Equity & Access in the Arts — Stream 1: Exploration & Experimentation

Who can apply

The purpose of the program is to invest in a thriving and diverse arts community in Edmonton by supporting Edmonton based artists and collectives from communities that face barriers to access. This includes, but is not limited to, groups whose members are treated differently because of systemic barriers that disadvantage people based on their Indigenous heritage, racialized backgrounds, identifying as Deaf or having a disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and/or immigration status.

Individuals must:

1. Have an existing and committed practice in any arts discipline (including but not limited to customary and contemporary Indigenous or other cultural work) or have a history of other professional activity in the arts sector.
2. Be 18 years of age or older.
3. Be a resident of Edmonton / amiskwaciy- waskâhikan at the time of the application and for the duration of the project. This includes the City of Edmonton and the Indigenous communities of Enoch Cree Nation, Alexander First Nation, Paul First Nation and Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation (artists may be asked to provide proof of residency).
4. Have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) – grants are considered taxable income.
5. *NEW Individuals or collectives may only have one grant active at a time. Applicants must finish any previous projects and submit their final reports before applying for new funding.
6. *If you applied to Individuals & Collectives Winter 2026, you can also apply for this opportunity. However, if your Individuals & Collectives Winter 2026 grant is approved for funding, EAC staff will advise you to withdraw your application from the Equity & Access 2026 program.

WHAT ELSE TO CONSIDER WHEN APPLYING

1. The EAC will accept only one submission per applicant, per deadline.
2. An individual may be a part of more than one collective.
3. An individual who is part of more than one collective may not be the primary applicant on more than one application.

Stream 1 supports an Individual artist to work on creation, experimentation, or research activities.

The applicant must present an overall direction for what artistic goals they intend to pursue. There should not be a commitment to a specific production, presentation, or dissemination of any resulting work. While an application to this stream does not need to be for new work, it must meaningfully expand the process or goals of the work proposed.

Stream 1 does not support projects by collectives. Projects that involve a collective should determine if their project aligns best with Stream 2 or Stream 3.

• Project start date must be after the application deadline.