Grants & Scholarships

Arts Circulation and Touring supports circulation, touring and travel activities. The program supports opportunities that enhance exposure of B.C. artists and artworks. It also supports access to arts and culture experiences within the province. Activities can take place inside of British Columbia or outside of the province.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
• Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in B.C. for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to submitting an application. For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency page. You must be prepared to provide documentation to support your residency status (if requested).
• Be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in a similar practice.
• Demonstrate professional status by submitting a CV or resume that indicates the following:
  • Details about the appropriate and relevant training you have completed that has prepared you to work in your field of practice. Training may be through post-secondary institutions, knowledge transfer, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner.
  • Have a minimum two years of being paid to do your work in your field following basic training.
  • Meet discipline-specific criteria outlined below:
    • Performing artists: A demonstrated body of previous professional work for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual or craft artists: At least two professionally curated shows or exhibitions for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual arts critics or curators: Curated two or more exhibitions or published two or more works of critical writing for which you have received professional fees.
    • Media artists: Directed, created, or held creative control on at least one project subsequent to basic training for which you have been paid professional fees. This may include student works which have been professionally exhibited or screened.
    • Creative writers: At least one book (or equivalent – 40 pages of poetry or 120 pages of prose) professionally published.
    • Arts administration, publishing, producer, artistic support staff: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts or cultural administration or artistic support at an arts organization, or at a professional book or periodical publisher.
    • D/deaf, Disability and Mad Arts: A demonstrated body of work in or across any artistic practice for which you have received professional fees.
    • Community-engaged arts practice: Facilitated two participatory arts projects in a community setting or learning environment.
    • Multi- and interdisciplinary practice: A demonstrated body of professional public work that integrates multiple fields of practice, and for which you have received professional fees.
    • Museum or Indigenous culture centre professionals: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in a museum or Indigenous Cultural Centre.
    • Production and technical personnel: Two or more years of full- or regular part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts and cultural production or as a technician in an arts and culture institution, organization, or venue.
  • OR
    • For Indigenous artists who don’t meet the discipline-specific criteria above: Have received at least one grant through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council Individual Artists Program or Indigenous Arts Program and not have any overdue final reports for that grant.

• Details outlining the proposed project including:
  • Summary of the proposed project with rationale, objectives, and outcomes.
  • Project Start Date (which can be any time after the application is submitted) and a realistic Project End Date.
  • Detailed project itinerary, timeline, programming, outreach, market development or work
    plan
  • Completed Project Team Table, including name, responsibility, current location, confirmation of participation and up to 100-word biography for each member of the project’s team.
• A balanced project budget.

Required support material for this application includes:

• Category 1: Outbound Compensated Touring:
  • Written confirmation(s) or letter(s) of intent from all hosting organization(s) and/or venue(s) that list specific or proposed dates and compensation (including in-kind contributions like travel, accommodations, or other benefits).
• Category 2: Travel:
  • Inbound hosting, presentation or planning: Written confirmation(s) or letter(s) of intent from participants (individuals or organizations) that list dates, activities and terms of the engagement.
  • Outbound travel, promotion or planning: written confirmation or invitation from a hosting organization that list dates, activities and terms of the engagement, or proof of registration.
• All applications:
  • An itinerary or timeline and workplan of activities, engagements and/or meetings with dates, locations, times and who is involved.
  • An audience, market development and/or public programming/outreach plan
  • A completed inventory form table listing information about the images, video, audio or text files you are including.
  • Examples of work relevant to the proposed project, to demonstrate the scale and scope of the work to be circulated or toured, up to a maximum of:
    • 8 images
  • OR
    • 4 minutes total of video or audio, note timecodes of specific excerpts to be viewed (if applicable)
  • OR
    • 4-page sample of written work such as script excerpts, artistic statements, or curatorial concepts
  • OR
    • 4 pages of relevant press, critical writing, or documentation. Do not submit testimonials or reference letters.
  • You may submit a combination of the above types of examples to best serve your application. Total examples must not exceed the maximum amount allowed in a single format

Professional Development grants assist professional artists, cultural practitioners, production and technical personnel, and arts administrators with specific, short-term learning activities intended to advance their practice or career. Activities should lead to clearly articulated learning or career outcomes, goals, or objectives.

Grants are not intended to support the creation of new work, research (unless it is directly related to the learning activity), self-directed learning, full-time studies, or travel expenses that are associated with auditions, attending conferences, showcases or events focused on presentations.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
• Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in B.C. for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to submitting an application. For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency page. You must be prepared to provide documentation to support your residency status (if requested).
• Be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in a similar artistic practice.
• Be committed to working full-time at your practice when financially possible.
• Demonstrate professional status by submitting a CV or resume that indicates the following:
  • Details about the appropriate and relevant training you have completed that has prepared
    you to work in your field of practice. Training may be through post-secondary institutions,
    knowledge transfer, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner.
  • Have a minimum two years of being paid to do your work in your field following basic training.
  • Meet discipline-specific criteria outlined below:
    • Performing artists: A demonstrated body of previous professional work for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual or craft artists: At least two professionally curated shows or exhibitions for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual arts critics or curators: Curated two or more exhibitions or published two or more works of critical writing for which you have received professional fees.
    • Media artists: Directed, created, or held creative control on at least one project subsequent to basic training for which you have been paid professional fees. This may include student works which have been professionally exhibited or screened.
    • Creative writers: At least one book (or equivalent – 40 pages of poetry or 120 pages of prose) professionally published.
    • Arts administrators, publishers, producers, artistic support staff: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts and culture administration or artistic support at an arts organization, or at a professional book or periodical publisher.
    • D/deaf, Disability and Mad Arts: A demonstrated body of work in or across any artistic practice for which you have received professional fees.
    • Community-engaged arts practice: Facilitated two participatory arts projects in a community setting or learning environment.
    • Multi- and interdisciplinary practice: A demonstrated body of professional public work that integrates multiple fields of practice, and for which you have received professional fees.
    • Museum or Indigenous culture centre professionals: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in a museum or Indigenous cultural centre.
    • Production and technical personnel: Two or more years of full- or regular part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts and culture production or as a technician in an arts and culture institution, organization, or venue.
  • OR
    • For Indigenous artists who don’t meet the discipline-specific criteria above: Have received at least one grant through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council Individual Artists Program or Indigenous Arts Program and not have any overdue final reports for that grant

• Precise description of the proposed learning activity or significant opportunity (course/workshop description, name of instructors, host or presenting organization,
  mentor, or company, and their relevance, as applicable)
• Statement of your specific learning or career goals
• Description of how this project will impact your professional practice or future opportunities
• Workplan, timeline, itinerary, or schedule that includes significant milestones
• Budget form indicating eligible expenses
• Statement about how the organization you are employed by is supporting the project if your activity or learning will provide direct benefit to the organization.
• Statement about compensation to participating professional artists and practitioners
• Statement describing how this project may benefit your identified communities
• Completed Designated Priority Group section (in your online Personal Profile) if you wish to be considered for strategic funding
• Your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume that includes professional training and related paid professional artistic activities (PDF, maximum three pages).
• Documentation from the institution, teacher, master, advisor, or mentor confirming the specific arrangements and agreements, including fees and schedule.
• Resume or biographical statement (PDF, maximum two pages) for any individual advisors or mentors participating in the project outside of a formal organization or institution.

Early Career Development supports immersive and highly impactful learning opportunities for
Emerging and Early Arts Practitioners (EAP) to:

• Develop their artistic or administrative practice.
• Participate in knowledge transfer, skill sharing, and reciprocal learning in the sector.
• Expand their career experience, professional networks, and exposure.

This program does not support the creation or development of new artistic projects.

Residency component supports Early Arts Practitioners who have completed basic training and are transitioning into professional practice to complete a learning-focussed residency with an arts and culture organization.

Mentorship component supports Early Arts Practitioners who have completed basic training and are transitioning into professional practice to engage in one-on-one learning and
knowledge transfer with an established practitioner in their art form or field of practice.

To be eligible, an Early Arts Practitioner must:

• Be working or practicing in an area funded by the BC Arts Council, including but not only:
  • Arts Administration
  • Community-Based Arts
  • D/deaf, Disability and Mad Arts
  • Literary Arts (creative writing, publishing)
  • Media Arts
  • Multi- and Interdisciplinary Arts
  • Museums or Indigenous Culture Centres
  • Performing Arts (music, theatre, dance, circus arts, comedy, production and/or technical)
  • Visual Arts (critic, curator, artist in contemporary or traditional visual arts and/or craft,
    including Indigenous Arts)
• Be legally allowed to work in Canada as a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident.
• Ordinarily reside in B.C. and have lived in the province for at least 12 months immediately prior
  to the application deadline. For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency
  page. The Early Arts Practitioner must be prepared to provide documentation to support
  residency status upon request.
• Not be enrolled in full-time studies when the project is taking place.
• Not have participated in two previously successful Early Career Development applications
  regardless of component. In other words, an individual may participate in a maximum of two
  Early Career Development projects in their lifetime.
• Not be a participant in any other application in this program’s current intake.
• Not have any overdue final reports on previous BC Arts Council grants.

AND EITHER

• Identify with one of the BC Arts Council’s Designated Priority Groups and have completed basic
  training in their field of practice within ten years of the application closing date. See Basic
  Training Definition below.

OR

• Have completed basic training in their field of practice within five years of the application
• closing date. See Basic Training Definition below.

Early Arts Practitioners are eligible if basic training will be complete within six months of the
application closing date and before the proposed activity begins.

BASIC TRAINING DEFINITION

“Basic training” means appropriate and relevant education that has prepared an Early Arts Practitioner to work at a professional level. This typically involves learning essential and foundational skills through guided and formal instruction or mentorship during which a student
will receive feedback, their work will be reviewed and critiqued, and they will develop and deepen their knowledge in their field of practice. Some examples of basic training include:

• Traditional knowledge transfer from an Elder, Knowledge Keeper, or established arts and
  culture practitioner
• Apprenticeship with a qualified, peer-recognized arts and culture practitioner
• Degree, diploma, or certificate from an academic institution

Self directed learning such as watching online videos with minimal engagement or feedback, dropin classes, or a series of workshops is not eligible.

• A general description of the project and main activities.
• Information about where, when, and with whom your basic training occurred.
• Details on up to five relevant experiences or activities. For example, additional courses, awards, exceptional opportunities or experiences, or volunteer or paid work in the arts sector.
• A work plan that aligns with and supports your learning goals. Use a time period appropriate for your project.
• Answers to questions about yourself and your artistic practice
• A project expense summary report
• A description of the residency/mentorship
• Letter or other document of confirmation from the host organization or mentor

Program Purpose: To support B.C.-based writers and literary artists in the creation of new literary projects for book-length publication or public performance. Eligible genres include non-fiction, fiction, graphic novels, comic arts, fiction and non-fiction for children, poetry, spoken word, dub and sound poetry, and storytelling.

• Ineligible book projects:
  • Prose books shorter than 120 pages, poetry books shorter than 80 pages, children’s picture books shorter than 24 pages, and e-books shorter than 16,000 words.
  • Works with minimal original, creative, or critical content such as indices and bibliographies; instructional or technical books including textbooks and cookbooks; exhibition catalogues; activity books (for example, trivia, quizzes, puzzles, colouring books); guidebooks; and nongraphic books with minimal written content (for example, calendars, agendas, almanacs).
  • Books written primarily for an educational or scholarly market, or that are part of educational or academic programs.
  • Testimonials, personal growth, or self-help books or manuals, including those of a religious, devotional, or spiritual nature.
  • Sponsored or commissioned works such as business histories or commissioned biographies.
  • Screenplays or scripts for film, radio, television, theatre, interactive digital media, or any commercial media arts.
  • Anthologies or compilations.
  • Projects for which the author and/or illustrator do not own the intellectual property rights to their characters and/or narrative

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada.
• Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in B.C. for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to the application closing date. For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency page. You must be prepared to provide documentation to support
  your residency status (if requested).
• Be an independent creative writer who has completed appropriate and relevant training in the discipline. Training may include education through post-secondary institutions, traditional knowledge transfer, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner.
• Work at a level that is recognized as professional by other practitioners in a similar discipline and by organizations in the discipline, including professional book publishers, literary magazines, recognized literary associations, and specialized presenters such as literary festivals and fairs.
• Have a demonstrated body of work that meets the eligibility requirements as outlined below.
• Have final creative control over the proposed work.
• Fairly compensate artists, arts and culture practitioners, technicians, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers. Compensation must align with project and community contexts and industry standards within the field of practice.
• Follow international intellectual property rights standards and cultural ownership protocols.
• Follow the Criminal Records Review Act which requires that people who work with or may have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults must undergo a criminal record check by the Criminal Records Review Program.
• Have completed and submitted any overdue final reports on previous BC Arts Council grants by the submission deadline for this grant program.
• Be applying for either the first or second time with a project; if you have applied twice unsuccessfully for the same project, the proposal must be substantively changed

Level One Eligibility
To be eligible for a Level One grant, you must have at least one eligible book (see Exclusions section, below) published by a professional literary or trade book publisher engaging an editorial selection process, and for which you have a publishing contract and receive royalties, OR an equivalent defined as:

• Fiction and non-fiction, including fiction or non-fiction for children: a minimum of 120 pages (estimated 250 words per page) published in professional print or online literary magazines or periodicals, or anthologies published by recognized professional publishing
  houses, and for which you have received payment.
• Poetry: a minimum of 80 pages of poetry published in professional print or online literary magazines or periodicals, or anthologies published by recognized professional publishing houses, and for which you have received payment.
• Spoken word and literary performance: professional history of recent public performances of your original work in dub, sound, or performance poetry, storytelling, or other performance literature forms for which you have received payment on at least three separate occasions.
• Children’s picture books: no equivalent. Must have at least one book (minimum 24 pages) published by a professional literary or trade book publisher engaging an editorial selection process, and for which you have a publishing contract and receive royalties.
• Graphic novels and comic arts: a minimum of 120 pages published in professional literary magazines or periodicals, or anthologies published by recognized professional publishing houses, and for which you have received payment. Both or either the writer or artist may apply
  if they meet the eligibility criteria for this program.
• Plays and other dramatic works are no longer eligible in this program. However, a playwright transitioning to an eligible form may apply at Level One if you have a minimum of two short works or one full-length work professionally produced, published, or publicly workshopped, and for which you have received payment.

Level Two Eligibility
To be eligible for a Level Two grant, you must be recognized as a senior writer in your genre/s and professional communities, and must have:

• Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novel, comic arts, children’s picture books: at least three eligible books (see Exclusions section, below) published by a professional literary or trade publisher, and for which you have publishing contracts and receive royalties.
• Spoken word and literary performance: a significant body of professionally recognized work in dub, sound, or performance poetry, storytelling, or other performance-based literary forms for which you have received payment on at least give separate occasions.
• Plays and other dramatic works are no longer eligible in this program. However, a playwright transitioning to an eligible form may apply at Level Two if you have a minimum of two full-length works professionally produced or published, and for which you have received payment.

Self-published Authors – Level One
To be eligible at Level One, a self-published author must meet all the criteria as above for a professional creative writer except that your demonstrated body of work must include:

• Sales of more than 400 copies of at least two self-published and eligible works of prose, children’s picture books, or graphic novels with the most recent work having been published within 24 months of the application date. BC Arts Council may request sales records. Sales of electronic, online, and print books are recognized equally. See the Exclusions section for a list of ineligible books.
• Sales of more than 200 copies of at least two self-published works of poetry with the most recent work having been published within 24 months of the application date. BC Arts Council may request official sales records. Sales of e-books, online books, and print books are recognized equally.
  OR
• Voting membership in a recognized professional writers’ association including but not limited to the Canadian Authors’ Association (professional members only), League of Canadian Poets
  (full members only), and The Writers’ Union of Canada. Full voting membership in other professional writers’ associations may be recognized at the BC Arts Council’s discretion. Recognized professional writers’ associations must be incorporated as non-profit organizations and have published membership criteria that are compatible with the BC Arts Council’s criteria.

Self-published Authors – Level Two
To be eligible at Level Two, a self-published author must meet all of the criteria as above for a professional creative writer except that your demonstrated body of work must include:

• Sales of more than 400 copies for at least three self-published and eligible works of prose, children’s picture books, or graphic novels with the most recent work having been published within 24 months of the application date. BC Arts Council may request sales records. Sales of electronic, online, and print books are recognized equally. See the Exclusions section for a list of ineligible books.
  OR
• Sales of more than 200 copies of at least three self-published works of poetry with the most recent work having been published within 24 months of the application date. BC Arts Council may request official sales records. Sales of e-books, online books, and print books are recognized equally. See the Exclusions section for a list of ineligible books.

General Eligibility Notes
The book criteria in the Exclusions section below also applies to books and other work used to establish eligibility.

• Student or academic publications including scholarly monographs, articles published in peerreviewed academic journals, or work produced to satisfy academic requirements may not be used to establish eligibility.
• The work of a co-author is considered in proportion to the shared authorship. For example, a bookco-authored with two other authors is considered as one-third of a book.
• Eligible graphic projects include works that are visual in nature; unified in narrative, style, theme, or concept; and intended for professional publication as a book or book-length comic. Most projects will include text and visual elements. Wordless projects intended for publication with a strong sequential structure or narrative direction are eligible. If your previously published work is not in the same genre as your proposed project, your support material should confirm your ability to work in the new form.

• A description of the project (up to 400 words) summarizing your vision, intentions, and inspirations. In this description consider responding to these questions: Why This Project? Why You? Why Now?
• A project timeline including an indication of the current state of the project.
• Responses to questions about equitable and ethical approaches in your project and practice.
• A detailed expense form.
• All required support material as per the list below.
  • A maximum 20 pages (or equivalent word count) of recent work in readable manuscript format. Choose sample work that displays your artistic vision and aligns with your project description.
  • A description of your sample material that provides context and explains how the material relates to the project.
  • Your curriculum vitae (CV) with professional training and related artistic activities and achievements (maximum 3 pages per artist, PDF).
  • A complete publication history including titles, publishers, and publication dates (maximum 2 pages per artist, PDF). This is not required if the information is included in the CV.
  • Letters from partners or collaborators, if applicable, confirming the nature of their participation. These must not be general reference or support letters.