Dance Organizations: Operating

Purpose

The program supports the ongoing operations of not-for-profit, professional dance organizations in Ontario.

Deadline date(s)

• In 2025, this program is in year 3 of a three-year cycle.
• New applicants may only apply in the first year of a program’s multi-year cycle.
• Applications are available in Nova about two months before the deadline.
• Financial and statistical reports must be submitted through Canadian Arts Data / Données sur les arts au Canada (CADAC) before the deadline.
• Grant notification will be available about five months after the deadline.

Eligible applicants

• dance companies that create and produce work by professional choreographers with professional dancers. The company must pay fees to dancers for rehearsals and performances.
• dance presenters/festivals that present dance works created and produced by professional dance artists/companies. Presenters must hire professional dance artists and companies and pay a guaranteed fee for each presentation.
• dance schools that train students for a professional career in dance through a multi-year dance instruction curriculum of no less than ten hours per week. Courses must be accessible to Ontarians through a competitive audition/admission process. The school must earn revenue in many ways, including student tuition fees.
• other dance-centered organizations with a primary purpose to support professional dance artists, through administration, publicity and marketing, career and professional development, capacity building, and other services and/or programs that contribute to the development of Ontario’s professional dance sector.
• Ontario-based, not-for-profit corporations or national not-for-profit corporations with the head office in Ontario
• organizations must have:
  • at least $75,000 in total revenues for the last fiscal year, and in projected revenues for the current and requested years (for applicants not currently receiving funding from this program)
  • at least two years of sustained, regular, ongoing programming, as of the application date. If your organization does not meet this requirement, consider applying for project funding
  • a range of revenue sources
  • an active board of directors/governing body

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

Ineligible applicants

• dance schools funded as a provincial secondary or post-secondary education institution
• non-arts organizations
• arts service organizations (see Arts Service Organizations: Operating)
• municipalities, colleges and universities

To apply

Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. You will be able to do this about two months before the deadline.

Before applying, you must:

• read the Guide to OAC Operating Programs
• read the Guide to OAC Assessment
• contact the program officer to discuss eligibility (new applicants only)
• create or update your profile in Nova
• register for an account with Canadian Arts Data / Données sur les arts au Canada (CADAC) (new applicants only)

Your application includes:

• your answers to the application questions.
• financial and statistical information submitted through Canadian Arts Data / Données sur les arts au Canada (CADAC)
• financial statements for your organization’s last completed year, uploaded to CADAC
• artistic examples
• support documents

Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.

For information on how assessors rate applications see the Evaluation Rubric - Operating Programs.

Program-specific definitions

Dance companies create, produce and present dance works; have annual performance activities and full-evening dance programs of their work.

Dance presenters present dance series and/or dance festivals. They hire professional dance artists and companies and pay a guaranteed fee for each presentation.

Dance schools train students for a professional career in dance through a multi-year dance instruction curriculum of no less than ten hours per week. Courses must be accessible to Ontarians through a competitive audition/admission process. The school earns revenue in many ways, including student tuition fees.