues for the current and request years. First-time applicants to the Annual Operating program may only apply in the first year of a multi-year cycle. What activities does this program fund? Community Engaged Arts: This program funds professional arts organizations that bring artists and communities together to do creative and participatory work. The engagement can be through programs such as: storefront and neighbourhood-based arts centres artist residencies collaborative creation and presentation/exhibition of artwork workshops and mentoring exploration of community issues through art sustaining of traditional, culturally-based art forms The organizations must include Toronto-based professional artists in its programs. Please note that, although teaching and learning (from group workshops to one-on-one mentoring) can be an important part of the community arts process, this program does not fund faculty salaries.Arts Service Organizations: This program funds professional arts organization that supports the work of professional artists working at a community level. This can include: organizations that provide booking/promotional services to professional artists working in schools, parks, libraries and community centres multidisciplinary arts organizations that serve and support artist-members organizations whose primary purpose is to support the professional practice of community arts 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.) Creative Communities 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 Creative Communities 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
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.3 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:4 Identify as a Black professional artist5 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
Dance Projects 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. 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). 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 be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:4 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. 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. 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. 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.) Dance 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 Dance 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 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; 6 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:7 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: Black Arts Funding For A Black Arts Future: Recommendations For Toronto Arts Council Open 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 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