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Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
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Dance Projects

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 creation, production and presentation of live and virtual dance and other initiatives that benefit the Ontario professional dance community. The program has five categories: 

  • Creation: to support artistic costs of choreography and development of new work. There must be some kind of showing (for example, in-studio or virtual, for invited peers, mentors or other guests) of the work or work-in-progress.  
  • Production and presentation: to support artistic, production and presentation costs of live or virtual dance for a public. This includes co-productions, commissions, remounting, and tour preparation (including rehearsal costs). 
  • Series and festivals: to support presentation costs of series and festivals that promote professional choreographers and dance companies. 
  • Mentorship – Individuals: mentorship for Indigenous artists training in Indigenous dance practices, including powwow and customary dance (see definition), and for Deaf artists and artists with disabilities. 
  • Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations: training and community development initiatives, including but not limited to forums, workshops and master classes, equity and access initiatives, and other activities that benefit the professional dance community. Costs can include fees to participating artists. 

Priorities

Category-specific priorities are: 

  • Creation; Production and presentation; and Series and festivals: projects that engage professional Ontario-based choreographers. 
  • Series and festivals: projects where the applicant does not present their own dance works. 
  • Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations: training and community development projects that support dance practices where training opportunities in Ontario are limited as compared to other practices. 

Deadline dates

March 27 and October 8, 2024, 1 p.m. ET
  • The application form will be available in Nova about two months before the deadline.
  • You will find out whether you got a grant about four and a half months after each deadline.

Grant amount(s)

  • Creation: maximum $5,000
  • Production and presentation: maximum $20,000
  • Series and festivals: maximum $15,000
  • Mentorship – Individuals: maximum $2,500
  • Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations: maximum $7,500
Important:
  • Due to the number of applications received and the limited funds available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.
  • The OAC will not fund 100 per cent of a project in the Production and presentation and Series and festivals categories. Applications to these categories must include a range of revenue sources

Recent changes

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

Eligible applicants

  • professional dance artists who are Ontario residents 
  • Ontario-based ad hoc groups and collectives of dance artists or arts professionals with expertise in dance
  • incorporated not-for-profit dance companies, dance series, dance festivals and other dance organizations with a head office in Ontario 
  • other not-for-profit organizations or ad hoc groups and collectives such as non-arts organizations or organizations and ad hoc groups or collectives working in another arts discipline supported by OAC 
    • You must demonstrate that you have engaged the appropriate professional dance expertise to carry out the project, for example, the expertise of dance professionals directly involved in the project, and/or the expertise of an advisory committee that includes dance professionals. 

Note:

  • Only Indigenous artists, Deaf artists and artists with disabilities can apply as individuals to the Mentorship – Individuals category. 
  • Dance companies that receive an operating grant of $30,000 or under from Dance Organizations: Operating, and that are led by Indigenous artists, artists of colour, Deaf artists or artists with disabilities, can apply to the Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations category. 
Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.

Ineligible applicants

  • organizations that receive a grant in the Dance Organizations: Operating program, except for dance companies that receive an operating grant of $30,000 or under, and are led by Indigenous artists, artists of colour, Deaf artists or artists with disabilities
  • organizations that receive an operating grant in other OAC programs, with the exception of organizations mandated to serve one or more of the OAC priority groups
  • choreographers who direct organizations that receive OAC operating funding
  • a member of an ad hoc group or collective that applies for the same activity at the same deadline in this program
  • dance studios, dance schools or other training organizations
  • dance students or students enrolled full-time at an educational institution
  • for-profit organizations
  • colleges, universities and municipalities
  • school boards
  • elementary or secondary public or private schools
  • schools run by First Nations or Indigenous Education Authorities

Organizations with a pending application in the Dance Organizations: Operating program may not apply until they are notified that their operating application was not funded

What this program funds

  • artists’ fees (choreographers, dancers, outside eye/elder/dramaturge, composers, musicians, theatrical designers and technicians)
  • fees for mentors, teachers, gurus, Elders, knowledge-keepers and other cultural carriers
  • fees for professional dance artists participating in Mentorship, training and community development projects
  • production costs (costumes, set and other staging requirements)
  • publicity, marketing, promotion and audience development activities
  • administration costs
  • venue or studio rental
  • virtual platform costs
  • archival recording
  • travel, transportation and accommodation costs for key artists, collaborators and teachers if they are not residents of your city, town or First Nation
  • childcare and other dependant care fees enabling individuals to take part in the project (this does not include regular, ongoing expenses)
  • expenses related to making the project accessible to audience members and project participants (other than the applicant) who are Deaf or have a disability
    • Note: Applicants to this program who identify as Deaf or as having a disability may apply for supplementary funds for their own accessibility expenses through Accessibility Fund: Project Support.

What this program does not fund

  • events or activities that take place outside of Ontario
  • projects eligible in the Touring Projects, Multi and Inter-Arts Projects or Media Artists Creation Projects programs
  • multi and inter-arts activities
  • travel, transportation and accommodation costs related to touring
  • projects related to a graduate degree or thesis
  • competition-based dance except for urban and powwow dance
  • amateur, student or pre-professional productions
  • fundraising activities
  • major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment

Activity timing

The activities for which you are requesting funding:

  • cannot start before the deadline
  • cannot finish before you receive your grant results
  • must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant results

Final report requirements

If you receive a grant, you must complete the project and submit a final report in Nova. See Terms and Conditions – receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations.


In your final report, you will need to provide:

  • a description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any approved or minor changes to what had been outlined in the application
  • a final budget
    • If the budget you submit shows a surplus of more than $250 (revenues as compared to expenses), you may be required to repay the surplus amount to OAC.
  • documentation and/or an explanation of how you followed or will follow OAC’s Recognition Requirements for Project Grant Recipients
    • This should include samples of any promotional or other materials produced for the project that show the OAC and Government of Ontario logos. Read logo guidelines
    • This could also include social media screenshots or a description of how you recognized OAC or plan to do so in future activities or materials tied to the project.

To apply

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

Before applying, be sure to: Your application will include:
  • basic information about the project
  • your answers to application questions
  • a project budget:
    • The OAC will not fund 100 per cent of a project in the Production and presentation, and Series and festivals categories.
    • Applications to these categories must include a range of revenue sources such as other grants, box-office sales, registrant fees and so on.
  • artistic examples: you must submit 3 video examples (maximum 3 minutes each). Do not include any work produced while you were a student. This video may help: Preparing Effective Support Material for Theatre, Dance and Performance-Based Multi and Inter-Arts
  • support documents: applicant’s résumé/bio and bios of any artist who is confirmed at the deadline date. Letters of support/reference or letters of agreement/confirmation are not required. Only applicants to the Mentorship, training and community development categories may submit a letter of support.

Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.


For information on how assessors rate applications see the Guide to OAC Assessment and the Evaluation Rubric – Activity Projects.


For details on creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.

Program-specific definitions

Dance school: trains students for a professional career in dance through a multi-year dance instruction curriculum of no less than 10 hours per week. Courses are accessible to Ontarians through a competitive audition/admission process. The school earns revenue in various ways, including student tuition fees. Dance schools are not eligible for funding through the Dance Projects program. For dance schools, please see the Dance Organizations: Operating program or contact the dance program officer.


Multi- and inter-arts activities: practices, initiatives and events that have two or more artistic forms present in equal balance in the creation, production and presentation of work. Artistic forms may remain separate or be combined to create new, unified forms. Multi and inter-arts activities involve bringing art forms together in ways that make the activity unique and therefore are not eligible for funding in OACs discipline-based programs in Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Arts or Media Arts. For multi- and inter-arts activities, please see the Multi- and Inter-Arts Projects program.


Student: An individual enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at a college or university, or studying dance at a private studio, dance school or dance training organization. Students are not eligible to apply to this program.