This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to individual artists, collectives, and Indigenous-led and centred arts organizations in Treaty 7.

The Original Peoples Investment Program (OPIP) supports the preservation and revitalization of First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) art through art-based projects that are supported and validated by FNMI artists, community, Elders and Knowledge Keepers. We recognize and support both traditional and contemporary Indigenous artists and arts practices.

Individual artists may apply for up to $15,000, artist collectives may apply for up to $20,000, and arts organizations may apply for up to $25,000. 

Total funding available for this program in 2022 is $650,000.

Please refer to the Who Can Apply and What Can You Apply For sections for further information about eligible applicants and projects.

This program is developed and validated annually with the support of our Indigenous Advisory Committee.

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkínsstsisi, 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 Îyâxe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations. Today this land is home to the Metis of Region 3 as well as many First Nations and Inuit peoples from across Turtle Island.

We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.

Calgary Arts Development is the city’s designated arts development authority, supporting and strengthening the arts to benefit all Calgarians. We invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Our programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives and ad hoc groups in Calgary. Put another way, Calgary Arts Development is an organization that stewards public dollars for the public good. And when we talk about art for public good we envision a city where all artists and arts workers have the freedom, agency and platform to share and amplify their stories, art, cultures and experiences: a city where Calgarians of all backgrounds can access, create and participate in art as part of their everyday lives. (Learn more about our Commitment to Equity.)

To that end, Calgary Arts Development’s community investment team is accountable to ensuring that lines of communication are welcoming, clear and open, and that the scoring process is fair and deeply considerate. We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their unique abilities and situations and continually seek to learn and address inequities in our programs and processes.

For particular programs, such as the Project Grant Program, in the case of applications which have been assessed equally but insufficient funds exist to support the applications, Calgary Arts Development prioritizes projects proposed by artists belonging to an equity priority group.

Equity priority groups are voluntarily self-identified artists who are Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour, Deaf, persons with disabilities, persons with mental illness, and 2SLGBTQIAP+ peoples. For details on each of these equity priority groups, please refer to the equity priority group descriptions.

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

We recognize that barriers within the arts community exist, particularly for equity seeking communities, and that there are many unique entry points into an artistic practice and career in the arts. If you are unsure about eligibility, please reach out to discuss this with the program specialist before applying.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. If you have any questions, want feedback on your application or if it’s your first time applying, please don’t hesitate to contact us for support. While we may not be able to meet in person at this time, our team will be available to provide support over the phone, through email, or through the use of audio and video platforms.

Please see the 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 on your application up to one week before application deadlines.

There are two policies available for potential applicants who may need accommodations or assistance to apply to this program, such as translating program guidelines and applications. These policies are available to potential applicants even if they decide not to apply to the program.

• An Accommodation & Accessibility Policy is available for potential applicants who experience barriers to access, to develop accommodations that suit their abilities and situations.
• The Application Assistance Policy provides financial support for eligible applicants to alleviate some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting an application.

This program is open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) artists, collectives and FNMI-led and centred arts organizations practicing and operating in the Treaty 7 Calgary region working in any artistic discipline. It is also open to Treaty 7 First Nation artists practicing on reserve or operating within the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. Please note that this program cannot accept individual applications from arts administrators or cultural workers and cannot support registered for-profit corporations or businesses.

Artists who work in any artistic discipline may apply. Applicants should demonstrate a serious dedication to developing and sharing their artistic work, career or organizational mandate. 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.

We will only accept one application per individual, collective or organization. Individuals cannot be the main applicant or project lead for more than one application, but may be involved in more than one project. Success in this program does not affect your eligibility to apply to other Calgary Arts Development grant investment programs in 2022. You may not receive more than one grant from Calgary Arts Development for the same project or phase of a project.

For a glossary of terms and more important information about eligibility, please refer to the Investment Program FAQ.

Individual Artists

• Individual artists applying to this program must have a serious dedication towards developing and sharing their career and work.
• Artists may have formal or informal training including but not limited to: apprenticeships, sustained relationships and learning from elders/artist mentors and/or post-secondary education. 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 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 work together in either an ongoing or ad hoc way, who have a shared artistic practice that is distinct from their own individual artistic practices. Collectives need to define their collective practice, vision, goals and processes in order to demonstrate that collective members have equal and shared ownership and accountability for the vision, success and completion of the proposed project or activities.
• A majority of collective members must be Treaty 7 based artists (i.e. 50% or more)
• An artist collective does not include for-profit organizations or businesses, groups that are formally registered as a non-profit society or those which intend to govern themselves like a non-profit society.

If a majority of the collective membership is not FNMI artists; a conversation should be initiated with Indigenous Program Specialist morgan.possberg@calgaryartsdevelopment.com in order to determine eligibility. Eligibility will be determined based on whether or not the Indigenous artist(s) are leading and guiding the proposed project.

Arts Organizations

• Indigenous Arts Organizations applying to this program must have a serious dedication towards developing and sharing their work and organizational mandate.
• Indigenous Arts Organizations should have a mandate to serve the Indigenous arts community, and are led by FNMI people.

If all of the organization’s membership/staff are not FNMI people; a conversation should be initiated with Indigenous Program Specialist morgan.possberg@calgaryartsdevelopment.com in order to determine eligibility. Eligibility will be determined based on how organizational decisions are made, how this process is undertaken, who is being called to the decision making table and who is leading the work.

Eligibility

• An applicant may only apply to this program for one project or one distinct phase of a project.
• We will only accept one application per individual, collective or organization and one application per project.
• You may not receive funding from more than one Calgary Arts Development program for the same project or phase of a project.
• You may not apply to this program if you have final reports past their due date for prior grants.
• Beginning in January 2023, you may not have more than four open grants with Calgary Arts Development, including grants for which a deadline extension has been approved. A request for an exception to this eligibility requirement must be submitted in writing and in discussion with the Program Specialist. Applicants are encouraged to take this policy into consideration when planning their applications in 2022.

Applicants may apply to this program for one project, or one distinct phase of a larger project.

The Original Peoples Investment Program seeks to support projects that align with any of the following priority areas:

• Projects that support individual artistic and career development, including creation, professional development, business development, research and experimentation.
• Arts-centred projects that encourage everyday creativity, including cross-sector collaboration, creative economy and neighbourhood-level community initiatives.
• Projects which are either traditional or contemporary but are rooted in revitalization and preservation of Indigenous culture
• Projects that reflect and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of the Treaty 7 arts sector and create opportunities for all Treaty 7 nations to access artistic experiences.

Projects can begin before the application deadline, but projects that will be fully complete before the application deadline in October 2022 are not eligible.

Projects funded through this program must be completed by July 1, 2024.

Eligible Expenses

Funds from this program may go towards almost any expenses that are directly related to your project and its goals, for example:

• Elder and knowledge keeper fees
• Expenses related to protocol and ceremony
• Accessibility expenses
• Artist fees
• Course fees (for individual courses which do not count toward a credit, diploma, certificate or degree granting program)
• Documentation
• Honorariums
• Materials
• Marketing, publicity or outreach
• Per diems (fixed daily rate for lodging, meals and incidentals while not at your primary residence—e.g., in order to participate in a professional development opportunity)
• Purchase of equipment, including hardware and permanent software (up to a maximum of $2,000 total)
• Professional fees (e.g., fees paid to individuals offering professional services such as web design, publicity or marketing, financial, accounting or legal services, etc.)
• Rental of equipment or space
• Subsistence expenses (e.g., rent, food, childcare, etc.)
• Technical fees (e.g., web service fees, licensing fees etc.)
• Travel expenses

Please note that eligible project expenses for this program may not be considered deductible project expenses by the Canada Revenue Agency. Please consult the CRA guidelines when creating your project budget.

Ineligible Expenses

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

• Lost wages or salaries.
• Purchase of or financial contribution towards equipment, land or buildings over a total of $2,000 (capital expenditures).
• Purchase of any equipment not directly related to the project.
• Tuition, or other costs related to post-secondary or credit, degree, certificate or diploma granting educational programs or artistic work related to those educational programs.

Ineligible Activities

This program is not intended to support any of the following:

• Projects that are fully complete before the application deadline.
• Projects that have already received funding from another Calgary Arts Development grant program.
• Projects related to post-secondary or credit, degree, certificate or diploma granting educational programs or artistic work related to those educational programs.
• Fundraising activities (e.g., activities undertaken for the purpose of raising funds on behalf of a political party or charity).
• Contests and competitions (e.g., grant funding cannot be re-granted in the form of prizes or awards). Note: this grant can fund activities related to pow wow such as the creation of regalia or song, but not pow wow prizes.
• 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 and or clear connection to the originating community.
• Activities that promote hatred or intolerance.
• Activities that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law.
• Activities that contravene municipal bylaws.
• Activities related to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election.

Please note that the eligible and ineligible expenses and activities listed are given as examples and are not exclusive. Review the Investment Program FAQ for further information about ineligible expenses or email morgan.possberg@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Applicants may apply to one of the following streams. It is possible that one or more points 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 and 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.

New Voices is intended as a space for learning and testing ideas both with the artist’s practice and techniques, but also with their career itself.

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.

Next Steps is intended as a space for exponential growth; the artist has established ideas, concepts and techniques, and is aiming to build off of their current knowledge.

These streams are intended to acknowledge and value that artists all exist at different stages in their own practice and have different needs. There is no benefit to choosing one stream over another; it is best to choose to be assessed with the applicant pool that is at a similar stage in their career. There will be separate peer assessment committees for each of these streams. Funding from the total pool will be split between each stream proportionally based on how many applicants apply to them.

Scoring

Assessors will rate the level to which they agree or disagree with each of the program criteria listed in the section below, based on the information provided in the application.

• Strongly Disagree
• Disagree
• Agree
• Strongly Agree

Program Criteria

Artistic Impact

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of their organizational mandate, artistic goals and what success will mean for them.

Community Connection

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of the relationships and communities connected to this project, their goals around this and what success will mean for them. This can include future relationships and community connections, as well as those occurring during the project itself.

Planning

• The application demonstrates a deep understanding of what is required to undertake the project. This is demonstrated by a clear, achievable, well-researched and supported project description, timeline and budget.

Overall

• The application has clear, detailed and thoughtful responses and includes all the relevant information required to create overwhelming trust and confidence that the project will be completed as described and the applicant will reach their goals.

In the event of a tie, priority may be given based on the following considerations, at Calgary Arts Development’s discretion:

• Representation across all artistic disciplines, communities and types of programming.
• Opportunities proposed by organizations who have not historically received funding from Calgary Arts Development.
• Opportunities or organizations led by, with and for equity priority groups.

Applications to the Original Peoples Investment Program will be read and scored by independent arm’s-length FNMI assessment committees made up of artist peers and community members. 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.

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

Assessment Committees

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:

• 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.

Assessors are required to declare conflicts of interest according to the Conflict of Interest Policy. 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. Committee members who have submitted an application to the program will assess the other stream. (e.g.: If they submitted an application to the Next Steps stream, they will assess the New Voices stream).

Committee members must review, understand and adhere to the Terms of Reference, the program guidelines, and to Calgary Arts Development’s Group Agreements.

Assessment process

The peer assessment committee will evaluate applications in the online granting interface and will use a scoring matrix to evaluate each application according to the criteria outlined in the Program Criteria and Scoring section of the guidelines.

Calgary Arts Development staff will download assessor evaluations into a scoresheet and assign numerical scores to the ratings. Each criteria statement will be weighted equally. The score assigned to each rating will be consistent across all criteria statements (e.g.: ‘Strongly Agree’ will always equal the same number of points).

The committee will discuss applications in a meeting facilitated by the program specialist. The committee’s final scores will result in a list of projects recommended for funding. Calgary Arts Development staff will review these recommendations and finalize the funding list.

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

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.

This application may be submitted entirely in writing or using a combination of written documents and audio or video links.

The specialist for 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. Please note that due to ongoing shifts to health restrictions and guidance, in-person support may not be possible, for your safety and ours.

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.

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 $15,000 for individuals, up to $20,000 for collectives and up to $25,000 for Arts Organizations.)
• Project Description (150 – 450 words)
• Budget 
• Start and end date of project
• Budget Support
  • Budget related support material to help demonstrate your budget estimates. For example: research, quotes, standard fee schedules, correspondence that confirms rates, past examples of revenue etc.
• Support Material (up to four upload fields, maximum 3MB each)
  • Additional files or links that strengthen your case or help assessors understand more about your project or your artistic practice. For example: samples of work, mock-ups/drafts/works in progress, relevant research, confirmation or planning documents, relevant letters of support, resumes/CVs of collaborators, etc.
• Project Plan and Timeline
  • A timeline that clearly outlines how you will accomplish this project. Include dates and other relevant details for all important activities, tasks, events, milestones or process periods.

Written, Audio, or Video Selections

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 should be directly uploaded to the granting interface.

• 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? How do you approach the creation of your work?
• 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 talkbacks, audience experience.

Applicants will be notified of their results by email. Successful applicants will be required to sign and return an investment agreement within 30 days after receiving notification of success in order to receive funding.

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 2022 tax year. This includes the primary applicant who may be representing a collective of artists. 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 also additional tax information in our Investment Program FAQ.

Successful grantees will be required to complete a final report to share learnings and how the grant benefited their practice and communities. Final reports are due 90 days after the project end date.

In your final report, we would like to know:

• What you accomplished and how this changed or helped your artistic practice/career. We are also curious about any learnings or changes from your original proposal.
• How this funding impacted your communities (others involved) or your own sense of community.
• How the grant funds were spent. You’ll be asked to share an updated budget with actuals. Please keep receipts and invoices for tax purposes. You may also be asked to provide them.
• Optional: Please share any materials that resulted from your activities, such as images, website links, video or audio material, written samples, etc.
• Optional: Anything else you’d like to share with Calgary Arts Development.
• Optional: The geographic location of any public events related to your project, including the postal code of those locations.
• Optional quantitative information if appropriate:
  • Total number of artists paid
  • Number of free events open to the public
  • Number of paid events open to the public
  • Total attendees at all events
  • Any other quantitative data you would like to share

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.

Applications are accepted through our online grant interface. The application form will be available on the date the program opens. Applicants must create a user profile in order to apply. Artist collectives and organizations must create a profile that is separate from their individual account in the grant interface and apply through their collective or organization account.

Policies

Deadline Extension Policy

Accessibility & Accommodation Policy

Application Assistance Policy

Disclosure of Grant Information Policy

Other

Terms of Reference

Group Agreements

Equity Priority Group Descriptions

Frequently Asked Questions

Assessor Nomination Form