Purpose
This is a partnership program, between school boards and the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), that supports community-engaged artists to work alongside teachers to engage students in creative learning involving creative and critical processes. School boards partner with the OAC over a seven-year period to build capacity for implementing school board-wide arts projects.
Important
Participation in the program is by invitation only. School boards must consult with the program officer to determine their fit for the program, as determined by OAC’s strategic priorities, program priorities, program budget, and administrative capacity of the school board.
For detailed information about the Artists in Residence (Education) program, past projects, classroom and administrator resources, see the Artists in Residence (Education) home page.
Priorities
The program’s priorities are to support projects that:
- engage students in creative processes
- reduce barriers to arts participation
- increase access to the arts for underserved or marginalized communities
- employ Ontario artists to work in Ontario communities
Grant amount(s)
- Funding amounts are determined by OAC based on the capacity of the school board, and the scope, scale and stage of development of the project.
Eligible applicants
- publicly-funded Ontario school boards
New school boards may be invited based on available funds in the program and OAC priorities.
Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.
This program funds
- artist fees
- artist travel, as determined by the school board travel directives
- purchase of small-scale equipment, software, electronics and similar materials required to carry out the project
- equipment rental
- consumable materials
- artist professional development costs, such as attending professional learning community (PLC) meetings
- documentation of the project, maximum five per cent of the OAC grant, including:
- purchase of journals
- audio-visual equipment rental
- fees to hire a videographer, video editor, photographer, transcriber, etc.
This program does not fund
- artists performances unrelated to creative engagement activity
- major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment
- student field trips
- school board staffing costs, including teacher release time
Activity timing
The activities for which you are requesting funding:
- must be for the upcoming school year
- must be completed by the end of the school year
Final report requirements
If you receive a grant you must submit a final report upon completion of the project. See Terms and Conditions for the AIR (Education) program for more information on reporting obligations. Complete and submit the report in Nova.
Final reports for this program require grant recipients to provide:
- description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any minor or approved changes to what had been outlined in the application
- final budget
- tally sheet listing all expenses covered by the OAC grant
- documentation of the project: material produced, images/videos/audio, release forms, administrative documents
- documentation and an explanation of how you acknowledged or will acknowledge OAC support for your project
- This should include samples of OAC logo recognition on any promotional or other materials produced in conjunction with the project, such as publications, brochures, posters, invitations, websites, or videos/films.
- This could also include a description of verbal acknowledgment at public events or the intention to include OAC acknowledgment in associated future activities/materials.
To apply
Before applying, you must:
- contact the program officer to discuss eligibility (new applicants only)
- be invited to apply
- read the Guide to OAC Project Programs
- create or update your profile in Nova
Your application includes:
- information about the project including artist names, participating schools and project goals
- your answers to application questions
Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.
For help creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.
Program-specific definitions
Access to the arts: opportunities for people, regardless of geographic, racial, social, economic or physical realities to experience the arts and participate in cultural life.