Accessibility: The quality of being obtainable, usable, reachable, and understandable.

Accommodation: An adjustment, modification, or adaptation in order to make something accessible.

Amateur Artist: An artist who does not intend to pursue a career in the arts, or who is not yet approaching their practice in a professional way, or who has not yet invested in the development of their artistic skills, voice, or goals.

Artist Collective: A group of artists who work together in an ad hoc, casual, or informal way; a group which is not formally registered as a non-profit society, or which does not intend to govern itself like a non-profit society.

Artistic Discipline: The type, form, medium, or intention of an artists work (visual art, dance, music, etc.)

Artistic Practice: The ways that an artist makes, understands, develops, creates, and shares their work.

Arts Administrator: An individual responsible for administrative, operational, infrastructural, financial, human resource or communications management for an arts organization.

Arts Organization: An organization whose primary mandate is the creation, preservation, development, education, or sharing of artistic work. Organizations may be formally registered as non-profit societies or charities, or may operate as a community based arts groups with ongoing programming and demonstrated governance and financial management.

Assessment: The process of reviewing applications to grant programs, usually in order to determine if they will be funded. Calgary Arts Development primarily uses assessment committees made up of artistic peers and community members to determine successful applications.

Community: For the purpose of our programs, we define community as those who view, participate, collaborate, engage, or benefit from your work. These may include audiences, participants, students, artists, or partners, or broader communities aligned around shared identities or goals.

Cultural Worker: For the purposes of our programs, cultural workers refers to professionals who make their living in the arts and cultural sector on a freelance, gig, event or short-term contract basis such as designers, dramaturgs, stage managers, technicians, and production crews. This does not include arts administrators, event hospitality workers, or individuals who are on salaried or full-time, permanent contracts.

Diversity: Describes the wide range of identities of the people that live in a community, including gender, sexuality, age, class, religion, beliefs, nation, physical, neurological, cognitive, and Mad identities, etc.

Equity: An approach to diversity in which differences among all people in a community are accommodated on an individual basis and historical exclusions and systemic barriers that are unique to diverse peoples are taken into account.

Expenses: The sum of all financial and in-kind resources spent.

Final Report: Submitted after the completion of the work outlined in the grant application. Final reports allow Calgary Arts Development to learn about the successes, challenges, and learnings resulting from the grant investment. This helps us tell the story of the arts in Calgary and develop programs which help us serve our communities better.

Financial Statements: The formal record of financial activities, including a balance sheet and a statement of operations. The balance sheet is a statement of assets and liabilities for a fiscal year, and the statement of operations is a statement of revenues and expenses for a fiscal year.

Governance: The way that an organization makes and implements decisions about how it operates, manages resources, and plans for the future. Many organizations manage their governance through a non-profit board, or through an advisory group with clear accountabilities.

Grant: Investment of public dollars that does not need to be repaid, but which require commitments like final reports in exchange for the money.

Inclusion: A sense of belonging, which allows people to engage with and contribute within a community or environment.

In-Kind: Goods, services, or transactions not involving money or not measured in monetary terms. In-kind revenue or expenses may be captured in financial documents as the relative value of the item.

Individual Artist: An artist who primarily creates their work on their own.

Interim Report: Submitted annually during a multi-year grant investment. Interim reports allow Calgary Arts Development to learn about the successes, challenges, and learnings resulting from the grant investment, as well as measure the risks of ongoing investments. This helps us tell the story of the arts in Calgary and develop programs which help us serve our communities better.

Professional Artist: 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 training, have shared their work publicly, have been compensated for their work, and have a relationship with their artistic communities and peers.

Project: Has a distinct beginning and end date for all activities, and which has its own distinct goals.

Revenues: The sum of all financial and in-kind resources gained.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT?

Calgary Arts Development offers grant programs for arts organizations, individual artists, and artist collectives in Calgary. Eligibility criteria can vary by program. Please review the program guidelines to see if you are eligible.

If you are still unsure, please contact us at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.476.2031.

I’M NOT BASED IN CALGARY. CAN I APPLY?

If you are an arts organization, individual artist, or artist collective not based in Calgary, you must demonstrate that the majority of your work is accessible to the citizens of Calgary, and that you have a meaningful and ongoing relationship with the city and its artistic communities.

If you would like to discuss your eligibility and relationship with Calgary, please contact your program specialist.

I AM A NEWCOMER TO CANADA. CAN I APPLY?

You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in order to apply to our programs. We are required to issue a T4A form for income tax purposes for all grants to individuals, so you do need to be able to report income to the CRA. If you do not have a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) you can apply for a Individual Tax Number (ITN). Please contact the CRA for more information about the ITN process. For more information about taxes and your grant, please see below.

DO I NEED TO PAY TAXES ON GRANTS I RECEIVE FROM CALGARY ARTS DEVELOPMENT?

If you are an individual (or representing a group of artists that is not registered as a non-profit) and you receive more than $500 from Calgary Arts Development in a single tax year, Calgary Arts Development is required to issue a T4A Form for the full amount you received in that year.

Under the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, only the amount of money that you pay yourself from the grant amount is taxable as income.

In order to show that the remaining grant amount was spent on materials, rentals, paying other artists, etc. you should track all of your expenses, keep your receipts, and have written proof of payment to artists. If you have any questions about how to track your expenses, please let us know.

We always advise talking to a tax professional if you have specific questions.

DOES CALGARY ARTS DEVELOPMENT HAVE A STANDARD DEFINITION FOR ‘EMERGING ARTIST’, ‘MID CAREER ARTIST’ OR ‘ESTABLISHED ARTIST’?

No! These definitions can be completely different based on artistic discipline, type of practice, and individual experiences. Our programs are open to any artist at any stage of their artistic career. We ask applicants to tell us where they are in their practices, and what their unique and individual opportunities or challenges are.

If you would like to discuss the best way to share about your practice, please contact your program specialist.

WHAT TYPE OF ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES DOES CALGARY ARTS DEVELOPMENT FUND?

We accept applications 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.

If you would like to discuss your artistic discipline and where it fits, please contact your program specialist.

CAN I APPLY IF I AM UNDER 18?

Artists under the age of 18 may apply if they can demonstrate the below:

• They have permission from their legal guardian.
• They are working in their artistic discipline in a serious, intentional, and ongoing way.
• They are able to speak about their artistic practice in their own voice.
• They are able to accept and manage the grant funds personally.

Please contact your program specialist before applying to discuss.

HOW SHOULD I DECIDE HOW MUCH MONEY TO ASK FOR?

It is up to you to make the best case for funding in your application, so do your research and be realistic in your request. What will it actually cost to do what you are proposing to do? What do you actually need in order to achieve your vision? Start by calculating your expenses, rather than just subtracting from the maximum request amount. If you need assistance, reach out to your program specialist.

It is not necessarily helpful to ask for more than what you need and hope to get less. If your project can be scaled, make sure to explicitly state where you could cut expenses or provide an alternate budget. Assessors won’t be able to guess!

They also cannot recommend an amount higher than what you requested, so we also don’t suggest asking for less than what you need, as that might not show the greatest potential for impact. In most cases, we encourage the assessment committees to recommend full funding requests, unless they see a major concern.

HOW DO I GET HELP ON MY APPLICATION?

Please contact your program specialist at any time to ask questions or request feedback on your application. It is most helpful to ask specific questions or direct the specialist’s attention to a specific part of your application. Program specialists can only provide feedback up to one week before the grant application deadline.

For some programs we are now able to offer application assistance. This means you may be eligible for assistance to pay someone to help you complete an application if you need it. For example, applicants who are Deaf, hard of hearing, speak another language, have a disability or are living with a mental illness. Please reach out to your program specialist to inquire.

I DON’T THINK I CAN SUBMIT MY APPLICATION BY THE DEADLINE

We have a Deadline Extension Policy for our programs outlining the circumstances in which we will offer a deadline extension. Deadline extension requests must be received in writing by email before 9:00am MT on the day of the deadline. We will respond in writing and outline your new deadline and terms.

We suggest opening a draft of your application in the online grant interface and reaching out to your program specialist as early as possible to ensure that you are prepared. However, we understand that sometimes things come up. We may consider granting an extension on the day of the deadline if you are able to provide a compelling explanation of why you aren’t able to submit on time.

CAN I FAX, MAIL, OR EMAIL MY APPLICATION?

No. We only accept applications through the online granting interface. If you are applying to an individual artist program please note that you must use a personal account, rather than applying through an organizational account you may also manage.

If you experience a barrier to access or apply through the online granting interface, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.476.2031 to talk about our Accessibility and Accommodation Policy.

I JUST APPLIED FOR A GRANT. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Your program specialist will review all grant applications for eligibility, completeness, and clarity. They may contact you if there is anything missing, or if they need clarity. In some cases, they will send your application back to draft for you to make changes and resubmit. Please ensure that your contact information is correct in your application so that they can reach you if needed!

Once your application is reviewed, it will be moved to assessment. Some programs are assessed in two phases. Please review the program guidelines for specifics about the assessment process. In general, it will take between four to eight weeks after the program deadline to receive notification of your results by email.

Please ensure that grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com has been added to your safe list, and check your spam folder as sometimes it gets filtered.

CAN I CALL TO RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF MY APPLICATION?

No, Calgary Arts Development staff cannot inform you of program results by phone. Formal notifications are sent by email. To find out specifically when your results are expected, please review the program guidelines. Please ensure that your email address is correct in your application.

MY APPLICATION WAS SUCCESSFUL! HOW WILL I RECEIVE FUNDING?

You will receive an investment agreement outlining the terms of your grant. Once you have reviewed, signed, and returned your investment agreement to us, we will issue you a cheque that will be delivered by mail or held for pick-up at our office. Depending on the program, some grants can be delivered by direct deposit.

It may take a few weeks to prepare your cheque or direct deposit.

AFTER I RECEIVE FUNDING, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I HAVE TO DO?

All programs have a final reporting process, which we accept through the online granting interface. Please review the program guidelines and investment agreement for your reporting requirements.

All organizations and individuals that receive funding must acknowledge Calgary Arts Development and The City of Calgary on their marketing materials. Calgary Arts Development logos and usage guidelines are available at calgaryartsdevelopment.com/logos. Contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for The City of Calgary logos.

CAN I GET FEEDBACK ON MY APPLICATION?

Yes! If you request feedback, we will send you a summary of the notes taken at assessment meetings that capture the assessors’ perspectives on your application, according to the program criteria. We may also provide staff perspective on your application. If you prefer, we can also provide feedback in person.

There are many factors in assessment, including the competitive total number of applicants and total request amounts. These notes are not meant to serve as the direct reason or rationale for any outcomes of the assessment. They aren’t necessarily an indication of how future assessors might review an application. We encourage you to use feedback to reflect on and consider how you are telling your story and making a case for funding.

Please note that compiling feedback takes time. In most cases, we will try to provide a timeline for when feedback will be delivered. We will prioritize offering feedback to applicants who were unsuccessful over applicants who were successful. We will also prioritize offering feedback to applicants who have an upcoming Calgary Arts Development grant deadline.

MY APPLICATION WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. CAN I APPEAL THIS DECISION?

Calgary Arts Development’s investment programs are very competitive. Assessment committees work to fairly and thoughtfully recommend grant dollars through the criteria, scoring matrix, and facilitated assessment meetings.

In many cases, applications that were not successful would have been funded if there had been enough money in the pool. For this reason, one-time funding programs such as Project Grants do not have an appeals policy. Only programs which distribute dollars through multi-year agreements such as the Operating Grant which may affect an organization’s ongoing operations have an Appeals Policy.

IF YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE APPLIED BEFORE

Please log in with your previous email and password. Do not create a new account, as it will not give you access to your previous grant applications. If you forget your password, you can reset it from the main log in page. If you forgot which email address you used, contact us.

If you are new to your organization or taking over from a previous account holder, contact us before creating a new account. We will assign you to your organization and make sure that you have access to the previous applications.

Any changes to the organizational contact information or to the primary contact will need to be made by our staff. For help, contact us at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.476.2031

IF YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE NOT APPLIED BEFORE

You can create a new account from the main log in page. You will be asked to create an ‘organization’ profile. If you are an individual artist, your organization can simply be your last name.

HOW DO I START AN APPLICATION?

Log in to the online granting interface. Click “Apply” on the top menu and then click on the program you’re applying for. Be sure to click on the paragraph heading and not the URL at the bottom, which will direct you back to the grant information page.

Unless specifically directed in the program guidelines or by your program specialist, you don’t need to enter an access code to open an application.

WHEN I LOG ON, IT DOESN’T WORK—WHAT’S WRONG?

First, be sure that you’ve logged in to the granting interface. Our online granting interface works best with Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser, and is less compatible with Safari and Internet Explorer. Make sure you are using a compatible browser and that you have its most recent updates installed.

If you still experience problems, try clearing all of your browser data (cookies and cache especially). If that doesn’t solve the problem, please contact us at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.476.2031.

HOW DO I FIND MY OLD GRANT APPLICATIONS?

You can view all of your grant applications from 2009 on by logging into the online granting interface. If you can’t see them, let us know.

If you are looking for applications from before 2009, please contact us at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.476.2031.

CAN I SAVE A GRANT APPLICATION AND WORK ON IT LATER?

Yes. There is a “Save” button at the bottom of each application page. Please save your work frequently. Many people prefer to work in a word processor outside of the interface and then copy it in all at once.

I’M GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE WHEN I TRY TO SAVE OR SUBMIT MY APPLICATION

The easiest thing to do is to log out and back in again. In many cases, it is because the attachment has not properly uploaded to the server.

Please note that if you haven’t saved recently, you may lose your work if you do log out, so it is a good idea to keep a copy in word document.

If you still receive an error message, please contact us.

WHAT IF MY SUPPORT MATERIAL WILL NOT UPLOAD TO THE GRANT INTERFACE?

Check to see if your document is too large or if it is the wrong file type. We are unable to accept video or audio files through the interface.

Contact us at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com for further troubleshooting.

HOW CAN I SUBMIT VIDEO OR AUDIO FILES?

We suggest uploading your file to sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Soundcloud or Bandcamp and then providing the link. If you would prefer to keep your file private, you can upload privately and then provide the password if required.

We do not accept files linked from Google Drive, as it can be challenging for us to ensure the assessment committee’s anonymity. If you prefer, we will accept Dropbox links.

Please contact the team at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with questions.

HOW WILL I KNOW YOU RECEIVED MY APPLICATION?

Once you click the submit button, the grant interface will state that your application has been submitted. Your granting interface dashboard should then list your application as submitted, not as a draft. You will also receive an automated email from the online grant interface.

Please note that your program specialist may return your application to draft to make changes. You will be notified of this by email and given a deadline to re-submit. If your application is returned to draft, you must click the submit button again once you have made your changes.

HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER TO SIT ON AN ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE?

Calgary Arts Development takes public nominations for its assessment committees throughout the year. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please complete the Assessor Nomination form.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHO HAS PARTICIPATED ON AN ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE IN THE PAST?

We publish a list of individuals who served on a peer assessment committee each year as part of our Accountability Report.

WHY ARE YOUR PROGRAMS PEER ASSESSED?

Peer assessment committees ensure that Calgary Arts Development is fairly and responsibly distributing public dollars to artists and organizations on behalf of the citizens of Calgary. Our peer assessment committees bring their experience, knowledge, skill sets, and perspectives through assessment meetings to identify the best opportunities for the arts sector. They help our staff deepen their understanding and view of the sector.

CAN I UPLOAD MY CADAC FORMS INSTEAD OF THE CADA STANDARD FORMS?

Yes, if you submit CADAC forms to other granting organizations, you may export an XLS or XLSX copy of your CADAC forms and upload them to your application. Please make a note of the required fiscal years in the Calgary Arts Development forms and ensure that your CADAC form includes those columns.

CAN I UPLOAD OUR OWN PROGRAMMING LIST INSTEAD OF FILLING OUT THE STANDARD PROGRAMMING FORM?

Filling out the standard form is mandatory for all applicants. Collecting all of our applicants’ information in a consistent way allows us to tell the story of your impact most effectively. Details about your activities that are not captured in the form can be shared in the written description section.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON ISSUES OR CAUSES FOR FOLLOW-UP ON THE FORMS?

Financial Form 

• The revenues, expenses, and surplus/deficit in the first column of your financial form (last completed fiscal year) should match what is stated in your financial statements.

Statistical Form

• The total number of public activities for each fiscal year stated in your programming form should equal the total number of public activities (line 227) + the total number of arts education activities (line 276) + the total number of conferences and symposia (line 304) stated in your statistical form.
• Please ensure that you indicate total number of volunteer hours as well as the total number of volunteers.
• Please do not include rehearsals in your statistical and programming forms. We are tracking activities which are open to the public.
• When counting audience numbers, please include intentional and active audiences only. For example, please do not include estimates of walk-by traffic.

Programming Form

• When counting activities, count only the discrete and intentional ticketed events, admissions or entrances. For example, count only the three days of your festival, not each individual performer.
• Please complete the address and postal code lines of this form. We use this information to map arts activities across Calgary.
• The total number of public activities for each fiscal year stated in your programming form should equal the total number of public activities (line 227) + the total number of arts education activities (line 276) + the total number of conferences and symposia (line 304) stated in your statistical form.
• The intention of the “Communities Served” field is to identify where programming has been specifically and intentionally developed to serve the indigenous, multicultural, disability, LGBTQIA2S+, or other specific communities. If your programming is open to the general public, please leave this section blank.

HOW CAN I GET HELP ON MY REPORTING?

Contact the community investment and impact team at grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. They can provide training on using the forms, offer advice on how to track throughout the year, and provide suggestions for where to count your activities and statistics.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION, CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS:

What is important to you?

Consider your artistic goals. How will this project help you achieve your artistic goals, and why is now the best time to pursue it?

What is feasible for you?

If you receive this funding, what activities will you be able to realistically and meaningfully complete?

What don’t you know?

Don’t be afraid to be honest about the challenges or barriers you might experience in your career as an artist or in your artistic practice. What are the areas you need to invest in, such as professional or artistic development, experimentation, or risk-taking?

Who are your communities?

Who is the audience for your work? It could be people who share the same goals or values, people who engage with or see your work, or people who work in your artistic community. Defining your community will allow you to best understand what it means to have an impactful relationship with them.

IF I APPLY TO THE ORIGINAL PEOPLES INVESTMENT PROGRAM, WILL I BE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO OTHER PROGRAMS THIS YEAR?

Yes, you will also be able to apply for and receive a grant from any other program you’re eligible for. The only limit is that you cannot receive more than one grant for the same project. For example, if you are successful in the Original Peoples Investment Program you could apply for the Project Grant, but not for the same project.

You could apply for an entirely different project or for a completely different phase of the same project, but there can’t be overlapping expenses. If you are not successful in the Original Peoples Investment Program, then you could apply to the Project Grant for the same project.

I CAN’T DECIDE IF I SHOULD APPLY TO THE NEW VOICES OR NEXT STEPS STREAM

There is no right or wrong choice! Think about how you honestly feel about where you are with your art right now, and what you think is the most effective way to understand it.

WHAT IF I AM INVOLVED IN MORE THAN ONE PROJECT?

We will only accept one application per person, per project. If you are involved in other projects that are also applying, other individuals must take the responsibility for those projects.

CAN I APPLY FOR A PROJECT THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED?

We will accept applications for projects so long as the planned activities are less than half-finished by the time of the program deadline. We will not consider projects or initiatives that have taken place before the deadline.

MY PROJECT IS REALLY PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL, WHY DO I NEED TO TALK ABOUT MY COMMUNITY CONNECTION?

In our discussions with our Indigenous Artist Advisory a common theme was around the power of community to heal. While we know that many artistic practices may not necessarily put a primary focus on community engagement, we want to open a conversation for every application to say what community means for them, and how they think their art contributes to that community.

HOW WILL THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS BE CHOSEN?

In 2020, applications to this program will be reviewed by a peer assessment committee made up of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists and artistic community members. There will be two committees—one for the New Voices stream and one for the Next Steps stream.

Each person on the committee will be asked to read and review each application according to the program criteria, then they will discuss the applications in person and make final grant recommendations. The specialist for Indigenous programs is responsible for facilitating these discussions and ensuring that the conversations are fair, unbiased, and appreciative.

I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE WRITING OR TALKING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA. HOW CAN I STILL APPLY?

We are open to you choosing someone else to speak on your behalf in the oral submission. If you are having trouble finding someone willing to do this for you, we can help (provided you give us a lot of notice). The ultimate responsibility for your application will still be yours, so it will be up to you to ensure that you adequately prepare any helpers to speak on your behalf.

CAN I APPLY FOR A PROJECT THAT PARTNERS WITH A NON-INDIGENOUS OR NON-FNMI ARTIST OR ORGANIZATION?

Yes! This program is about forging and strengthening connections between everyone who lives in Treaty 7. That being said, we are only allowing FNMI artists and organizations to be the main applicants.

SHOULD I APPLY FOR $10,000? WILL I HAVE A BETTER CHANCE IF I APPLY FOR LESS?

Usually, your planning will not be as strong if you start at $10,000 and work backwards. Instead, we encourage applicants to first think about a project that will fall within the general range of under $10,000. Imagine how you think the project would run ideally, and then build your budget off of that.

If you go over $10,000 then you can reconsider the scope of your project, look for where you can cut costs, or think about other funding to supplement your overall budget. Your best chances are to apply with the project you’ve done the best planning for.

WHAT IF MY PROJECT COSTS MORE THAN $10,000?

You will have to show how you will fund the remaining expenses, either through fundraising, other grants or sponsorships, or your own personal money. It is okay if you are applying for additional funding outside of this program, but it won’t be confirmed before the deadline. If you do as much as you can to show that you’ve done the proper planning, the Community Circle will be asked to make decisions based on the assumption that you have any additional expenses covered.

CAN I USE THIS FUNDING FOR TUITION FOR A WORKSHOP, TRAINING COURSE, RESIDENCY, ETC.?

Yes, so long as you can directly link those experiences to your project. The only tuition or course fees we will not fund are for post-secondary degree-granting programs.

DO I NEED TO PAY TAXES ON THIS GRANT?

If you are an individual or representing a group of artists that is not registered as a non-profit, Calgary Arts Development is required to issue a T4A Form for the full amount you receive from this program.

Under the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, only the amount of money that you pay yourself from the grant amount is taxable as income. In order to show that the remaining grant amount was spent on materials, rentals, paying other artists, etc. you should track all of your expenses, keep your receipts, and have written proof of payment to artists. If you have any questions about how to track your expenses, please let us know.

We are currently looking at providing workshops with tax experts to help artists prepare their tax documents as there are implications for both on and off reserve artists.

IF I MAKE A MISTAKE OR MISS SOMETHING IN MY APPLICATION, WILL IT STILL BE ACCEPTED?

If we can see that information is missing because of a mistake or a simple omission, we will usually follow up with you and give you a chance to make adjustments.

MY PROPOSED ACTIVITY WILL INCLUDE PUBLIC GATHERING OR TRAVEL. WHAT DO I DO?

If your proposed activity requires any aspect of public gathering or travel you must follow all COVID-19 related guidelines and restrictions (i.e. restrictions or recommendations on gatherings, social distancing, availability and rules for venues or spaces, travel restrictions and recommendations, mandatory quarantine periods, etc.). You will need to make a strong case for feasibility and concreteness by clearly demonstrating that your proposed activity can and will occur before June 30, 2021, especially if it involves any elements that may be directly influenced by current and ongoing COVID-19 related guidelines and restrictions. Please include any relevant considerations and necessary contingency plans in your application.

If your proposed activity is cancelled or postponed beyond June 30, 2021 due to a foreseeable restriction, you may be asked to return the grant funds. If you have questions or concerns about your proposed activities please contact the program specialist.

WHAT IS AN ARTISTIC RESUME OR CV AND HOW IS IT USED IN THIS PROGRAM?

An artistic resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is a clear list of experiences relevant to your artistic practice. Depending on your artistic discipline it might include education, training, workshops, residencies, works produced, commissions, awards and grants, past solo or group performances, exhibitions, publications, or engagements, media or bibliography, professional affiliations, etc.

There are many formats for resumes and CVs and some are discipline-specific. For the purposes of this program, simplicity and readability are more important than fancy formatting. Be sure to include important information such as dates, locations, and a very brief description of each experience, if it isn’t already apparent in the title.

A resume or CV can be a helpful tool for assessors to view alongside the written Introduction to your Artistic Practice, in order to better understand your artistic history, achievements, growth work and community.

WORD COUNTS AND CHARACTER COUNTS

We have provided a maximum word count for each written section of the application. This should be considered the maximum, not the goal. If you do not need to use up the word count to make your case, don’t feel compelled to fill space. However, it is important to provide enough information for assessors to understand your practice, activities and goals so be thoughtful, clear and specific.

In the application online you will notice that our granting portal counts characters instead of words, so those ranges have been converted for you (i.e. 100 words is approximately 1,000 characters).

IF I ALREADY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM CALGARY ARTS DEVELOPMENT LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR FROM ANOTHER PROGRAM, AM I STILL ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO THE MICROGRANT PROGRAM?

Yes, you are still eligible to apply to the microgrant if you received a grant from another program, but you cannot receive more than one Calgary Arts Development grant for the same project or activity. You could apply for an entirely different activity or for a completely different phase of the same activity, but there can’t be overlapping expenses. If you are unsuccessful in a previous application, you may reapply with the same activity, as long as it is eligible within the program guidelines.

CAN I APPLY FOR AN ACTIVITY THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED?

We will accept applications for activities that have already started, so long as the planned activities are not fully complete by the time of the program deadline; Activities which will be fully completed before the application deadline of February 16, 2021 are not eligible. Remember, activities funded through this program must be completed by June 30, 2021.

HOW WILL THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS BE CHOSEN?

Applications to this program will be reviewed online by a peer assessment committee between January 11th and mid-March. Each person on the committee will be asked to read and review applications according to basic program eligibility as well as the three program criteria: relevance, impact and feasibility. They will provide numerical ratings for each of the criteria statements outlined in the program guidelines, resulting in a total possible score of 40. Each application will be evaluated by at least 6 assessors.

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.

SHOULD I APPLY FOR $2,500? WILL I HAVE A BETTER CHANCE IF I APPLY FOR LESS?

We encourage applicants to apply for activities that fall within the general range of under $2,500 and budget for what they realistically need to complete the activity. Imagine how that activity would run ideally, and then build your budget off of that.

If you go over $2,500 then you might reconsider the scope of your proposed activities, look for where you can cut costs, or think about other funding to supplement your overall budget. Your best chances are to apply with the activity you’ve done the best planning for.

WHAT IF MY PROPOSED ACTIVITY COSTS MORE THAN $2,500?

You will have to show how you will fund the remaining expenses, either through fundraising, other grants or sponsorships, or your own personal money. If you are applying for additional funding outside of this program but it won’t be confirmed before the deadline, do your best to demonstrate that you have done the proper planning. The assessment committee will be encouraged to make decisions based on the assumption that you have any additional expenses covered, but having many pending revenues may impact the committee’s evaluation of urgency and feasibility.

If something changes with regard to confirmations after you submit your application, please let us know immediately as we may be able to make updates depending on where we are at in the assessment process.

DO I NEED TO PAY TAXES ON THIS GRANT?

If you are an individual or representing a group of artists that is not registered as a non-profit, Calgary Arts Development is required to issue a T4A Form for the full amount you receive from this program for the tax year in which funding is administered.

Under the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, only the amount of money that you pay yourself from the grant amount is taxable as income. In order to show that the remaining grant amount was spent on materials, rentals, paying other artists, etc. you should track all of your expenses, keep your receipts, and have written proof of payment to artists. If you have any questions about how to track your expenses, please let us know. We always advise talking to a tax professional if you have specific questions.

WHY IS THERE A LIMIT ON THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHEN REQUESTING THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT?

Land, buildings (space), and equipment are considered capital expenditures, which is why there is a maximum dollar limit that Calgary Arts Development is able to grant to artists for the purchase of these expenses. The dollar limit may vary between programs.

This program allows applicants to request up to $1,000 towards the purchase of equipment (including software and hardware) that is necessary to share work in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Equipment expenses, such as a laptop, camera, lighting equipment, machinery, etc. outlast the duration of the project or activity, unlike materials or supplies which are used up during the project or activity. There is however, no cap on the amount that can be requested for the rental of space or equipment.

If you make a request for the purchase of a capital expense, such as equipment, approach it the same way you would make any other request; demonstrate a strong and clear case for it. For example, first explain why you need this particular equipment and how it will impact your proposed activity, artistic development or practice. Then it will be important to make a case for why you should own the equipment versus renting it. Consider what the cost difference is, if it’s for short-term project use or a long term investment, how it will be used in the future to continue to help you, if it will create opportunities for future sharing, etc.

WHY IS THIS GRANT PROGRAM ONLY BEING OFFERED ONCE?

Funding for this microgrant program was made possible with donations from Calgary Arts Foundation, Calgary Foundation, an anonymous donor to the Edmonton Community Foundation, RBC, and the Palmer Family Foundation. Since these are one-time private donations we cannot guarantee this program will occur again in future grant years. We thank these donors for their generous support. We will be evaluating this program and the impact of the investments made to determine if similar programs will be valuable in the future.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF EQUITY PRIORITY GROUPS?

Calgary Arts Development acknowledges that there are many barriers to access and full participation in our society, sector and granting programs that have historically disadvantaged some groups over others. In order to help address underserved individuals and communities who have experienced barriers to funding and access to opportunities in our arts sector, we have identified equity priority groups. We have also adopted a specific equity measure for the microgrant program, which is explained in the program guidelines. 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.

Equity priority groups and equity processes, policies and measures will continue to change and be adapted as needed based on ongoing evaluation, community engagement and feedback, changing population, funding gaps, responses to the arts sector, etc. This is an iterative process that is intended to be responsive. 

Full program guidelines and FAQ will be released as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact Marta Ligocki, Specialist for Arts Organizations by emailing marta.ligocki@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Full program guidelines and FAQ will be released as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact Taylor Poitras, Specialist, Individuals and Collectives Programs, at 403.264.5330 ext.215 or taylor.poitras@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.