Playwrights program WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT? Toronto Arts Council’s Playwrights Program provides support to playwrights for the writing of theatrical plays.The program provides two levels of support. The following fixed amounts are available:LEVEL ONE: $4,000 – for new or emerging playwrights with little or no prior history of production.LEVEL TWO: $8,000 – for mid-career or senior playwrights who have written at least one work for the stage which has been professionally produced or presented as part of a theatre season or at a theatre festival THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT FUND: Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively. Academic work or work towards a graduate degree; film or television scripts; publishing; translation; production costs associated with mounting a stage production; tuition fees. Projects that have been funded once in this program. Playwrights who receive a grant may not reapply to continue or finish the same project. when can the project happen? The Project Start Date must be after you receive the notification of results. While it is understood that works in progress will have begun before the submission deadline, the period of time covered by this grant must commence after September 30. All projects must be completed within two years of the date that the Notification Letter was issued. WHO CAN APPLY? To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 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. be residents of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the application deadline. Temporary absences of up to 12 months may be considered, subject to written explanation and special permission; please contact the Program Manager. A Post Office Box address can’t be used to meet the residency requirement. 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. Writing projects in languages other than English or French are accepted if the writing sample is accompanied by an accurate English translation. An applicant must have started writing the play for which funding is requested. A sample of writing from the proposed project is required for this application. Applicants may submit an application to either the Playwrights or the Writers program, but not to both. Applicants may apply for funding for only one project per deadline. Applicants may receive a grant through TAC’s Playwrights or Writers Program only once every two years. Those who received a grant in 2024 are not eligible to apply in 2025 but may reapply in 2026. Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant and must be involved equally in creation of the work. If the application is successful, the grant payment will be payable to the principal applicant, as listed in the application. Similarly, a T4A slip will be issued to the principal applicant. Additional Information How do I apply? Applicants register and submit the application on 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. The Playwrights Program assessment process is blind, meaning peer assessors are not given access to applicant names and resumes. To maintain anonymity, applicants must not identify themselves in the project description and support material sections of the application. Failure to comply may result in disqualification. TAC Accessibility Grant 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. 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. 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.) The Playwrights Program 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 Playwrights Program 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
Theatre Projects What does this program support? The Theatre Projects program provides funding to professional, non-profit theatre organizations and collectives for the creation, production and presentation of theatre works and other projects that support the development of professional theatre in Toronto. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council. The Theatre Program is strongly committed to the development and performance of works by Canadian artists. You may apply in one of four categories described below: Full Production: supports rehearsal, production and presentation of a fully developed work. The maximum grant in this category is $20,000. Production in a Festival: supports the rehearsal, production and presentation of a work in an established festival in Toronto. Confirmation of festival participation is required before the application is approved for funding. The maximum grant in this category is $10,000. Workshop: supports the development of a work and involves artists and playwright in the workshop process, and must include a reading or a presentation. Activities eligible for the TAC Playwrights grant program are not eligible in this category. The maximum grant in this category is $15,000 Special Initiatives: supports projects that develop and advance the practice of theatre in Toronto, and/or contribute to an understanding and appreciation of theatre. Projects can include festivals, opportunities that benefit the theatre community, conferences, forums, symposiums, etc. The maximum grant in this category is $15,000. Contact Theatre Program Manager to discuss the project. Works conceived for digital platforms are eligible in all categories. Grants awarded may be less than the full amount requested. In all categories TAC will not fund 100% of a project: applicants must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. For all categories, project expenses could include: artists fees, production and technical fees, marketing and outreach costs, administrative costs, childcare costs, etc. The payment of artist fees is a requirement in this program. 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. Organizations or collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC; 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; Individuals; 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 Theatre 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). Projects conceived for the creation of a film or digital works led by media artists. When can the project happen? 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 the eligibility of your project, please contact the Theatre Program Manager. To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 To apply to Theatre Projects applicants must 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 project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto. Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Theatre program and may not apply to other TAC discipline programs. However, TAC offers other types of granting opportunities through its Strategic Initiatives envelope, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please consult TAC’s website for other granting opportunities. 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.) Theatre 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 Theatre 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
Music Creation and audio Recording What does this program support? Toronto Arts Council’s Music Creation & Audio Recording program offers grants to practicing professional artists to assist them in the writing and production of their original music. This program will support new work in any/all genres of music. Professional Development and Touring/Travel expenses are not eligible for funding. Artists may apply to one of three categories for funding: (1) Creation (maximum grant $5,000) For artists looking for funding to support the writing/composition phase of new work. Grants awarded in this category can assist with paying yourself (and additional contributors, as applicable) artist fees to create and compose original music, and other project costs (e.g., the cost of copying and preparing performing parts, etc.). Recording costs are eligible only if they are directly related to the writing process. (2) Recording – Demo/EP (maximum grant $4,000) For artists looking for support to create a short form recording in a home-based or professional facility, provided that it is not your own. A short-form recording is any recording that is considered substantially shorter in length compared to the standard in your artistic community, and is often for the purpose of demonstrating newly developed work for others in the music community (labels, funders, presenters, promoters and/or festivals) or for limited/online release direct to your audience. Grants for Demo/EP recordings can assist with artistic costs, production costs, mixing, editing, and mastering by professionals other than yourself; you cannot pay yourself fees of any kind. Packaging, design, and manufacturing costs (maximum 500 units) are eligible, only if the work is completed in professional facilities. You may also include web design and online media management costs to a maximum $500 if they are associated with the proposed recording project. Projects seeking funding solely for manufacturing, online media management, and web design costs are not eligible for funding. Do not include any fees related to you in the project budget. Grants awarded in this category do not fund costs associated with the writing/composition of new work. (3) Recording – Full-Length (maximum grant $10,000) For artists looking to undertake the production of a full-length audio recording in one or more professional facilities that regularly charge a fee to a variety of artists to record and produce work. The applicant must be the originator of the majority of the material for the recording. Grants for full-length audio recording can assist with producer costs (if not self-produced), guest artist costs, and costs associated with recording, mixing, editing, mastering, packaging, design, and manufacturing costs (maximum 1,000 units), provided the work is completed in professional facilities. You may also include web design and online media management costs to a maximum $1,000 if they are associated with the proposed recording project. Projects seeking funding solely for manufacturing, online media management, and web design costs are not eligible for funding. A small portion of the work may be completed in home-based facilities, but these costs are not eligible for support in this category. You cannot pay yourself artist fees. Do not include any fees related to the applicant in the project budget. Grants awarded in this category do not fund costs associated with the writing/composition of new work. who can apply? To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) or have an application pending for Permanent Resident status and, if requested, be able to provide verification documentation. (Grant recipients must have a Social Insurance Number.) Be a current resident of the City of Toronto who has lived in the City for at least one year prior to making this application Note: A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet the residency requirement. Be a professional artist who has maintained an independent practice for at least one year. TAC defines a professional artist as 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 their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation. Undergraduate students are not eligible to apply. Professional artists who are pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their degree. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same 3 eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant. If the application is successful, the grant payment will be payable to the principal applicant, as listed in the application. Similarly, a T4A slip will be issued to the principal applicant.Can my band/ensemble apply? Currently, this program accepts applications only from individual artists. If you are interested in applying as a band/ensemble, it is suggested that one member (preferably lead) submit an application on behalf of the group. Please note, if a grant is awarded, a direct deposit and T4A slip will be issued to the primary applicant. 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.) Music Creation and Audio Recording 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 Music Creation and Audio Recording 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
Music Projects What does this program support? The Music Projects program provides funding to professional, non-profit music organizations and collectives to pursue one-time or time-limited music projects involving production, presentation, dissemination and/or other activities that contribute to the development of music in Toronto. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council. The Music Program is strongly committed to the development and performance of works by Canadian artists. The maximum grant available in this program is $15,000. The TAC Music Projects program will fund up to 50% of the project budget. Applicants may receive less than the full amount requested. The budget must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. Expenses can include: artist fees, production and technical fees, marketing and outreach costs, administrative costs, childcare costs, etc. This program requires the payment of artist fees at or above industry standards. Due to potential public health restrictions, social distancing rules and venue closures, works taking place on digital platforms are eligible. 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 Organizations/collectives that receive Toronto Arts Council operating support 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 Music Program Manager Educational and religious institutions, unless there is a clear demarcation at both the program and budget level between their regular activities and their arts activities Schools that are part of Ontario’s public or private education system 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 Individuals; the creation, composition or recording of individual music works Activities taking place outside of the City of Toronto (such as touring, travel, accommodations) Music Videos and projects conceived for the creation of a film or digital works led by media artists Professional Development and/education When can the project happen? 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. If you wish to apply to an earlier deadline, in order to give you extra planning time for your project, please note that all projects must be completed within two years of the date on the Notification Letter. TAC does not fund retroactively. Projects that have commenced prior to the assessment will not be considered. Who can apply? If you are a first-time applicant or have questions related to your project’s eligibility, please contact the Music Program Manager. To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 Applicants must be incorporated non-profit organizations or unincorporated collectives operating on a not-for-profit basis. A collective is defined as two or more artists, curators or programmers working together under a group name, either on a single project or on an ongoing basis. For collectives of two artists, both must be City of Toronto residents. For collectives of more than two artists, the majority of members must be City of Toronto residents Organizations 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. The activity for which the funding is requested must occur within the City of Toronto. Artists must be professional. A professional artist is someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices their art; seeks payment for their work; and has a history of public presentation. Community Music-based organizations/collectives must be led by professional artistic leadership. Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Music program and may not apply to other TAC discipline programs. Grant recipients must submit a final report on their previous Music project before submitting a new application to the program. However, TAC offers other types of granting opportunities through its Strategic Initiatives and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please consult TAC’s website for other granting opportunities. 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.) Music 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 Music 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
Writers program WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM SUPPORT? Toronto Arts Council’s (TAC) Writers Program supports the creation of new literary works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction (including novels, short stories, children’s literature, graphic novels, etc.), literary non-fiction, poetry and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap and spoken-word. The program provides two levels of support for writers. The following fixed amounts are available: LEVEL ONE: $5,000 – for writers in the early stages of their career. LEVEL TWO: $10,000 – for writers with an established writing career. THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT FUND: Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively. Project funding solely for the purpose of publishing, including the cost of printing. Ineligible projects include, but are not limited to: film, video or television scripts; anthologies or collections that include a number of writers’ works; children’s activity books; directories; index compilations or bibliographies of minimal critical content; travel or food guides; instruction or self-help books or manuals; cookbooks; catalogues of exhibitions; commissioned works, including industrial or business histories or biographies; academic textbooks or books designed primarily for an educational/scholarly market; professional reference books aimed at a specialized audience; calendars, daybooks, agendas or almanacs; promotion or book launches; translation tuition fees. WHO CAN APPLY? To be eligible for this funding, an applicant must:1 Be published by a professional publisher. Only publishers that have an independent editorial selection process are considered professional. Self-publishing and writing in newsletters or student magazines do not qualify as professional publishing. Level One – Applicants must have a minimum of one professionally published work to their credit (i.e. one article, poem or short story). Those with one or more professionally published books must apply in the Level Two category. Artists working with oral traditions must have a history of public performance. Level Two – Applicants must have a minimum of one of the following: 1 professionally published book; 20 pages* of published poems; 60 pages* of short stories, articles or non-fiction published in literary magazines, periodicals or anthologies; Artists working with oral traditions must have a substantial history of public performance and be recognized as established artists by their peers. *If required, use 400 words/page calculation. 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 be residents of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the application deadline. Temporary absences of up to 12 months may be considered, subject to written explanation and special permission; please contact the Program Manager. Neither a Post Office Box address nor a studio address can be used to meet the residency requirement. Undergraduate students cannot apply. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. 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 in the CV/Biography section. Writing projects in languages other than English or French are accepted if the writing sample is accompanied by an accurate English translation. Applicants may submit an application to either the Playwrights or the Writers Program, but not to both. Applicants may apply for funding for only one project per deadline. Applicants may receive a grant through TAC’s Playwrights or Writers Program only once every two years. Those who received a grant in 2023 are not eligible in 2024 but may reapply in 2025. Reports on previous projects must be submitted to TAC before you are eligible to apply for another grant. Projects cannot be funded more than once in this program. Writers who receive a grant may not reapply to continue or finish the same project. Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant. If the application is successful, the grant payment will be payable to the principal applicant, as listed in the application. Similarly, a T4A slip will be issued to the principal applicant. Additional Information How do I apply? Applicants are required to register and submit the Writers application, including support material, on TAC Grants Online. Applications must be submitted on Toronto Arts Council Grants Online 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. The Writers Program assessment process is blind, meaning peer assessors are not given access to applicant names and resumes. Peer assessors access the other application sections directly through the online system; therefore, applicants must not identify themselves within the project description or support materials. Failure to comply may result in disqualification. 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.) The Writers Program 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 Writers Program 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
Literary Projects What does this program support? Through its Literary Projects Program, Toronto Arts Council (TAC) provides funding to professional, non- profit, Toronto literary organizations and collectives to pursue one-time or time-limited literary projects involving production, presentation and other activities that contribute to the development of the literary arts in Toronto. The City of Toronto supports this program through a funding allocation approved annually by Toronto City Council. The maximum grant available in this program is $8,000. TAC will not fund 100% of the project budget. Applicants must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services. Applicants may receive less than the full amount requested. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: Writer-in-Residence programs; Literary festivals; Conferences or symposia for literary professionals and their audiences; Series or performance events that incorporate any or all of the following: readings, storytelling, dub poetry, spoken word, etc. These grants contribute to the costs associated with a literary project, including artistic fees, production and technical costs, marketing and publicity costs, event documentation expenses, administrative costs, etc. Due to potential public health restrictions, social distancing rules and venue closures, works conceived for digital platforms are eligible. 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. Organizations or collectives that receive Operating funding from TAC 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 Individuals 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 Literary 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) Expenses related to publishing, book launches, and archiving projects; awards and award ceremonies, fundraising projects, deficit reduction, art therapy, equipment purchase, capital projects (e.g. renovation) When can the project happen? Applications submitted to the March 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 the eligibility of your project, please contact the Literary 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 payment of artist fees is a requirement in this program. The project for which the funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto. Applicants may receive only one grant per calendar year through the Literary program and may not apply to other TAC discipline programs. However, TAC offers other types of granting opportunities through its Strategic Initiatives envelope, and you may be eligible to apply to one of these programs. Please consult TAC’s website for other granting opportunities. 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.) Literary 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 Literary 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
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: 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. 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
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:3 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
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:1 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.