This program is intended to provide one-time project funding to individual artists and artist collectives in Calgary (known as Mohkinsstsis in Blackfoot), working in any artistic discipline who pursue a professional practice.

The Project Grant Program seeks to support projects that align with any of the following priority areas:

• Projects that support individual and collective artistic practices, including the research, creation, development, production, presentation or dissemination of artistic work, or the experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to practice.
• Arts-centred projects that encourage everyday creativity, including cross-sector collaboration, creative economy, neighbourhood-level community initiatives, and youth initiatives
• Projects that reflect and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of Calgary’s arts sector and create opportunities for Calgarians to access artistic experiences

Projects can begin before the application deadline, but they cannot be fully completed before the application deadline of May 10, 2023. Projects funded through this program must be completed by December 31, 2024.

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

Total funding available for this program is $2 million.

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 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.

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.

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. You’ll also find answers to some common questions in our  Investment Program FAQ.

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

Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. If you have any questions, want help with feedback on your application or if it’s your first time applying, please don’t hesitate to 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 10 days before application deadlines.

This program is open to professional individual artists and artist collectives. We have also opened up eligibility to include collaborations with artists (projects that may not be led by artists, but which collaborate with and primarily support artists) and projects from cultural workers (as long as they are the lead artist for the creative process and artistic vision).

Please review the full definitions for each below to ensure eligibility before applying:

Individual Artists

• Individual artists applying to this program must pursue a professional practice. We consider a professional artist to be an artist who is actively pursuing a career in the arts, and who has invested in the development of their artistic skills, voice, and goals.
• Professional artists may have formal or informal training. We value all ways of knowing, learning and developing an artistic practice.
• Professional artists have shared, or are actively striving to share, their work publicly and be compensated for their work.
• Professional 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 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 process to demonstrate that collective members have equal and shared ownership and accountability for the vision, success and completion of the proposed project.
• A majority of collective members must be Calgary-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.

Collaborations with Artists

• We will consider applications from individuals working in the arts and culture sector who do not meet the definition of an individual artist or artist collective as long as they can demonstrate the below, and at the discretion of Calgary Arts Development staff:
  • Artists are core collaborators or participants in the planning, development and implementation of the project.
  • The project and budget provides financial and non-financial support to artists.
  • The applicant has a demonstrated history of working with artists and the arts sector.

Cultural Workers

• For the purposes of Calgary Arts Development programs, ‘cultural workers’ typically refers to individuals who make their living in the arts and cultural sector and contribute to the success of an artist or organization’s artistic work in a creative or technical capacity, but who are not necessarily leading the artistic vision of the work being created. This might include production team members, such as costume designer or cutter, sound designer/operator, lighting designer/operator, set designer, etc.
• We will consider applications from cultural workers as long as they are the lead artist for the creative process and artistic vision. The application and project should be primarily focused on their own artistic practice, vision and goals.

Please note that this program cannot accept applications from arts administrators, agents or managers, registered for-profit corporations or businesses, or registered not-for-profit organizations.

Calgary-based Artists 

While projects do not have to take place in Calgary, applicants must either be Calgary-based or be able to demonstrate that the majority of their work is accessible to the citizens of Calgary, and that they have a meaningful and ongoing relationship with the city and its artistic communities. We will also accept applications from Treaty 7 nation members living within Treaty 7 (Southern Alberta) as long as they can demonstrate a clear connection to Calgary/Mohkinsstsis communities. If you are not based in Calgary, please contact your program specialist to discuss your relationship with Calgary before applying.

All Artistic Disciplines & Forms

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.

All Newcomer Artists — Permanent Residency or Citizenship Not Necessary

We acknowledge that there are many artists who are new to the city of Calgary and may not be familiar with grant programs, eligibility or receiving funds from a public funder. It’s important to note that you do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to receive a grant, but you do need to be able to report on this grant to the 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.

Other Eligibility Requirements

• 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. We will not accept more than one application from the same account in the grant interface.
• A project may only be submitted by one applicant per program deadline (i.e. multiple members of the group cannot submit for the same project to the same program deadline).
• Projects (or distinct phases of a project) may only receive one grant in total from Calgary Arts Development, regardless of calendar year.
• You may reapply for the same project if a previous application was unsuccessful, regardless of calendar year.
• You may not apply to this program if you have final reports past their due date for prior grants.
• As of 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.

For more important information about eligibility, please refer to the Investment Program FAQ.

This program is intended to provide one-time project funding. Eligible applicants may apply to this program for one project, or one distinct phase of a larger project.

The Project Grant Program seeks to support projects that align with any of the following priority areas:

• Projects which support individual and collective artistic practices, including the research, creation, development, production, presentation or dissemination of artistic work, or the experimentation or development of new or adapted approaches to practice.
• Arts-centred projects which encourage everyday creativity, including cross-sector collaboration, creative economy, neighbourhood-level community initiatives, and youth initiatives.
• Projects which reflect and contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of Calgary’s arts sector and create opportunities for Calgarians to access artistic experiences.

Projects should have a clear start and end date, with a specific set of activities and goals.

Projects can begin before the application deadline, but they cannot be fully completed before the application deadline of May 10, 2023. Projects funded through this program must be completed by December 31, 2024.

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

Program Streams

When you apply, you will be asked to select one of two Program Streams.

Applicants should select the Program Stream that best fits the core goal and purpose of the project they are applying for. A description of each stream is shared below, along with examples of eligible project activities within each stream. The examples provided are not exclusive, so if you have questions about other potential eligible projects, please contact a program specialist to discuss before applying.

1. Create & Develop (for the creation and development of artistic work)

• Projects in this stream are primarily focused on the creation, development or research of artistic work. They may also include experimentation and learning.
• Projects in this stream will not result in something that will be shared with an audience or the general public at this time. It may eventually be shared publicly, but it is not part of the project timeline and goals for this grant application.
• Examples: research project, experimental processes, creating or developing new work, adapting previous work, pre-production or production processes, learning and development, etc.

2. Program & Present (for the sharing of artistic work)

• Projects in this stream include sharing your artistic work with the public, or raising awareness of your work, including marketing and selling. Projects in this stream could involve the creation and production of artistic work all the way through to presenting it to an audience.
• Projects in this stream will result in something that will be shared with an audience or the general public (online or in-person) as part of the project timeline and goals for this grant application.
• Examples: exhibitions, presentations, performances, releases, touring, publishing, distribution, marketing or selling, etc.

Eligible Expenses

Please ensure that your proposed project is eligible for this program first. Then you may refer to the below list for guidance on eligible expenses:

• Accessibility expenses
• Artist fees
• Professional fees (for example, fees paid to individuals offering professional services such as web design, publicity or marketing, financial, accounting or legal services)
• Technical fees (for example, web service fees, licensing fees)
• Honorariums
• Materials
• Course fees (for individual courses which do not count toward the pursuit of a credit, diploma or degree-granting program)
• Documentation
• Marketing, promotion, publicity or outreach
• Travel expenses
• Per diem (a fixed daily rate for meals and incidentals while not at your primary residence)
• Accommodation (while not at your primary residence)
• Subsistence expenses (ongoing monthly expenses such as rent, utilities, food, childcare, etc.)
• Rental of space
• Rental of equipment
• Purchase of equipment, including hardware and permanent software (up to $2,500 maximum; must be directly related to the completion and success of your project)

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 Activities

This program is not intended to support the following:

• Projects that are fully complete before the application deadline.
• Projects that have already received funding from another Calgary Arts Development grant program.
• Activities related to post-secondary or credit, degree or diploma 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 (for example, grant funding cannot be re-granted in the form of prizes or awards).
• Activities that do not comply with or respect cultural protocols.
• Activities or individuals that use or present Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge or stories without express permission from the community.
• Activities or individuals that willfully or in bad faith promote intolerance, hatred or hate speech with the purpose of inciting violence or harm.
• Activities that are illegal or contravene provincial or federal law, or municipal bylaws.
• 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
• Purchase of or financial contribution towards equipment, land or buildings over a total of $2,500 (capital expenditures)
• Purchase of any equipment not directly related to the project
• Tuition, or other costs related to the pursuit of post-secondary degree or diploma educational programs or artistic work related to those educational programs

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.

Artistic Impact 

1. The applicant shows a clear and in depth understanding of their artistic practice, artistic goals and what success will mean for them.

Community Connection

2. 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.

Planning

3. 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 is required to undertake the project and achieve their goals. This is demonstrated by a clear, achievable and well-supported application (for example, they have adequate experience and/or 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.

• Strongly Agree
• Agree
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

Applications to the program will be reviewed by an independent assessment committee made up of artist peers and community members. The membership of the peer assessment 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 Committees

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.

• Five to Seven-Member Committees: Each program stream will be assessed by a different committee. The volume of applications received will determine the number and size of committees required.
• Committee Membership: Individual artists and arts workers with experience and knowledge from a variety of artistic disciplines and practices, who actively participate in, experience and advocate for the work of the arts community.

Committee members must review, understand, and adhere to the Terms of Reference, Conflict of Interest Policy, the Program Guidelines, and to Calgary Arts Development’s Group Agreements.

Assessment Process

Applications will be assigned to assessment committees based on program stream. The number of applications received to each program stream will determine the number of assessment committees required to review all applications within that stream.

The total pool of funding available for the program this year is $2 million. This amount will be divided (prorated) across both of the program streams, based on the total requested grant amount received within each stream.

Assessment committees will review applications assigned to them in the online granting interface and evaluate each application according to the considerations outlined in the Program Considerations & Scoring section above.

Calgary Arts Development staff will download assessor evaluations into a scoresheet and assign numerical scores to the ratings. Each 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).

The committee will discuss applications in a meeting facilitated by the program specialist for individuals and collectives. 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. Partial funding may be allocated.

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.

If there are applications that are assessed equally but insufficient funds in the grant budget to support these applications, projects 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.

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.

Applicants will be asked to fill out a voluntary self-identification form, but all questions are optional. Applicants that self-identify as belonging to one or more of these equity priority groups are automatically considered for this equity measure.

Responses are not visible to assessors. Access to this information is limited to the research and impact team and the grant program staff at Calgary Arts Development.

​Voluntary self-identification information may 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.

We accept applications through an online grant platform called Smart Simple. If you don’t already have a Smart Simple account with us, you will need to create an account and set up your user profile before you can apply. Artist collectives must create a collective account that is separate from their individual account, then apply through their collective account. Please note: you cannot use the same email address for both your individual and collective account. You must use a unique email address for each.

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

The application process for this program will open on March 14, 2023.

In the Smart Simple grant platform you will need to ensure your ‘individual artist’ or ‘artist collective’ profile is filled out and up to date before you begin to apply and submit your grant application.

Your profile includes important information, such as:

• Contact Information (name, email, phone, mailing address)
• Years of Practice
• Artistic Discipline(s)
• Artistic Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Artistic Practice Statement (100-300 words)

Begin Your Application

To begin your application, login to the grant platform and select “Open Opportunities”. There you will see any grant programs that are currently open. 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.

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 $15,000 for individuals, up to $20,000 for collectives)
• Project Start and End Date 
• Primary Discipline 
  • Select the artistic discipline that is most relevant to this application.
• Program Stream
  • Select the program stream that best fits the core goal and purpose of your application: (1) Create & Develop or (2) Program & Present.
• Project Description (450 words max)
  • Describe your project including what will occur, when it will take place, where it will take place and who is involved.
• Artistic Impact explores the impact on your artistic work, practice or discipline. (450 words max)
  • Describe your artistic goals for this project and what success will mean for you.
  • How might this project impact your artistic work, practice or discipline(s)?
• Community Connection explores the impact on others during and after your project. (450 words max)
  • Describe the relationships or communities connected to this project. What are your relationship or community goals and what will success mean for you?
  • How might this project impact your relationships or community connections, either during or after?
• Project Budget 
  • Fill out the budget template. Include all relevant project expenses and revenues.
  • Use the notes section to describe each item in more detail, show your calculations, etc.
• Budget Support (upload)
  • Upload budget-related material to help support and demonstrate your budget estimates. For example, research, quotes, standard fee schedules, correspondence that confirms rates, past examples of revenue, etc.
• Project Timeline 
  • Include a timeline 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)
  • Upload material that will support and strengthen your application, and help assessors understand more about your artistic practice or project. For example: samples of work, mock-ups/drafts/works in progress, research material, confirmation or planning documents, letters of support, resumes or bios of collaborators or others involved, etc.
  • Note: Assessors will only be asked to review up to 10 minutes of support material for each applicant. They are reviewing many applications, so be succinct and ensure that what you are providing is clear and relevant.

Applicants will be notified of their results by email.

Notifications will be sent to the email address listed in your profile on the grant platform. If you do not receive an email notification by the date listed in the program guidelines, please check your junk/spam folder before reaching out to grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. It can also be helpful to add this email address to your email contact list, so that it is less likely to be filtered or blocked.

Successful applications

Successful applicants will be sent an investment agreement via Docusign and are required to sign and return the agreement within 30 days of receiving it 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 2023 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.

Final Reporting

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

In your final report, we would like to know:

• What you accomplished and how this changed or helped your goal. We are curious about any learnings or changes from your original proposal.
• 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.
• Optional: Anything else you’d like to share with Calgary Arts Development.

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

Unsuccessful applications

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

Applicants may reach out to staff to request feedback from the assessment committee on their application. We also welcome any feedback you may have on the application process.

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

Policies

Accommodation & Accessibility Policy

Application Assistance Policy

Deadline Extension Policy

Disclosure of Grant Information Policy

Other

Terms of Reference

Group Agreements

Equity Priority Group Descriptions

Frequently Asked Questions

Assessor Nomination Form