Guidelines: Project Grant Program — Individuals and Collectives 2026

We understand that our programs and processes create barriers to access for many artists and organizations who want to apply. Help is available for applicants even if they choose not to apply for the program.

If you experience accessibility, cultural or language barriers, our staff members can help you with:

• Checking if you are eligible to apply.
• Finding the right grant program for your project.
• Creating and submitting your grant applications.
• Providing any project updates.
• Submitting your final report.

Staff Support for Applicants

One of the options for application support is working one-on-one with a staff member to identify your needs and how we can meet them. Our team can assist you over the phone, in-person or online.

Outside Support for Applicants

You also have the option to seek personal one-to-one support from someone outside of Calgary Arts Development to help you with the application process. If this is something you need, we may be able to directly pay that external support person for the hours they spend helping you with your application. It is up to the applicant to determine the amount of time and kinds of support needed, and to set an hourly rate with whoever they choose to work with. If you are new to grant writing, it may be helpful to seek support from someone who has applied for an art grant before or is familiar with writing grants or essays.

To learn more about the kinds of services you can request, please review the Applicant Support & Accessibility Policy.

Staff are able to provide feedback on your drafted application if you reach out before April 29. After this date, staff cannot guarantee that your application can be reviewed based on the volume of requests. Please keep in mind that requesting staff feedback is optional and does not guarantee success within a program; however, it may help ensure your application is generally clear, eligible and complete.

Please review these guidelines in full before reaching out to program staff. If you have any questions or need help applying, please contact Community Investment Program Specialist Jasmine Piper at jasmine.piper@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.264.5330 ext. 121.

The Project Grant for Individuals and Collectives provides one-time project funding to Calgary-based individual artists, artist collectives and cultural workers, working in any artistic discipline.

Projects can include research, creation, development, production, presentation or dissemination of artistic work, or the experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to practice.

Projects may begin before the application deadline of May 13, 2026, but they cannot be fully completed before the application deadline. Projects funded through this program must be completed by December 31, 2027.

Individual artists may apply for up to $20,000, and artist collectives may apply for up to $25,000.

Total funding available for this program is $3.1 million.

You can learn more about this program by watching a pre-recorded online information session or by bringing your questions to one of the virtual ‘open office spaces.’

Information Session

A pre-recorded information session for the Project Grant — Individuals and Collectives is available here.

In this information session, we provide an overview of the program guidelines and application process. ASL interpretation is included in the recording. 

Virtual Open Office Spaces

We are hosting virtual ‘open office spaces’ over Zoom for this program. These sessions are open to any artist interested in applying to this program. 

Artists are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to program staff and hear from other artists as well. Attendees do not have to stay the whole time and can come and go as they please. There is no formal presentation — just 60 minutes of Q+A! 

For Zoom security reasons, registration is required. The Zoom link will be provided upon registration. Registering for this session confirms that you agree to our Group Agreements for this event. Be sure to read the document before signing up.

When:

• March 31, 2026, from 3 – 4 pm. Register here.
• April 8, 2026, from 1 – 2 pm. Register here.
• April 17, 2026, from 10 – 11 am. Register here.
• April 27, 2026, from 12 noon – 1 pm. Register here.
• May 8, 2026, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Register here.

These drop-in Q+A sessions will not be recorded.

*ASL is not currently booked for these drop-in Q+A sessions. If you are an applicant with specific access needs such as translation or interpretation services, please let us know and we will arrange to make sure you have the support and information you need to fairly access the application process. This could include booking a one-on-one session with us instead.

We acknowledge that the land we gather on 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 Calgary-based individual artists, artist collectives and cultural workers. Please review the definitions below for each category before applying:

1. Individual Artists
   • We consider a professional artist to be actively pursuing a career in the arts by:
     • Investing in the development of their artistic skills through specialized training, either formal (post-secondary institutions, certificate programs) or informal (mentorship or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner, cultural knowledge transfer, community or peer-based learning).
     • Investing in the development of their own artistic voice, vision and goals (i.e. understanding what they make, how, why, and for who).
     • Sharing their original artistic work publicly through exhibitions, performances, publications or other presenting opportunities and being compensated for their work in a manner that is appropriate for their practice.
     • Building relationships with their artistic communities.
     • Artists do not need to be working professionally in the arts full time but are active in the development of their artistic practice. 
     • Artists must be 18-plus years of age.
2. Artist Collectives
   • We consider an artist collective to be:
     • Two or more individual artists with a shared artistic practice where each member of the collective contributes to the vision, accountability, success and completion of their proposed projects and activities.
     • A collective’s shared artistic practice should be distinct from their own individual artistic practices or personal projects.
     • Each collective member must meet Calgary Arts Development’s definition of professional individual artist to be considered eligible.
     • Collectives should consider having working agreements between members that outline roles, responsibilities, ownership, intellectual property and copyright, decision-making processes, etc.
     • A majority of collective members must be Calgary-based artists (i.e. 50 per cent or more).
     • Collectives may partner together for a specific project or work together on an ongoing basis.
     • Examples of collectives: a band or vocal ensemble, a visual art duo, a theatre or dance collective, a writing partnership (co-writers).
     • An artist collective does not include for-profit organizations, incorporated businesses or non-profit organizations. 
3. Cultural Workers
   • For the purposes of our programs, a cultural worker refers to:
     • An individual who makes their living in the arts and culture sector and contributes to the success of an artist or organization’s artistic work in a creative or technical capacity, but who is not necessarily leading the artistic vision of the work being created.
     • This might include production team members such as a costume designer or cutter, sound designer/operator, set designer, lighting designer/operator, etc.
     • In this program, we will consider applications from cultural workers for their own professional development and learning, or for independent projects where they are the lead artist for the creative process. The project should be focused on their own artistic practice, vision and goals.

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: Art for Social Change, Arts Education, Arts Service, Circus Arts, Community Art, Craft, Curatorial Practice, Dance, D/deaf Arts, Digital Arts, Disability and/or Mad Arts, Film, Indigenous Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Multidisciplinary, Music, Opera, Orchestra, Performance, Public Art, Social Practice, Sound Art, Theatre, Transdisciplinary, Visual Arts.

Calgary-based Artists

While projects can take place anywhere, Calgary Arts Development’s granting programs exist to support applicants who are based in Calgary. This means you maintain a permanent residence within Calgary and live at that address for at least six (6) months of the year.

There are exceptions for artists that are away, attending a formal program of study or temporarily touring, exhibiting or presenting their work nationally or internationally. If you are away more than six (6) months in a year, please contact program staff to discuss eligibility before applying.

Calgary Arts Development will consider applications from artists living outside of Calgary city limits within surrounding communities if they can demonstrate:

• That the majority of their work is accessible to Calgarians.
• That they have a meaningful and ongoing relationship with the city of Calgary and its artistic communities (including Calgary artists, groups, organizations, venues, audiences, etc.).

Staff will determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis which may require following up with applicants for more information. Staff may also contact out of town applicants in future years to ensure that eligibility requirements are still being met.

Newcomer Artists — Permanent Residency or Citizenship Not Necessary

You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to receive a grant from us, but you must have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number or Individual Tax Number to receive this grant. If you are a newcomer, immigrant or refugee artist and have questions or concerns, please contact the program staff listed at the bottom of the page under ‘Contact Information.’

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

• Applicants 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.
• A project may only be submitted by one applicant per program deadline. This means that multiple members of a group cannot submit the same project to the same program deadline.
• We cannot fund the same phase of a project more than once, regardless of calendar year. Please plan larger projects in advance and clearly identify which phase of the project you are applying for. You may apply for future Calgary Arts Development grants to support the next distinct phase of the work.
• If you receive funding from another source (such as Alberta Foundation for the Arts or Canada Council for the Arts) that fully covers your originally proposed project expenses, you cannot also accept Calgary Arts Development funding for those same project expenses. You also cannot modify the original budget in your Calgary Arts Development grant application by increasing estimated costs or adding additional expenses to expand the scope or scale of your project.

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.

For larger or long-term projects that have multiple stages or phases, please clearly identify what phase of the project you are applying for. If you have questions about your project phases, please contact a program specialist.

Projects may begin before the application deadline of May 13, 2026, but they cannot be fully completed before the application deadline. Projects funded through this program must be completed by December 31, 2027.

Individual artists may apply for up to $20,000 and artist collectives may apply for up to $25,000.

Eligible Activities

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

• Research: Research projects to inform your artistic work, processes, approaches, etc.
• Creation or production of work: The creation and development of new work, adaptations of previous work, experimentation, etc.
• Professional development and learning: Participating in courses, classes, workshops, residencies, training, mentorships, apprenticeships, networking and industry events, conferences, etc.
• Presenting or sharing work with the public: Sharing, distributing or selling your work through exhibitions, installations, events, presentations, performances, touring, releases, publishing, etc.
• Marketing and promotion: Activities related to publicity and outreach, the branding, promotion and marketing of your work and artistic practice, networking and industry events, etc.

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

Eligible expenses

Please ensure that your activities are 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 carrying out the activity. You must specify the accessibility equipment you wish to purchase, the support worker’s role, why it’s needed and what it costs.
• Artist fees
• 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, audio)
• Elder and Knowledge Keeper fees (fees paid to an Elder or Knowledge Keeper who provided their time and expertise)
• Marketing, promotion, publicity or outreach (e.g. ad purchases, printing promotional materials, hiring a marketing company)
• 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)
• Honorariums (a gifted payment made to a person who provided their services in a voluntary capacity)
• Subsistence expenses (living expenses for your primary residence which may include housing, food, internet, dependent care — up to $3,000 per month)
  • You may only request subsistence if it is necessary to complete your activity. The amount requested should directly correspond to the duration of your proposed activity and the time commitment required to undertake it.
• Travel expenses (e.g., airfare, gas mileage or ride services)
• Accommodation (e.g. hotels or short-term rentals while not at your primary residence)
• Per diem (a daily rate for meals and incidentals while not at your primary residence)
• Materials & Supplies
• Rental of equipment
• Purchase of equipment (including hardware and permanent software)
  • You may only request the purchase of equipment if it is necessary to complete your activity. You must specify the equipment you wish to purchase, why it’s needed, and what it costs.
• Rental of space (e.g. rehearsal, venue or studio space for the duration of the project)

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

Ineligible Activities:

• 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.

Ineligible Expenses

Funds from this program are not intended to support 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.

We stream applications to assess similar applications together and inform the makeup of the assessment committees.

We ask applicants to select one of two program streams: 

• Stream 1: Applicants who are applying for a project that primarily involves disciplines and practices such as dance, theatre, music, opera, orchestra, circus, performance, etc. should apply to Stream 1.

• Stream 2: Applicants who are applying for a project that primarily involves disciplines and practices such as literary, visual arts, craft arts, curation, public art, digital arts, media arts, film, etc. should apply to Stream 2.

Assessment committees are multi-disciplinary and will be made up primarily of artists who work within the disciplines outlined within each program stream. This helps to ensure that there are multiple perspectives on the committee that are knowledgeable about the different processes, approaches, ways of working and ways of presenting, sharing or performing work that are common across different kinds of disciplines.

If your project includes primary disciplines across both streams and you aren’t sure which to select, please reach out to a program specialist to discuss before applying.

For example, if you are a dancer who is producing a documentary about dance that is equal parts performance (Stream 1) and filmmaking (Stream 2), we can discuss what your project primarily involves and which perspectives might be most valuable in assessment given the focus of your project. If you were applying to support a film’s pre-production phase, you might select Stream 2 to ensure you have filmmaking perspectives, whereas if you were applying to do a series of live dance performances to launch a film, you may select Stream 1 to ensure there are performance perspectives on the committee.

The $3.1 million pool of funding available will be divided between the two program streams based on the number of applicants that apply to each stream, and the dollar amount requested within each stream.

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.

Individual artists must apply using their individual account, and artist collectives must apply using their collective account. These must be distinct accounts that use a unique email address when registering.

The application form for this program will become available on the online grant platform at 9 am MT on March 23, 2026. You will find it under ‘Open Opportunities’ when you login.

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

Complete Your Profile

In the online grant platform, you will need to ensure your profile is complete and up to date before you submit your grant application.

Some of your profile information will be automatically transferred to your grant application, such as your artistic resume or curriculum vitae (CV) and artistic practice statement.

Complete Your Application

To begin your grant application, login 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:

• Voluntary Self-Identification Form (optional)
• Project Name
• Brief Description (25 words or less)
• Funding Request (up to $20,000 for individuals, up to $25,000 for collectives)
• Project Start and End Date
• Primary Discipline
  • Select the artistic discipline that is most relevant to this application.
• Program Steam
  • Select the stream that best describes the primary discipline(s) that your project includes.
• Project Description (500 words max)
  • Describe your project including what will occur, when it will take place, and where it will take place.
• Artistic Impact (500 words max)
  • Describe your artistic goals for this project and what success will mean for you. This could include goals you have for the artistic work itself, learning or development goals related to your artistic practice, or impacts that the project may have on your discipline(s).
• Community Connection (500 words max)
  • Describe the people or communities that are connected to this project and why you’ve chosen them. What are your community-related goals for this project and what will success mean for you?
  • If you are the only person/s involved in the project at this stage, please speak to potential future connections or goals, and who you generally make your work for and why.
  • Community could include those who view, participate, collaborate, engage or benefit from your work. Depending on your project, this may include audiences, participants, students, artists, collaborators or partners, institutions or venues, mentors or teachers, neighbourhoods or specific communities.
• 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.
• Project Timeline
  • Include a timeline or project plan that clearly outlines how you will accomplish this project. Your timeline should include dates and other relevant details for any important activities, tasks, events, milestones or process periods.
• Support Material (upload pdf or audio/visual files)
  • Support Material must be included.
  • Please upload additional material that will help assessors understand more about     your artistic practice, project or planning.
  • There are options to include PDFs, images, videos, audio files, links, etc. Feel free to combine multiple PDFs into one upload area.
  • Assessors will only be asked to review up to 10 minutes of support material for each application. Please only provide information that is directly relevant to your activities and budget.

Program Considerations

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

1. Artistic Impact
   • The applicant shows a clear understanding of their artistic practice. They outline their artistic goals and how this project will develop their skills and knowledge. They describe what success will mean to them in relation to their development and goals.
2. Community Connection
   • The applicant shows a clear and in-depth understanding of the relationships and communities connected to this project, their community-related goals and what success will mean for them. This can include future relationships and community connections, as well as those occurring during the project itself.
   • Community could include those who view, participate, collaborate, engage or benefit from your work. Depending on your project, this may include audiences, participants, students, artists, collaborators or partners, institutions or venues, mentors or teachers, neighbourhoods or specific communities.
3. Planning
   • The applicant has included enough information to clearly show what they want to do and how they will do it. There is an in-depth understanding of what it will take to carry out the project and meet their goals. 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 realistic 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 independent assessment committees made up of artist peers and community members. The membership of the peer assessment committees 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 committees are chosen to represent the broad diversity of Calgary and its artistic communities, including artistic discipline, gender, sexuality, age, religion, beliefs, nation, physical and neurological identities, and more.

Assessment committees are responsible for reviewing and scoring the applications assigned to their committee online, and meeting to discuss applications and make recommendations together. 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 applicants that have not received a Calgary Arts Development grant before, or within the past two (2) years.
• Projects from equity priority groups (details below).

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.

Equity Priority Groups

The equity priority groups identified for this program are Indigenous, Black, persons of colour, D/deaf persons, persons with disabilities, persons living with mental illness, and 2SLGBTQIAP+ individuals. For details, please refer to the equity priority group descriptions.

In the grant application, applicants can fill out a voluntary self-identification form. All questions are optional. These responses are not visible to assessors. Access to this information is limited to the grant program staff and research team at Calgary Arts Development.

Applicants that self-identify as belonging to one or more of these equity priority groups are automatically considered for this tie-breaking equity measure.

Voluntary self-identification information may also be used in aggregate to:

• Generate statistics to measure how well Calgary Arts Development’s programs are reaching members of equity groups.
• Ensure there is diverse representation in the membership of peer assessment committees and grant review panels.
• Gather information to help Calgary Arts Development design, review, evaluate and improve its programs.
• Plan outreach activities.
• Report to Calgary Arts Development’s board and committees.

Please see the Disclosure of Grant Information Policy for information about how Calgary Arts Development collects and uses information submitted through grant applications.

Applicants will be automatically notified of their results via the online grant platform to the email address indicated in their 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 September 21, 2026, 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 login.

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 issue a T4A tax form to all individuals, and the primary contact for any artist collectives awarded funding, for the full grant amount received during a calendar year. 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.

Applicants who are not successful may re-apply to this program or to another Calgary Arts Development grant program with the same or a different project, as long as the project still meets all eligibility requirements.

Due to the increased volume of applications to this program, staff cannot offer individualized feedback to applicants after the assessment process. Staff are in the process of considering alternative feedback options for applicants in the future, as we know how valuable it can be for learning and reapplying.

We welcome any feedback you may have on the application process at any time.

 To find other opportunities at Calgary Arts Development visit All Opportunities at a Glance. 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.

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