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Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
Grants Advanced Search
Grants Advanced Search

Contact

Adom Acheampong

Program Officer
416-969-7448
Toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058

Madeline Legg

Program Administrator
416-969-7401

oac logo Related Links

For an introduction to the field of community-engaged art, have a look at Resources for community-engaged arts.

Engaging Communities and Schools

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Participatory arts experiences create important opportunities for artists and communities to connect, express ideas, create art works, and make personal and social change. These benefits are realized when artists deepen their relationships with the public in innovative ways that include co-creation, co-learning and collaboration throughout all stages of a project. 
 
Arts engagement with people of all ages, abilities, and identities contributes to building healthy, vibrant and connected communities. To achieve this goal, OAC has developed a new funding stream to support activities that increase, broaden and diversify arts participation. 
 
OAC’s key objectives in Engaging Communities and Schools are to:  
  • Support opportunities for the public to experience and engage with the arts in meaningful ways throughout the province.
  • Provide opportunities to artists and communities to co-create through their combined knowledge, skills and experience.
  • Support artists with the appropriate skills, knowledge and cultural competency to respectfully and effectively develop and deliver process-driven arts activities.
  • Reduce barriers to public participation in the arts.
  • Build public awareness about social issues and facilitate change through the arts.
  • Strengthen connections while dissolving divisions between art, society and life.
     

Grant Programs

Artists in Communities and Schools Projects Toggle Expand
What We Fund
The program supports the research, development and realization of community-engaged arts projects. Activities involve professional Ontario artists and community members working together to develop and design a creative experience.
Artists in Residence (Education) Toggle Expand
What We Fund
The Artists in Residence (Education) program is a partnership between school boards and the Ontario Arts Council. The OAC provides funding to help support the costs of bringing professional community-engaged artists into the schools.
Arts Organizations in Communities and Schools: Operating Toggle Expand
What We Fund
This program provides operating funding to Ontario-based, not-for-profit, community-engaged arts organizations working in Ontario communities or schools.
Indigenous Artists in Communities and Schools Projects Toggle Expand
What We Fund
The program supports projects that bring together professional Ontario-based Indigenous artists or Elders to work with individuals or groups of people from a community on collaborative activities that create a meaningful arts experience and transmit artistic skills and knowledge.