GrantOntarioWorking Capital

Artists in Communities and Schools Projects

The program supports the research, development and realization of community-engaged arts projects in Ontario. Activities involve professional Ontario artists and community members working together to design, develop and realize collective creative experiences.

Offered by Ontario Arts Council (OAC)

Amount

Planning: maximum $7,500; Project: maximum $12,500; Two-year project: maximum $20,000; plus up to $3,000 in additional funds in any category for mentorship costs of both mentees and mentors

Quick eligibility check

Years in business
No minimum stated
Employees
No limit stated
Revenue
No limit stated
Legal structure
Sole proprietor, non-profit, other
Location
Ontario

Who can apply

  1. professional artists, including co-applicants, who are Ontario residents
  2. ad hoc groups and collectives that have 50 per cent of its members residing in Ontario
  3. Ontario-based not-for-profit arts organizations and non-arts organizations
  4. school boards not partnered in OAC’s Artists in Residence (Education) program (for artist fees and travel expenses only)
  5. schools run by First Nations or Indigenous education authorities

Important

: Non-arts organizations, schools run by First Nations or Indigenous education authorities, and school boards must have an arts partner. Arts partners can be professional artists, arts collectives, ad hoc arts groups, or arts organizations.

Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.

The activity for which you are requesting funding:

  1. cannot start before the deadline
  2. cannot finish before you receive your grant results
  3. must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant results

Important: If your project has a public launch, it must not be scheduled to open to the public before you receive your grant results.

About the funding

The program has three categories:

  1. Planning: to help cover the costs of co-planning and co-designing community-engaged arts projects.
  2. Project: to help cover the costs of realizing community-engaged arts projects.
  3. Two-year project: This category is available to community-engaged arts collectives and organizations that have received two or more OAC project grants through community-engaged arts or arts education grant programs within the last five years. Activities must take place over the period of two years.
Show all funding details

Mentorship

: up to $3,000 in additional funds are available in any category to cover the costs involved in mentoring professional artists from OAC priority groups, to build their skills and experience in project planning and/or facilitating community-engaged arts projects.

  1. Applicants may be either mentors or mentees.
  2. Mentees must be professional artists and members of at least one OAC priority group.
  3. The names of mentors and mentees must be included in the application along with artistic examples of their work and their CVs.
  4. Planning: maximum $7,500
  5. Project: maximum $12,500
  6. Two-year project: maximum $20,000

Important

:

Up to $3,000 in additional funds are available in any category for mentorship costs of both mentees and mentors.

  1. projects that actively include community participants in the creation and production of artistic works
  2. artists’ fees
  3. support specialist fees (including translators, Elders, therapists, etc.)
  4. honoraria for project participants
  5. snack and beverage expenses for participants
  6. travel expenses
  7. venue or studio rental
  8. purchase of small-scale equipment, software, electronics and similar materials required to carry out the project
  9. materials costs
  10. administrative costs associated with the artists or arts ad hoc group, collective or organization only
  11. marketing, outreach and promotion expenses
  12. childcare and other dependant care fees enabling individuals to take part in the project (this does not include regular, ongoing expenses)
  13. expenses related to making the project accessible to audience members and project participants (other than the applicant) who are Deaf or have a disability
  • Note: Applicants to this program who identify as Deaf or as having a disability may apply for supplementary funds for their own accessibility expenses through Accessibility Fund: Project Support.

Similar programs

ProgramTypeAmountStatus
Exhibition AssistanceGrantUp to $2,000Open
Indigenous Artists in Communities and Schools ProjectsGrantIndigenous Artists in Communities: maximum $15,000Open
Indigenous Visual Artists’ MaterialsGrantGrants of $500 or $1,000 to help cover the cost of buying art materials and supplies onlyOpen