We’ve rounded up this list of grants, with opportunities from coast to coast. The roundup includes grants for everyone from emerging artists and students pursuing a career in the arts to professional artists practicing in various disciplines.
You can follow along on Twitter, using the hashtag #grantsforcreators. If we’ve missed a grant, please let us know via email.
FEDERAL GRANTS
Canada Council for the Arts
Explore and Create
Explore and Create funds Canadian artists, artistic groups, and organizations committed to the creation and dissemination of innovative, vibrant, and diverse art. This program advances Canadian artistic practices by encouraging artists to investigate creative processes and take risks that lead to the development of unique works destined to connect with the public. Explore and Create supports the research, development, creation, and production of work, as well as professional development for artists.
Program Components:
Professional Development for Artists Up to $10,000
Research and Creation Up to $25,000
Concept to Realization Up to $60,000 a year, exceptionally up to $100,000 (Composite requests are to a maximum of $300,000 over 3 years)
Artist-Driven Organizations Up to 60% of your total annual revenues, averaged over the last 3 years
Deadlines vary.
Engage and Sustain
Engage and Sustain fosters a vibrant foundation for the arts in Canada by supporting arts organizations at the heart of Canada’s creative communities.
This program funds organizations that are dedicated to developing excellence in arts practice, advancing the arts through programming, and exposing a diverse public to a range of artists and creative works.
Program Components:
Artistic Catalysts Up to 50% of your total annual revenues, averaged over the last 3 years
Artistic Institutions Up to 25% of your total annual revenues, averaged over the last 3 years
Deadline varies.
Supporting Artistic Practice
Supporting Artistic Practice encourages a dynamic support system for the arts in Canada by funding Canadian arts professionals, groups, and arts organizations who champion the Canadian arts sector, boost the capacity for artists to realize work, and advance the conditions of creation. Supporting Artistic Practice contributes to the growing network of resources available to strengthen the arts and inspires sector innovation by supporting collaboration, targeted initiatives, and career development opportunities for Canadian arts professionals.
Program Components:
Professional Development for Arts Professionals Up to $10,000
Sector Innovation and Development Up to $50, 000
Literary Publishing Projects Magazine publishers – up to $120,000 per year; Book and magazine publishers – up to $300,000 per year
Literary Publishers Up to $30,000
Deadline varies.
Arts Across Canada
Arts Across Canada fosters meaningful relationships and exchanges between artists and the Canadian public. Artists, arts professionals, groups, and arts organizations can apply to present and share artistic work with diverse communities across the country, engage more deeply with the public, and develop a stronger national profile.
Program Components:
Travel Up to $30,000 per year
Representation and Promotion Travel costs generally based on fixed amounts up to $30,000
Translation Up to $25,000 for each translation, plus Annual Supplement for targeted costs
Circulation and Touring Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $200,000
Public Outreach Up to $100,000 (Composite projects are up to a maximum of $300,000 over 3 years)
Arts Festivals and Presenters Up to 60% of your total annual revenues, averaged over the last 3 years
Deadlines vary.
Arts Abroad
Arts Abroad celebrates the creativity, innovation, and excellence of Canadian artists by helping to bring Canadian works to the world. This program supports artists, arts professionals, groups, and organizations to enhance international exposure, undertake artistic exploration or exchanges with international colleagues, and nurture new and existing art markets in a global context.
Program Components:
Travel Up to $30,000 per year
Representation and Promotion Travel costs generally based on fixed amounts, up to $30,000
Translation Up to $20,000 for each translation
Circulation and Touring Up to 50% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $200,000
Residencies Up to $20,000
Deadlines vary.
ONTARIO
ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL
Literary Creation Projects
The program supports Ontario-based literary artists to complete new works for book-length publication or for public performance, as well as literary performers who wish to record their own repertoire.
Program Components:
Creation of literary works for publication: $12,000
Deadline: September 7th, 2023
Creation of literary works for performance: $5,000
Recording of literary works that are created for performance: up to $10,000
Creation and recording of literary works for performance: up to $15,000
Deadlines: October 24th, 2023
Recommender Grants for Writers
The program supports Ontario writers in the creation of new work and creates and strengthens connections between Ontario writers, publishers, and literary organizations.
This is a third-party recommender program. Using Nova, OAC’s online grant application system, writers apply to the publishers and organizations designated as recommenders for the program (a maximum of ten applications per year). These recommenders assess applications and submit grant recommendations to OAC.
Program Components:
Grant amount: minimum $1,500; maximum $5,000
Deadline: September 1, 2023 to January 12, 2024
TORONTO ART COUNCIL
Writers Program
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) Writers Program supports the creation of new literary works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction (including novels, short stories, children’s literature, graphic novels, etc.), literary non-fiction, poetry, and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap, and spoken-word.
The program provides two levels of support for writers. The following fixed amounts are available:
LEVEL ONE: $5,000 – for writers in the early stages of their career.
LEVEL TWO: $10,000 – for writers with an established writing career.
Application deadline: June 15th, 2023
Check back for 2024 date once posted.
MANITOBA
MANITOBA ARTS COUNCIL
The Manitoba Arts Council funds the creation and sharing of arts and culture for the benefit of all Manitobans. The grants offered by MAC are housed in the 6 streams of activity listed below:
CREATE: Supports the process of creation.
SHARE: Supports the sharing of artistic work.
LEARN: Supports learning and artistic development activities.
INDIGENOUS 360: Supports artistic and cultural activities by Indigenous applicants.
SUPPORT: Invests in the long-term sustainability of Manitoba’s arts and cultural sector.
RECOGNIZE: Celebrates artistic achievement and recognizes potential excellence.
Application deadlines vary
THE WINNIPEG ARTS COUNCIL
The Individual Artist Grant Program is intended to support the creation of new work in any art form, or the development, production, curation, or exhibition of works of art by Winnipeg artists.
Program Components:
Two types of grants are available, depending on an artist’s level of accomplishment and experience in the discipline of the proposed project. The Grant amounts are as follows:
(A) grant of up to $7,000 for mid-career and established artists
(B) grant of up to $3,000 for emerging artists
The Individual Artist grant program has two deadlines per year: one in early March and one in early September.
The next deadline is Wednesday, September 6, 2023 for eligible applicants and projects beginning no earlier than December 6, 2023 and finishing no later than June 30, 2025.
SASKATCHEWAN
SASKATCHEWAN ARTS BOARD
Access Copyright Foundation Grants
The Access Copyright Foundation provides grants to publishers, individual creators, and publishing, writing, and visual arts organizations.
Maximum Funding:
Events – Organizations and Artists Groups: $7,500
Research – Creators: $7,500
Research- Organizations and Publishers: $10,000
Professional Development – All Applicants: $3,000
Deadlines:
Events Grants: November 1
Marian Hebb Research Grants: February 15
Professional Development Grants: April 1
Artists in Communities
Provides funding to organizations, professional artists, or arts professionals for projects and residencies.
Maximum Funding:
Development: $1,000
Projects: $10,000 (one artist); $20,000 (two artists)
Residencies: $45,000
Deadlines:
Development: January 15, 2023; June 15, 2023
Projects: November 1 and March 1
Residencies: March 1
Independent Artists
The Independent Artists program supports Saskatchewan artists to pursue their creative work and careers by funding creative, professional development, or research projects, and the production and/or presentation of artistic works.
Maximum funding levels vary.
Deadlines: March 15 and October 1
Prince Edward Arts Scholarship
The Prince Edward Arts Scholarship provides funding to students who are Saskatchewan residents and who have been accepted or have applied to study or train in arts programs at accredited post-secondary institutions or recognized arts training institutions.
Maximum Funding:
Full-time studies: $2500
Part-time studies: $1000
Deadline: May 1
Micro-Grant Program
The Micro-Grant Program provides support to professional artists and arts organizations to achieve outcomes that respond to emergent needs, create access for first-time and underserved applicants, contribute to professional practice and development, and advance the professional arts and artistic practices in Saskatchewan.
Maximum Funding:
Individual artists and artist collaborations: $1000
Arts organizations and collectives: $2000
Deadlines: The deadline for applications is the first day of each month. You can start an application on the eleventh day of each month preceding the deadline (e.g., May 1 deadline, applications accepted as of April 11).
ALBERTA
ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
Literary Individual Project Funding
This opportunity provides up to $15,000 to support the development of individual Alberta artists, arts administrators, or an ensemble of artists by providing funding for a specific literary arts project.
Deadlines: September 1st, 2023, and March 1, 2024
Dr. MacEwan Literary Arts Scholarship
This $7,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a young Albertan writer who shows extraordinary talent in an eligible literary genre and who demonstrates clear educational or training goals.
Deadline: March 1, 2024
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Individual Arts Awards: Visual Artists
This program assists professional visual artists, craft artists, and independent critics or curators to create specific projects in their discipline. Awards are available to support the creation of new works. Applications can be made by individuals or a collaboration of two or more practitioners who share creative control of a project.
Application Deadline: Closed for 2022, check back in 2023
Deadlines for other Individual Arts programs can be found here.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
THE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR ARTS COUNCIL
Professional Project Grants Program
The Professional Project Grants Program is available to Individual Professional Artists, Collaborations of Individual Professional Artists, and Professional Arts Groups. This program supports the creation and/or presentation of works of art in the disciplines of dance, film, music, multidisciplinary arts, theatre, visual arts, or writing. Grants support project costs related to creation, production, administration, travel, professional development, etc.
Grant categories:
New Professional Artist(s), Collaboration, or Group: Maximum request of $6,000: An individual artist with less than three years professional arts practice post education, or a collaboration or group in which at least half of the members each has less than three years professional arts practice post education.
Established Professional Artist, Collaboration, or Group: Maximum request of $15,000: An individual with more than three years professional arts practice post education, or a collaboration or group in which at least half of the members each has more than three years professional arts practice post education.
There are two deadlines per year:
March 15th for projects starting on/after May 15th;
September 15th for projects starting on/after November 15th
NEW BRUNSWICK
NEW BRUNSWICK ARTS BOARD
Creation
The Creation Grant program is designed to provide assistance to professional New Brunswick artists for the research, development, and execution of original projects in the arts. Creation Grants are intended to allow artists to devote some or most of their time to research and creative production.
Deadlines: April 1st and October 1st, 2023
Maximum Grant Amounts: Cat. A: $15,000; Cat. B: $10,000; Cat. C: $5,000
The Arts Scholarships Program
The Arts Scholarships Program is designed to recognize and encourage New Brunswick students who have demonstrated exceptional artistic talent and potential, and who are pursuing a career in the arts. This program awards scholarships for full-time, part-time, or short-term studies.
Deadline: February 1st, 2023
Maximum Grant Amount: $2,500 for full-time studies OR $1,000 for part-time or short term studies.
Documentation
The Documentation Grant Program is designed to provide assistance to New Brunswick arts professionals and professional artists for the research, development, and execution of original documentation and contextualization (written, film, video, multimedia) of arts activities, arts products or art history. Documentation grants are intended to foster theoretical and critical discourse in the arts. Preference will be given to proposals concerning New Brunswick art or artists.
Maximum funding: $8,500
Deadlines: October 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024
Arts Infrastructure Grant for New and Emerging Artists
The Arts Infrastructure Grants for Emerging Artists program is a project-based program designed to provide one-time capital acquisition to emerging New Brunswick artists to acquire equipment that will enable them to complete a project and strengthen their long-term artistic development.
Maximum funding: $2,500
Deadline: August 1, 2023
NOVA SCOTIA
ARTS NOVA SCOTIA
Grants to Individuals
This program supports Nova Scotia’s professional, practicing artists in the creation and dissemination of their own work. The program also supports professional artists by helping them to develop their practice and skills in all disciplines including fine crafts, literary, visual, media, and performing arts. Individual artists may submit one application per grant category per deadline. To encourage equitable distribution of funds, artists can only receive one Creation Grant in a 12-month period.
Creation Grants Funding: max. $15,000
Presentation Grants Funding: max. $5,000
Professional Development Grants Funding: max. $5,000
Deadlines: May 15th and November 1st
Grants to Organizations and Groups
This program helps Nova Scotian professional arts organizations create and present artistic work as well as strengthen their artistic and administrative capacity.
Create and Present: max $15,000
Commission: max $5,000
Professional Development: max $5,000
Deadlines: March 15 and October 15
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ARTS COUNCIL
This program provides grants that support the ongoing development and presentation of creative arts in the visual, literary, media and performing arts in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Consideration is given to organizations or individuals requesting funds for professional development, artistic work, or public presentation on a project-specific basis only.
Funding: Up to $15,000
Deadline has passed for 2023.
QUEBEC
CONSEIL DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES DU QUÉBEC
Various grant programs, including regional components, are available to artists and writers through the CALQ. Visit their website for additional information about the programs, the application deadlines, and eligibility criteria.
Le CALQ offre de nombreux programmes d’aide financière s’adressant aux artistes et écrivains, y compris des programmes régionaux. Consultez le site web de l’organisme pour obtenir les détails des divers programmes, les échéances pour soumettre une candidature.
GRANTS FOR INDIGENOUS CREATORS
CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to reaffirming and revitalizing its relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. The Canada Council believes that an approach that respects First Nations, Inuit and Métis artistic expression, cultural protocols, Indigenous rights and Indigenous worldviews will stimulate First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists, artistic practices, and communities.
Creating, Knowing and Sharing acknowledges the cultural sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and respects the concepts of First Nations, Inuit and Métis self-determination.
Program Components:
Travel Up to $30,000
Small-Scale Activities Up to $30,000
Short-Term Projects Up to $100,000
Long-Term Projects Up to $300,000
Indigenous Organizations Grant amount varies
Deadline varies.
The Ontario Arts Council
Indigenous Artists
All final reports are completed and submitted in Nova, OAC’s online granting system. This now includes grants received through a paper application process.
GRANT PROGRAMS:
Curatorial Projects: Indigenous and Culturally Diverse
Deadline: October 11th, 2023
Curatorial projects by Indigenous curators: maximum $30,000
Curatorial projects by curators who are people of colour: maximum $30,000
Indigenous Artists in Communities and Schools Projects
Deadlines: April 12th and October 18th, 2023
Community arts projects: maximum $15,000
Indigenous languages through the arts: maximum $15,000
Training for community artists and animators: maximum $15,000
Indigenous artists in schools projects: maximum $15,000
Indigenous artists in northern Ontario fly-in communities: maximum $17,000
Indigenous Arts Projects
Deadlines: April 12th and October 18th, 2023
Individuals: maximum $15,000
Ad hoc groups and collectives: maximum $20,000
Organizations: maximum $25,000
Indigenous Visual Artists’ Materials
Deadlines: The 2022-2023 program is open from July 2022 until January 31, 2023
Grant amounts: $500, $1,000
Skills and Career Development: Indigenous Arts Professionals and Arts Professionals of Colour
Deadline: May 4th, 2023
Skills and Career Development: maximum $10,000
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Indigenous Arts Individual Project Funding
This funding provides up to $15,000 to support the development of an individual Indigenous artist, arts administrators, or an ensemble of artists in Alberta by providing funding for a specific cultural or artistic project.
Deadlines: September 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024
The YVR Art Foundation
The YVR Art Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development and advancement of BC and Yukon First Nations visual art and artists, supporting the vitality and sustainability of First Nations art for artists, their communities, and the people of BC and the Yukon.
The First Peoples’ Cultural Council
The First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) is a provincial Crown Corporation formed by the government of British Columbia in 1990 to administer the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language, and Culture Program.
Indigenous Arts Programs (IAP):
Individual Artists Program
Sharing Traditional Arts Across Generations
Organizations & Collectives
Arts Administrator Internships & Mentorships
Arts Vitality Micro-Grant
Community Arts Infrastructure
Indigenous Arts Scholarship
Deadlines vary.
The Canadian Press
Building Brighter Futures Award
This scholarship will be awarded to Indigenous students who are enrolled in a Journalism program or have indicated an interest on their application to obtain future employment in Journalism.
Awards Criteria:
Awards Category: Post-Secondary
Deadlines: August 1st, November 1st, February 1st
Level of Study: Any
Indigenous Affiliation: Any
The Saskatchewan Arts Board
Indigenous Peoples Art and Artists
The Indigenous Peoples Art and Artists program supports the development and continuation of Indigenous Peoples’ art forms in Saskatchewan. The program offers three grant streams:
Basic: supports simple projects that accomplish one or two things in any art form. This could be a great starting place for an artist who has not received SK Arts funding in the past: $2,000
Intermediate: supports more complex requests for moderate-sized artistic projects: $7,500
Major: supports professional Indigenous artists with a significant sustained practice, working independently, collaboratively, or as a collective, to accomplish a substantial project over an extended period: $18,000
Deadlines: April 15 and October 15
Share and Connect: Indigenous Community Arts
The Share and Connect: Indigenous Community Arts program seeks to empower Indigenous communities to control and develop their own arts and culture.
Maximum Funding:
Small Projects/Planning: $500 to $2000
Exhibitions, Performance, and Presenting: $2000 to $10,000
Mentorships/Partnership Projects: $2000 and $20,000
Deadlines: January 7 and June 7
NEW BRUNSWICK ARTS BOARD
Equinox Program for Indigenous Artists
The Equinox program supports Indigenous artists, curators and groups to engage in artistic creation and professional development. Eligible projects can range.
Maximum funding: $5,000
Deadlines: September 15, 2023, and March 15, 2024