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Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
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Dance Organizations: Operating

Until this program opens in Nova, the Ontario Arts Council’s online granting system, program information may change. This includes deadline dates and specific information on eligibility. Be sure to visit this page after the program opens in Nova, but before starting your application.

Purpose

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

Deadline dates

February 15, 2024, 1 p.m. ET
  • In 2024, this program is in year 2 of a three-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.
Important:
  • 2026 will be the next deadline open to new applicants to this program.
  • Potential new applicants (organizations that did not receive a grant from this program last year) must contact the program officer at least one month before the deadline to request approval to apply. This process will involve one or more discussions between OAC and the potential applicant to determine its eligibility to and fit with the program, what grant amount to request, and other particulars.

Recent changes

The application questions and evaluation rubric have been reworked to better align with OAC’s current strategic plan.

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:

Your application includes:

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

Compagnie de danse : Entité qui crée, produit et présente des œuvres de danse dans le cadre d’une programmation annuelle de spectacles et de soirées complètes de ses créations.


Diffuseur de danse : Entité qui présente des séries ou festivals de danse. Il embauche les compagnies de danse et les artistes professionnels de la danse et verse les cachets de chaque représentation.


École de danse : Entité qui propose un programme de danse pluriannuel comportant un minimum de 10 heures d’instruction par semaine aux personnes qui désirent faire carrière dans la danse. L’admission aux séances est ouverte aux Ontariennes et aux Ontariens par des auditions ou un concours d’entrée. L’école a plusieurs sources de revenus, y compris les droits de scolarité.