Guidelines: Original Peoples Investment Program
Deadline: March 9, 2020, 4:30pm MST
Applications Open: January 7, 2020
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Applications must be submitted by the deadline of March 9, 2020, 4:30pm MST. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please see the Deadline Extension Policy for information about extensions.
Applications are accepted through the online grant interface. If this is your first time submitting an application to Calgary Arts Development you will need to create a profile from the login page. If you have any questions or need assistance in setting up a profile or creating an application, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
If you have any questions about this program please review the Original Peoples Investment Program FAQs or contact Sable Sweetgrass, Specialist, Indigenous Programs, 403.264.5330 ext.220 or sable.sweetgrass@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
For help with your application in person you must call or email to set up an appointment.
Sections
- Accommodation and Accessibility
- Program Overview
- Program Criteria
- Scoring Matrix
- Assessment Process
- Application Checklist
- Successful Applications and Final Reporting
- Additional Files
Accommodation and Accessibility
Our team is available to answer questions and to offer support at any time during the application process. Staff can provide feedback up to one week before application deadlines. Please contact your program specialist as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible. Please see the program FAQs for answers to common questions, and contact the program specialist as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible.
Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their abilities. Some examples of accommodations are:
- Translation of written materials.
- Interpretation for meetings.
- Grant writing assistance.
- Braille transcription.
- Physical access to meeting spaces.
- Video or audio applications.
Program Overview
What Can I Apply For?
Applicants may use this grant for almost any expense related to their project/activity, including but not limited to:
- Artist fees.
- Expenses related to the development, creation, production, or distribution of artistic work, such as supplies, fees for contractors, venue or studio rental, equipment rental, event hospitality, operations, etc.
- Expenses related to professional development, such as travel, mentor fees or honorariums, tuition for stand-alone courses or workshops, or per diems etc.
- Subsistence expenses, such as food, rent, child care, travel, etc.
Artists may not use this grant for the below ineligible expenses:
- Purchase of or financial contribution towards major pieces of equipment, land, or buildings over a total of $1,000.
- Lost wages or salaries.
- Tuition or any expenses (including room, board, travel, transportation, etc.) intended to allow access to post-secondary degree or credit granting educational programs or study.
Please review the Original Peoples Investment Program FAQs for further information about ineligible expenses or email sable.sweetgrass@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Choosing a Stream
Applicants may apply to one of the following streams. It is possible that one or more characteristics that define a stream do not apply to your situation, in that case, choose the best fit:
New Voices:
- I have completed the basic training/development/learning necessary to begin sharing my art seriously.
- I am seeking opportunities to develop a mature artistic practice.
- I am only beginning to create relationships with other serious artists in my communities.
- I would like more experience in things like project planning and budgeting.
- I would like the mentorship of a more experienced artist or organization.
Next Steps:
- I have experienced some successes and recognition for my artistic practice that I would like to build off of.
- I have confidence in the techniques, concepts, and execution of my artistic practice but have room to grow.
- I feel that I have something to offer as a mentor to other artists or organizations.
These streams are intended to acknowledge and value that artists all exist at different stages in their own practice and have different needs. There will be separate peer assessment committees for each of these streams, with funding from the total pool allocated to each based upon how many apply to either and the amount of total funding requests.
Program Criteria
Projects will be funded based on the following considerations:
Artistic Impact (35 points)
- The applicant understands and demonstrates how they develop, preserve, or innovate within their artistic and cultural disciplines and communities.
- The proposed project is compelling, high quality, and relevant to the artist’s practice and goals.
- The proposed project has the potential to advance the artist’s goals or their artistic and cultural disciplines and communities.
Community Connection (35 points)
- The applicant understands who their communities are, which may include artists, partners, audiences, volunteers, and participants.
- The applicant understands and demonstrates how they will engage with their communities through this project.
- The applicant understands and demonstrates why this project is important to their communities.
Planning (30 points)
- The applicant has demonstrated clear and achievable goals for the project.
- The applicant has demonstrated a clear understanding of what is required to complete the project (who they will work with, what it will cost, how much time it will take, and what tasks and activities are required).
- The project has a clear, well-researched, and achievable timeline and budget.
Scoring Matrix
The peer assessment committee will use a scoring matrix to assess each criterion according to the information requested and provided in the application.
Artistic Impact and Community Connection
| Weak | Fair | Good | Strong | Exceptional |
| 1 – 18 | 19 – 25 | 26 – 29 | 30 – 32 | 33 – 35 |
Planning
| Weak | Fair | Good | Strong | Exceptional |
| 1 – 10 | 11 – 17 | 18 – 24 | 25 – 27 | 28 – 30 |
Exceptional: Responses to application questions are clear, relevant, and directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a deep understanding of their role in their communities or artistic discipline. The application provides a clear and detailed description and plan for the project. The application creates overwhelming trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described, and that the applicant will reach their goals.
Strong: Responses to application questions are clear, relevant, and directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding of their role in their communities or artistic discipline. The application provides a clear description and plan for the project. The application creates significant trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described, and that the applicant will reach their goals.
Good: Responses to application questions are sufficient and address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a general understanding of their role in their communities or artistic discipline. The application provides a sufficient description and plan for the project. The application creates trust that the project will be completed as described, and that the applicant will reach their goals.
Fair: Responses to application questions are limited and may not directly address criteria. The applicant demonstrates a vague understanding of their role in their communities or artistic discipline. The application provides limited description and plan for the project. The application provides limited evidence to create trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described, and that the applicant will achieve their goals.
Weak: Responses to application are insufficient and do not address criteria. The applicant does not demonstrate an understanding of their role in their communities or artistic discipline. The application does not provide enough information about the project or their plans. The application does not provide evidence to create trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described, and that the applicant will achieve their goals.
Assessment Process
Applications to the Original Peoples Investment Program will be assessed by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peer committees. The program specialist and Calgary Arts Development staff will select one committee for the New Voices stream and one committee for the Next Steps stream.
Any individual may request to participate in a peer committee by completing the Assessor Nomination Form or by emailing sable.sweetgrass@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Membership of each committee is designed to create context, understanding and respect for artistic discipline, gender, sexuality, age, religion, beliefs, First Nation, physical, and neurological identities etc.
- Seven-member committee for each stream.
- Representation from Blackfoot, Tsuu’tina, Stoney Nakoda, Métis, Inuit, and other First Nations.
- Representation from Two Spirit, transgender, and Indigiqueer peoples.
- Representation across artistic disciplines and practices.
- Artistic Peers: Artists and arts workers with experience and knowledge in the arts community as artists, staff, volunteers, board members, etc.
- Arts Champions and Artistic Community Members: Individuals who actively participate in, experience, and advocate for the work of the arts community; have perspectives and skill-sets transferable to the arts sector.
- If a committee member has submitted an application to the program, they will assess the other stream. (e.g.: If they submitted an application to Next Steps, they will assess New voices).
- Committee members will not assess their own application, or applications where they have declared a conflict of interest (e.g.: close family members, is working on the project being applied for, etc.).
Assessment committees will read and score applications in the online granting interface according to the Program Criteria and Scoring Matrix, and then discuss each application and make final funding decisions in a meeting facilitated by the Specialist, Indigenous Programs. Assessment committees are held to the Terms of Reference and Group Agreements intended to commit to open, generous, and respectful conversations.
Please see the Disclosure of Grant Information Policy for information about how Calgary Arts Development collects and uses information submitted through grant applications.
Application Checklist
This application may be submitted entirely in writing, or using a combination of written documents and audio or video links.
Sable Sweetgrass, Specialist, Indigenous Programs, can assist with both recording and uploading video or audio files to the application until one week before the deadline. Please make an appointment if you would like assistance and reach out as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible.
The Original Peoples Investment Program FAQs includes answers to common questions, definitions of terms, and some helpful suggestions. It may be helpful to review these as well as the program criteria as you work through your application.
Written Sections
- Project Name
- Contact Information (name, address, phone, email)
- Program Stream (New Voices or Next Steps)
- Artistic Discipline (self-defined)
- Funding Request (up to $10,000)
- Project Description (up to 6000 characters)
- Project Plan and Timeline
- Budget (Standard Template, 2MB)
- Support Material (up to four upload fields, maximum 3MB each, video and audio material should be provided as a link)
Written, Audio, or Video Sections
The below questions may be answered either in writing, or through a video or audio recording no more than 10 minutes long. Applicants may select someone they trust to speak on their behalf if they do not feel comfortable being recorded.
Audio or video files cannot be directly uploaded to the granting interface. Instead, they must be uploaded to a file sharing site such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox with the link provided in the application. If the link requires a password to access the audio or video file, please provide that in your application as well. Written responses may be a maximum of 10,000 characters.
- What does it mean for you to be an Indigenous artist (or for organizations, to represent an Indigenous arts perspective or identity)?
- How do you think about your sense of connection and relationship to Indigenous community and the land, and what does it mean to you?
- Describe your artistic practice. What is the work you create, and why is it important to you?
- Describe your project and how it relates to the above, as well as your own artistic goals.
- Describe the opportunities for relationship-building created by your project, including but not limited to collaboration, mentorship, discussions, forums, participatory activities, workshops, artist talk-backs, audience experience, etc.
Successful Applications and Final Reporting
Applicants will be notified of their results by email. Successful applicants will be required to sign and return an investment agreement 30 days after receiving notification of success in order to receive funding.
Calgary Arts Development will provide a T4A tax form for the total grant amount to applicants that are individual artists, or who are representing a group of artists who are not registered as non-profits. For information about tax requirements for artist grants, please consult the FAQs and the CRA guidelines.
A final report will be due through the online grant interface 90 days after the completion of the project. The final report will include:
- Upload a budget with actuals. Please keep receipts and invoices as you may be asked to provide them (2MB).
- Describe your experience of completing the project/activity. Did you achieve your artistic goals? Did anything change from your original proposal (4,000 characters maximum)?
- Briefly describe what impact this funding made on your sense of community (4000 characters maximum).
- Additional comments you would like to share with Calgary Arts Development (4000 characters maximum).
- Optional Support Material (up to four upload fields, maximum 3MB each, video and audio material should be provided as a link).
Successful applicants may also be asked to participate in optional surveys, research, and peer-to-peer learning.
Additional Files
Application Forms and Templates
Policies
Deadline Extension Policy
Accessibility and Accommodation Policy
Disclosure of Grant Information Policy
Other
Terms of Reference
Group Agreements
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessor Nomination Form
