Guidelines: Indigenous Cultural Connections Program 2025

This program is intended to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) artists living and working in the Treaty 7 region for activities and expenses related to the preservation, maintenance and revival of Indigenous culture and tradition.

Eligible proposals may include:

• Projects related to crafting and creating regalia
• Projects related to traditional methods and forms

Projects can begin, but cannot be fully completed, before the application deadline of May 28, 2025. Projects funded through this program must be complete by December 31, 2026.

Applicants may apply for up to $7,500.

Total funding available for this program is $100,000.

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Districts 5 and 6 as well as many First Nations and Inuit from across Turtle Island.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to the process of eliminating institutional racism, ableism and barriers in our programs, policies and practices by centring the creativity and leadership of those communities most impacted by structural inequities. Read our full Commitment to Equity statement on our website.

This program is open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) artists and collectives practicing and operating in the Treaty 7 Calgary region working in any artistic discipline.

Individual Artists:

• We consider an individual artist to be an artist who is actively pursuing a professional career in the arts, and who has invested in the development of their artistic skills, voice and goals.
• Artists may have formal or informal, community-based training. We value all ways of knowing, learning and developing an artistic practice.
• Artists have shared, or are actively striving to share, their work publicly and be compensated for their work.
• Artists have a relationship with their artistic communities and peers.
• Artists do not need to be working professionally in the arts full time.

Artist Collectives:

• We consider an artist collective to be two or more individual artists who have a shared artistic practice that is distinct from their own individual artistic practices (for example, a band, a visual art duo, a theatre collective, co-writers, etc.). Artist collectives may work together on an ongoing basis or partner together ad hoc for a particular project or goal.
• Collectives need to define their collective practice, vision, goals and process to demonstrate that all collective members have equal and shared ownership and accountability for the success and completion of the proposed project.
• The majority of collective members must be First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists living and practicing in the Treaty 7 region (i.e. 50 per cent or more).

NOTE: This program cannot accept applications from arts administrators, agents or managers, production companies, registered for-profit corporations or businesses, or registered not-for-profit organizations.

Artistic Disciplines

We welcome applications from those working in all artistic disciplines and their various cultural forms. This includes, but is not limited to: arts service, arts education, art for social change, circus arts, community and social practice, craft arts, curation, dance, d/Deaf arts, digital arts, disability and/or Mad arts, film, inclusive arts, Indigenous arts, interdisciplinary practice, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary practice, music and sound, opera, orchestra, performance, public art, theatre, visual arts, etc.

Other Eligibility Requirements

Please review the following eligibility requirements before applying and reach out if you have any questions or need clarification:

• You may not have more than two open grants with Calgary Arts Development, including grants for which a deadline extension has been approved. For more information, please review the Open Grant Policy.
• You may not apply to this program if you have any final reports past their due date for prior grants.
• Applicants may submit only one application per program deadline.
• Individual artists may be involved in more than one application, either as a participant in another artist’s application, or as a member of an artist collective.
• Individual artists must apply using their individual account and artist collectives must apply using their collective account.
• A project may only be submitted by one applicant per program deadline. This means that multiple members of a group cannot submit for the same project to the same program deadline.
• We cannot fund the same phase of a project more than once (regardless of calendar year) so please ensure you are planning larger projects ahead of time and clearly outlining the phase of work you are applying for. As long as they are distinct phases of a project, you may apply for a future Calgary Arts Development grant to support the next distinct phase of the work.
• Please note that if you are awarded funding from another funding source (such as Alberta Foundation for the Arts or Canada Council for the Arts) which fully covers your proposed project expenses, you will not be able to also accept funds from Calgary Arts Development for those same project expenses, and you will not be allowed to modify your original proposed Calgary Arts Development budget by increasing your estimated costs or adding additional expenses to expand the scope or scale of your project.

Within this application, applicants will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and share their connections to their Indigenous cultural heritage or Indigenous community.

This introduction is important to us and is part of our self-identification process for determining eligibility for this grant program, which is open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) individual artists and collectives practicing and operating in the Treaty 7 region.

• First Nations are status and non-status individuals who are citizens, recognized members or direct blood relatives of a self-governing band, a reserve-based community or a larger tribal group.
• Métis are culturally distinct from First Nations and Inuit and have a direct line of Métis ancestry to a known Métis settlement, community or family group.
• Inuit are recognized as the First Peoples of the Arctic regions of Canada, including Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and parts of the Northwest Territories.

*Please reference these definitions from the Indigenous Screen Office Policies for Eligibility in Relation to Indigenous Identity.

For individual artists and collectives, we are looking for a clear description of your connection to your Indigenous cultural heritage, shared in your own words. This is a self-identification process based in trust with the goal of learning who you are and understanding your Indigenous identity. The information you share can include status or non-status relationships to self-governing bands or who your blood relatives are and where they are from.

Program specialists and assessment committees will have access to the information you provide, and your response can include as much as you are comfortable with sharing. We acknowledge that this can be a sensitive and triggering topic and there is no expectation for you to share private information. This process is about relationship building and if program specialists have questions and need clarity, staff will reach out for a conversation.  

Our processes for determining eligibility in relationship to identity for our Indigenous grant programs are changing as we learn . If you have questions or would like to request support, please contact Richelle Bear Hat, Program Specialist, at richelle.bearhat@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403-264-5330 ext. 125.

This program can fund activities and expenses related to the preservation of Indigenous culture and tradition including ceremonies, storytelling, songs and dance.

Applicants may apply to this program for one project, or one distinct phase of a project. Projects should have a clear start and end date, with a specific set of activities, processes and goals. If you have questions about your project phases, please contact a program specialist.

If your project is not related to the preservation of traditional Indigenous culture or forms, please refer to the Artist Development Microgrant, the Original Peoples Investment Program or the Project Grant Program for Individuals and Collectives.

Projects can begin, but cannot be fully completed, before the application deadline of May 28, 2025. Projects funded through this program must be complete by December 31, 2026.

Applicants may apply for up to $7,500.

Eligible Activities

Projects may include either of the following activities, and these activities can take place online or in person — locally or nationally.

• Projects related to crafting and creating regalia.
• Projects related to traditional methods and forms.
  • Including mentorship, training, knowledge sharing

If you have questions about other potential project activities, please contact our program specialist(s) to discuss before applying.

Ineligible Activities:

Funds from this program are not intended to support the following:

• Activities that do not comply with or respect cultural protocols. 
• Activities that use or present Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge or stories without express permission from the community and/or clear connection to the originating community. 
• Activities or individuals that willfully or in bad faith promote intolerance, hatred or hate speech to incite violence or harm.
• Activities that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law, or municipal bylaws.
• Contests and competitions.
• Fundraising activities (e.g., undertaken to raise funds on behalf of a political party or charity). 
• Activities related to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election. 
• The purchase of or financial contribution toward land or buildings.

Eligible expenses

Please ensure that your project is eligible for this program, then refer to the list below for guidance on eligible expenses. Any expense requested must be directly related to the completion and success of your proposed project.

• Accessibility expenses (e.g. interpretation, translation, support workers, aid devices or tools such as screen readers) You may only request the purchase of accessibility equipment and software and/or request a support worker if it is directly related to the completion and success of your proposed project. You must be specific about the accessibility equipment you wish to purchase, the support worker’s role, why it’s needed, and what it costs.
• Artist fees
• Professional fees (e.g., fees paid to individuals offering professional services such as web design, publicity or marketing, financial, accounting or legal services)
• Technical fees (e.g., web service fees, licensing fees, subscription fees – for the duration of your proposed activity)
• Elder and Knowledge Keeper fees
• Honorariums (a gifted payment made to a person who provided their services in a voluntary capacity)
• Materials & Supplies
• Course fees (for individual courses that do not count toward the pursuit of a credit, diploma or degree-granting program)
• Documentation (e.g., photography, videography)
• Marketing, promotion, publicity or outreach (e.g. ad purchases, printing promotional materials, hiring a marketing company)
• Travel expenses (e.g., such as airfare, gas mileage or ride services)
• Per diem (a daily rate for meals and incidentals while not at your primary residence)
• Accommodation (e.g. hotels or short-term rentals while not at your primary residence)
• Subsistence expenses (living expenses for your primary residence which may include rent, utilities, food, internet, childcare, etc.) You may only request subsistence if it is necessary to fully access, participate in, or undertake your proposed project.
• Rental of space (e.g. rehearsal, venue or studio space for the duration of the project)
• Rental of equipment
• Purchase of equipment (including hardware and permanent software) You may only request the purchase of equipment if it is directly related to the completion and success of your proposed project. You must be specific about the equipment you wish to purchase, why it’s needed, and what it costs.

NOTE: Please be aware that some eligible project expenses for this program (such as artist fees or subsistence expenses) may not be considered deductible project expenses by the Canada Revenue Agency. Please consult the CRA guidelines as needed when creating your project budget.

Ineligible Expenses

Funds from this program are not intended to support any of the following:

• Lost wages or salaries
• Debt or loan repayment
• Tuition or other costs related to the pursuit of post-secondary degree or diploma educational programs, or artistic work related to those educational programs
• Purchase of or financial contribution towards land or buildings
• Purchase of any equipment not directly related to an eligible activity
• Any other expenses not directly related to the project
• Expenses fully supported by another funding source

Please note that the eligible and ineligible expenses listed are given as examples and are not exclusive. If you are unsure about expenses, please reach out to discuss before applying.

Program Considerations

The following program considerations are what your application will be scored and evaluated on:

• Artistic Impact
  • The project meets the program goal of preserving and maintaining Indigenous culture and tradition. The project is relevant and meaningful to the applicant’s artistic practice, artistic goals and what success will mean for them.
• Community Connection
  • The applicant shows a clear understanding of the Indigenous relationships and communities connected to this project, their community-related goals and what success will mean for them. The applicant has appropriately sought the rights or has been gifted the rights, and/or has a clear relationship with the originating Indigenous community.
• Planning
  • The applicant has included enough information to clearly show what they want to do and how they will do it. This is shown by a clear, realistic and well-supported application (for example, the applicant has enough relevant experience and/or necessary support in place, a feasible timeline and budget, suitable partners/collaborators/mentors, etc.).

Scoring Process

Committee members will review applications and rate the level to which they agree or disagree with each of the program considerations listed in the section above, based on the information provided in the application. The four ratings are: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree.

Each program consideration will be weighted equally. The score assigned to each rating will be consistent (for example, ‘Strongly Agree’ will always equal the same number of points).

Applications to the program will be reviewed by an independent assessment committee made up of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artist peers and community members. The membership of the committee will be chosen through public nominations and staff expertise.

Anyone can ask to participate on a Calgary Arts Development assessment committee by completing the assessor nomination form or by emailing grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Assessment 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. Creation of the committees will adhere to the following guidelines:

• Five to 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.
• Representation from artist peers and community members.

Assessment committees are responsible for reviewing and scoring the applications assigned to their committee online, and meeting to discuss applications together and make recommendations. Calgary Arts Development staff will review these recommendations and finalize the funding list. Partial funding may be allocated.

In the final 10 per cent of funding, if there are applications that are tied, but not enough funds in the grant budget to support all tied applications, priority may be given based on the following considerations:

• Projects from artists who have not received a Calgary Arts Development grant before, or within the past two (2) years.

For more detailed information about the assessment process, please review the Assessor Terms of Reference.

Calgary Arts Development reserves the right to adjust assessment processes and the program timeline due to application volume. Applicants will be notified if significant changes occur.

We accept applications through an online grant platform. If you don’t already have an account with us, you will need to create an account and set up your user profile before you can apply.

The application form for this program will become available in the online grant platform on April 23, 2025. You will find it under ‘Open Opportunities’ when you log in.

NOTE: Artist collectives must apply for grants through a collective account that is separate from their own individual artist account. These must be distinct accounts that use a unique email address when registering.

Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for help with any questions or technical issues.

Join us for a community gathering, either in-person or online, where we will be hosting conversations and introductions with local artists and Calgary Arts Development staff. During each gathering we will be presenting the guidelines for this year’s Indigenous programs: the Indigenous Cultural Connections Program and the Original Peoples Investment Program.  

This is an opportunity to connect with Indigenous artists from different artistic backgrounds and learn more about what kind of projects are eligible in each program. Community Investment program staff will be present to share stories and things to consider when applying for a grant.  

These gatherings are open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, artist collectives and organizations interested in applying to Indigenous programs at Calgary Arts Development. 

Which gathering is right for you?  

The difference between each gathering is how we meet and the time we have, but the same grant program information will be shared at both. We recommend choosing the option that works best for you.

The in-person gathering will be a day event with lunch provided. You will have a chance to meet other artists, meet Calgary Arts Development staff, share your own stories and ask questions.  

The online gathering will be a shorter afternoon event held over Zoom. We will share information about Indigenous programs and there will be space for asking your questions and learning from questions by other artists.  

In-person Gathering 

Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025 
Time: 10am – 4pm
Location: The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (750 9 Ave. SE)
RSVP: Register here

This event is free with registration — spots are limited, so we encourage you to register early.

Our Director, Reconciliation & Good Relations, Sable Sweetgrass, will lead the morning session with introductions. This is an opportunity to share stories, learn more about our community and get to know the Community Investment team. We will be providing lunch and snacks during the day.  

In the afternoon, our Community Investment Program Specialist, Richelle Bear Hat, will lead a presentation about the Indigenous programs you can apply to throughout the year. This is also a chance to learn about other grant programs offered at Calgary Arts Development that are not specifically Indigenous but are open to Indigenous applicants as well.

We will cover things to think about when starting your application and the different kinds of supports you can access throughout the application process.  

Online Gathering 

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 
Time: 3 – 5pm  
Location: Online via Zoom
RSVP: Register here

This event is free with registration.

Community Investment Program Specialist, Richelle Bear Hat will share the guidelines for each Indigenous Program available this year as well as Calgary Arts Development’s application process and different things to consider when putting together an application. Afterwards there will be an opportunity to ask questions and learn from questions asked by other artists.  

If you are an artist with specific access needs or require translation or interpretation services, please let us know and we will arrange to make sure you have all the support and information you need to fairly access the application process. This may require booking a one-on-one session with us instead.  

If you need support with childcare to attend either gathering, please reach out to Program Specialist Richelle Bear Hat to discuss. There will be a question on the registration form where you can request support as well.  

Questions? Email richelle.bearhat@calgaryartsdevelopment.com before registering. 

Complete Your Profile

Before you begin the application process, you need to log in to the online grant platform and either create a profile or ensure your ‘individual artist’ or ‘artist collective’ profile is filled out and up to date. Your profile information will be automatically transferred to your grant application. Your profile includes important information, such as:

Contact Information; Years of Practice; Artistic Discipline(s); Artistic Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV); and an Artistic Practice Statement (100 – 300 words)

NOTE: Your profile information will be automatically transferred to your grant application so it’s important the information is correct.

Complete Your Application

Once you have created or updated your profile, log in to the online grant platform and select ‘Open Opportunities’. There you will see any grant programs that are currently open. Once available, select this program and begin a draft application. As you work on your application, remember to save your progress regularly.  Once your application is complete, please ‘submit’ before the stated application deadline. You should receive an email confirming your submission. If not, please call or email us to confirm.

The application form will ask for the following information:

• Indigenous Self-identification
• Project Name
• Brief Description (25 words or less)
• Funding Request (up to $7,500)
• Project Start and End Date
• Primary Discipline
• Select the artistic discipline that is most relevant to this application.
• Project Description (500 words max)
• Describe what you want to do with this grant, including what will happen or has happened, when and where activities will take place and who is involved.
• Project Budget
• Fill out the budget template with all relevant project expenses and revenues.
• Use the notes section to describe each item in detail and show your calculations. Please be specific wherever possible and break down your expenses for clarity.
• Support Material (up to 10 uploads — pdfs or audio/visual files)
• Support Material is mandatory to include. Please upload any additional material that will support and strengthen your application, and help assessors understand more about your artistic practice, project or planning. There are options to include PDFs, images, videos, audio files, links, etc.
• Examples of support material: samples of your work, mock-ups/drafts/works in progress, excerpts or a synopsis, letters of support, resumes or bios of collaborators or others involved, letters of support, confirmations, research material, planning documents, etc.

NOTE: Assessors will only be asked to review up to 5 minutes of support material for each application. They are reviewing many applications, so please be succinct and ensure that what you are providing is clear and relevant.

Notification of Grant Results

Applicants will be automatically notified of their results by the online grant platform to the email address indicated in your profile. Please add the email address donotreply@smartsimplemailer.ca to your contact list to minimize delays in receiving notifications from us.

If you have not received an email notification by mid July 2025, please check your junk/spam folder before reaching out to grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Successful applicants will receive an automated notification through the online grant platform with instructions on how to accept their grant and receive funding.

Successful applicants will be required to provide the following information via a ‘Detailed Information Collection Form’: legal name, current mailing address, and a direct deposit form with your banking information. We use electronic fund transfers to make grant payments. This ‘Detailed Information Collection Form’ will be made available in the online grant platform under “My Action Items” when you log in.

Once that form has been submitted and approved by a staff member, successful applicants will be sent an investment agreement via DocuSign and must sign and return the agreement within 30 days to receive funding.

Calgary Arts Development will provide a T4A tax form to successful grantees for the full grant amount received during a calendar year. This includes the primary applicant receiving grant payment on behalf of an artist collective. Please note that you must have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number or Individual Tax Number to receive this grant.

If you have any questions about tax requirements for artist grants, it is a good idea to discuss these with a tax professional or consult Canada Revenue Agency guidelines. There is additional tax information in our Investment Program FAQ.

Final Reporting

Successful grantees will be required to complete a brief final report to share an update on their completed activities, any learnings and how the grant benefited their practice, along with an updated budget with actuals.

Final reports are due within 60 days of the stated ‘project end date’ in your application. If you need to request an extension, please reach out to discuss this with program staff before your current reporting deadline.

Final reports are assigned in the online grant platform and can be found under “My Action Items” when you login.

Successful applicants may also be invited to participate in optional surveys, research and peer-to-peer learning.

Next Steps for Unsuccessful Applications

Applicants who are not successful in their application may reapply for the same project to other Calgary Arts Development grant programs, if the project still meets eligibility requirements.

Program staff may provide feedback on unsuccessful applications, although this will depend on volume and staff capacity. We welcome any feedback you may have on the application process at any time.

If you would like to know more about other opportunities in the arts ecosystem, including other arts funders, you are welcome to reach out to any of our program specialists, or Calgary Arts Development’s Community Liaison, Sayonara Cunha, at sayonara.cunha@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Policies

Applicant Support & Accessibility Policy
Deadline Extension Policy
Disclosure of Grant Information Policy
Open Grant Policy

Other

Terms of Reference
Group Agreements
Equity Priority Group Descriptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Assessor Nomination Form