Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair, and transparent processes. We are here to answer your questions. While we may not be able to meet in person at the current moment, our team will be available to answer questions and offer support during the application process either over the phone, through email, or through the use of audio and video platforms.

Please see Investment Program FAQ for answers to common questions, and contact the program specialist as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible. Staff can provide feedback up to one week before application deadlines.

We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their abilities and situations. Some examples of accommodations are:

• Translation of written materials into other languages.
• Transcription of verbal meetings or audio and video recordings into a written document.
• Verbal video or audio applications. If you would prefer to answer the application questions verbally you can submit an audio or video recording of yourself or our staff can help record your responses using an online platform, such as Zoom.
• Language interpretation for phone or video meetings (Note: this will depend on the availability of external service agencies).
• Grant writing assistance if you need help.

You may be eligible for assistance to pay someone to help you complete an application if you need it or for any of the reasons listed below:

• An artist who is Deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness.
• An artist facing language, geographic or cultural barriers.

Please contact Taylor Poitras, Specialist, Individuals and Collectives Programs, at 403.264.5330 ext.215 or taylor.poitras@calgaryartsdevelopment.com to inquire about application assistance.

As part of our responsibility to Calgarians to ensure equitable access to public funding, Calgary Arts Development is dedicated to addressing and working to eliminate institutional inequity in our programs, policies, and practices. We also acknowledge that our actions—both conscious and unconscious, past and present—have benefited some communities while limiting opportunities and outcomes for others.

Calgary Arts Development grant investment programs for individual artists and artist collectives are supplemented through the Cultural Vitality Fund, with donations from Calgary Arts Foundation, Calgary Foundation, an anonymous donor to the Edmonton Community Foundation, RBC, and the Palmer Family Foundation. We thank these donors for their generous support.

The Artist Development Microgrant is intended to provide one-time funding to individual artists and artist collectives in Calgary who have been impacted by COVID-19, by supporting professional development and business development activities as well as the completion or adaptation of work that had been affected by COVID-19. This microgrant is not intended to support new work.

The goal of the program is to allow artists to respond to new approaches and emergent needs, reduce barriers to opportunities, contribute to skills, knowledge and professional development and advance professional arts and artistic practices in Calgary (known as Moh’kinsstis in Blackfoot).

This program is open to artists and collectives working in any artistic discipline in the city of Calgary. This program is not open to arts administrators or cultural workers. Please refer to Investment Program FAQ for a glossary of terms and more information about eligibility.

Applicants may apply for business or professional development activities such as workshops, mentorships, courses, training, residencies, web development, marketing support, small business development, etc. as well as access to new technologies, space, storage, equipment or tools needed to effectively pursue work in response to COVID-19. Applicants may also apply for costs associated with adapting or completing work that began before January 2021, and was interrupted or affected by COVID-19.

This microgrant is not intended to support new work. Applicants seeking support for the creation and development of entirely new work are advised to apply to the Project Grant Program for Individuals and Collectives available later this year. The Project Grant Program will offer larger grant amounts and longer project timelines.

This program cannot fund activities retroactively. Activities which will be fully completed before the deadline of February 16, 2021 are not eligible. Activities funded through this program need to be done by June 30, 2021.

Applicants may request up to $2,500. Total funding available for this program is $130,000.

This program will be assessed by a peer committee. Please see the assessment process below, and Terms of Reference for further information.

If there are applications with tied final scores but insufficient funds in the grant budget to support these applications, activities proposed by artists belonging to an equity priority group (or in the case of a collective, where the majority are artists from equity priority groups) will be prioritized.

Applicants that self-identify on the voluntary demographic survey included in the grant application as belonging to these equity priority groups are automatically considered for this equity measure. Information provided in the voluntary demographic survey will not be shared with assessors and will only be viewable by program staff. Any information provided in the voluntary demographic survey will only be attached to this application process, not to the applicant’s profile in the grant interface.

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

Calgary Arts Development has adapted these priorities and descriptions from the Toronto Arts Council’s Equity Framework. We are grateful to the Toronto Arts Council for their work in this area.

This program is open to individual artists and artist collectives working in any artistic discipline in the city of Calgary. This program is not open to arts administrators or cultural workers. Please refer to the Investment Program FAQ for a glossary of terms and more information about eligibility.

We welcome applications from those working in all artistic disciplines and their various cultural forms, including but not limited to: circus arts; craft arts; community and social practice; curation; dance; Deaf/deaf arts; digital arts; disability arts; film; Indigenous arts; literature; media arts; multidisciplinary practice; music and sound; performance; theatre; and visual arts.

While activities do not have to take place in Calgary, applicants must either be Calgary-based, or be able to demonstrate that they regularly make significant contributions to the arts that are accessible to Calgary citizens. If you are not based in the city, Calgary Arts Development staff will determine eligibility through the applicant’s commitment to the arts and the scope of activities within Calgary’s arts community.

We want to acknowledge that there are many artists who are new to the city of Calgary and may not be familiar with grant programs or processes or may not be sure if they are eligible to apply or able to receive a grant from a public funder.

Artists do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in order to receive a grant, but you do need to be able to report on this grant to Canada Revenue Agency. If you are a newcomer, immigrant or refugee artist and have questions or concerns, please know that our program staff are available to help navigate your unique circumstances and provide support. Please reach out with any questions about eligibility before you begin your application.

We will only accept one application per individual or collective. Individuals applying to this program as part of a collective cannot also apply as an individual. Success in this program does not affect your eligibility to apply to other Calgary Arts Development grant investment programs in 2021. You may not receive more than one grant for the same project in a calendar year.

This program supports activities that must be complete by June 30, 2021. We understand that things may continue to shift due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, however given the timeline and intention of this program, activities that are less likely to be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-related restrictions will be a priority. Please visit our information about COVID-19 page and stay up to date on the latest news and measures from reliable public health authorities.

Please note that the eligible and ineligible expenses and activities listed below are given as examples and are not exclusive. If you have questions about eligible expenses or activities, please contact the program specialist.

Eligible Activities:

• Professional development activities (workshops, classes, courses, conferences, skill and technical development, residencies, mentorships, internships, apprenticeships, specialized training, etc.).
• Business development activities (e-commerce, web development, marketing support, small business development, etc.).
• New technologies or digital opportunities (equipment or tools needed to effectively create and share work in direct response to COVID-19).
• Activities related to space or safety (storage, personal protective equipment, etc.).
• Activities related to the adaptation or completion of work that began before January 2021, and was interrupted or affected by COVID-19 (work that was cancelled or postponed, needs to be adapted for virtual or online delivery, etc.).

Eligible Expenses:

• Continuing education course fees (non-credit granting programs)
• Professional fees (e.g., accounting fees, publicity or marketing fees, etc.)
• Technical fees (web development fees, etc.)
• Artist fees related to the adaptation or completion of work that began before January 2021.
• Marketing
• Licensing
• Documentation
• Travel expenses
• Per diems, childcare expenses, accessibility expenses, etc.
• Rental of equipment or space.
• Purchase of equipment (including software and hardware) necessary to share your work in response to COVID-19 restrictions (up to $1,000 total).
• Expenses related to the adaptation or completion of work that began before January 2021, and was interrupted or affected by COVID-19.

Ineligible Activities:

• Activities related to the creation and development of entirely new work (work that is beginning after January 2021).
• Activities that are fully complete before the application deadline.
• Activities that have already received funding from another Calgary Arts Development grant program.
• Activities related to post-secondary or credit, degree, or diploma granting educational programs.
• Fundraising activities.
• Contests and competitions (including prizes and awards).
• Activities that do not comply with or respect cultural protocols.
• Activities that use or present Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge or stories without permission from the community.
• Activities that promote hatred or intolerance.
• Activities that contravene provincial or federal law.

Ineligible Expenses:

• Artist fees related to the creation of new work.
• Subsistence
• Lost wages or salaries.
• Material costs for the creation and development of entirely new work.
• Tuition, or other costs related to post-secondary or credit, degree, or diploma granting educational programs or artistic work related to those educational programs.
• Purchase of or financial contribution towards major pieces of equipment, land, or buildings over a total of $1,000.
• Purchase of any equipment not directly related or relevant to the activity, your artistic practice, or in response to COVID-19 impacts or restrictions.

The assessment committee will be asked to evaluate the applicant on a yes/no basis for program eligibility, based on the information requested and provided in the application. If the majority of assessors respond No for any of the eligibility criteria below, the applicant may be contacted for follow-up by the program specialist or disqualified from assessment.

• Is the applicant based in Calgary, or do they demonstrate a clear and ongoing relationship to Calgary?
• Does the applicant demonstrate that their practice was impacted by COVID-19?
• Is the proposed activity or work eligible under the stated program goal?

Applications will also be evaluated on three program criteria: Relevance, impact, and feasibility. Assessors will be asked to rate the following four criteria statements according to the information requested and provided in the application.

Relevance

• The applicant has demonstrated clear goals for this activity that align with their artistic practice and the specific requirements of the microgrant program.

Impact

• The applicant has demonstrated clear reasons why this activity is timely and how the grant will help them achieve their goals.
• The applicant has explained how this activity will help or allow them to be more responsive to challenges and opportunities in the time of COVID 19.

Feasibility

• The artist has the capacity or skills, time and support, to complete this activity and it is achievable within the budget and timeline provided.

Each of the four statements above will be given a rating of 1, 5, or 10, resulting in a total possible final score of 40.

Rating 1

• Responses to application requirements are unclear and insufficient.
• The application does not provide enough information or context to understand goals.
• The application is unclear on how the artist’s practice will be impacted.
• The application lacks clarity on how the activities will be completed as described.

Rating 5

• Responses to application requirements are clear and sufficient; however, more detail would help in better understanding the application.
• The application has clear and relevant goals; however, additional details and context would have made goals clearer.
• The application explains in a general way how the artist’s practice will be helped along or changed; however, more detail would have made a stronger case.
• The application outlines how activities will be completed but specific details were missing that could have given assessors greater confidence in the application.

Rating 10

• Responses to application requirements are clear, thorough and directly address what is being asked for.
• The application has clear and relevant goals that directly relate to their practice.
• The application is precise and clear on how the practice of the artist will benefit.
• The application gave assessors great confidence that the activities will be completed as described to achieve their goals.

Applications to this program will be accepted between January 11 and February 16, 2021 and evaluated as they are received. Final grant recommendations will be finalized and applicants will be notified of the results by mid-March.

Since this program is new and will only happen once, as it is privately funded, Calgary Arts Development cannot tell how many applications we will get. This may change the timeline and make-up of the committees outlined below. Applicants will be notified if significant changes must occur.

Who Evaluates the Grants?

Applications to the program will be scored and evaluated by an assessment committee made up of Artist peers and community members. The program specialist and Calgary Arts Development staff will select committee members.

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 but not limited to: Artistic discipline, gender, sexuality, age, religion, beliefs, nation, physical and neurological identities, etc.

• The assessment committee will be made up of 10 members.
• Not all members will read every application.
• Artist peers will be from a variety of artistic disciplines and practices and can also include arts workers with experience and knowledge in the arts community for example, staff, volunteers, board members, etc.
• Arts champions and artistic community members are people who actively participate in, experience, and advocate for the work of the arts community. They may also have perspectives and skill-sets transferable to the arts sector.
• Conflicts of Interest: Calgary Arts Development thinks of conflicts of interest as close family members, people who are involved in the activity being applied for or where there is a real or perceived financial benefit. If in doubt, assessors are encouraged to talk with Calgary Arts Development staff.
• If a committee member has applied to the program or declared a conflict of interest they will not assess those specific applications or be present for any discussions of those applications.

The people on the assessment committee will read and score applications in the online granting interface based on the program criteria. The Calgary Arts Development program specialist for individuals and collectives, will review the committee’s evaluations and average total scores and the top-rated applications will receive funding through the program. Any tie-breaking decisions based on equity priorities will be made by the program specialist.

If there are applications with tied final scores but insufficient funds in the grant budget to support these applications, activities proposed by artists belonging to an equity priority group (or in the case of a collective, where the majority are artists from equity priority groups) will be prioritized.

Applicants that self-identify on the voluntary demographic survey included in the grant application as belonging to these equity priority groups are automatically considered for this equity measure. Information provided in the voluntary demographic survey will not be shared with assessors and will only be viewable by program staff. Any information provided in the voluntary demographic survey will only be attached to this application process, not to the applicant’s profile in the grant interface.

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

This program supports activities that must be complete by June 30, 2021. We understand that things may continue to shift due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, however given the timeline and intention of this program, activities that are less likely to be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-related restrictions will be a priority.

Assessment committees are held to the Terms of Reference and Group Agreements intended to commit to open, generous, and respectful evaluations and communications.

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

Calgary Arts Development has begun collecting voluntary demographic information from applicants to investment programs. These questions are an important part of Calgary Arts Development’s aim to increase understanding, at an aggregate level, of the individuals seeking funding, while providing the arts sector with much needed data on the demographics of its workforce.

Completion of the demographic questions is not required, and is being collected on a voluntary basis. You are not required to complete these questions, and you can choose which questions not to answer as there is a “prefer not to answer” option for each.

Your responses to these questions:

• Are voluntary.
• Will remain anonymous.
• Will not be provided to assessors.
• Will only be visible to program staff.
• Will only be shared in combination with many other responses (in aggregate form).
• Will not be connected to you personally.
• Will not be saved to your applicant profile in the grant interface.

The Investment Program FAQ 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.

Taylor Poitras, Specialist, Individuals and Collectives Programs, is available to assist applicants, answer questions and provide feedback on your drafted application, up to one week before the program deadline. If you would like assistance or feedback, please call 403.264.5330 ext.215 or email taylor.poitras@calgaryartsdevelopment.com as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible.

Please note that further description and information about each application requirement can be found in the application form in the grant interface.

• Contact Information (name, address, phone, email)
• Brief Description (25 words maximum)
• Funding Request (up to $2,500)
• Start and End Date of Activities
• Artistic Discipline
• Years of Practice
• Artistic Resume or CV (upload)
• Introduction to Artistic Practice (100 words maximum)
• COVID-19 Impact (100 words maximum)
• Description of Activities (250 words maximum)
• Impact (400 words maximum)
• Budget (upload – standard template required)
• Support Material (up to two optional upload fields, maximum 3MB each, video and audio material should be provided as a link)

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. Please contact us early on if you require assistance.

Application Templates

Project Budget

Policies

Deadline Extension Policy
Accessibility & Accommodation Policy
Disclosure of Grant Information Policy

Other

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

Applicants will be notified of their results by email. Due to the one-time nature of this program and the high volume of applications expected, staff will not be able to provide post-program feedback to applicants.

Successful applicants will be sent an investment agreement via Docusign and are required to sign and return the agreement as soon as possible so that funding can be released by March 31, 2021.

We use electronic fund transfers to make grant payments. If your application is approved, you will be required to provide a void cheque or direct deposit form with your banking information. Please let us know if you need any help with this.

Calgary Arts Development will provide a T4A tax form for individuals who receive more than $500 in total during the 2021 tax year. This includes the primary applicant who may be representing a group of artists such as a 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 CRA guidelines. There is also additional tax information in our Investment Program FAQ.

We’re interested in hearing how the grant benefitted your practice and what you learned through the process. We will ask you to report this back to us through a final report online, due 30 days after your final activity. We would like to know:

• What you accomplished and how this changed or helped your artistic practice. We are also curious about any learnings or changes from your original proposal (500 words maximum).
• Upload a new budget that shows how the grant funds were spent. (2MB) Please keep receipts and invoices for tax purposes, however you will not be asked to provide these in your final report.
• Optional: Please share any materials that resulted from your activities, such as images, website links, video or audio material, written samples, etc. (up to two upload fields, maximum 3MB each, video and audio material should be provided as a link).
• Optional: Anything else you’d like to share with Calgary Arts Development (250 words maximum).

Successful applicants may also be asked to participate in optional surveys, research, and peer-to-peer learning. Please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions about reporting requirements.