[Skip to Content]
Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
Grants Advanced Search
Grants Advanced Search

Evaluation Rubric – Creation Projects

In the project grant assessment process, the Ontario Arts Council provides a rubric to assessors to guide them in rating applications. The rubric below is for creation grant programs, which uses one assessment criteria: artistic merit. 

The rubric is used along with the context and priorities of each grant program as they are described on the program web page. This means that some items listed may not be relevant depending on the program or proposed activity. 
 

Artistic Merit  

Rating: Excellent (5) 

  • The bio(s)/CV(s) demonstrate that the applicant has the relevant professional or organizational background and experience to lead the project. 
  • The main artistic idea of the project is highly relevant (to the public or arts sector), distinctive, interesting or compelling. Note: Assessors consider the location and environment in which the applicant works.  
  • Artistic examples present work that is highly compelling, distinctive, and exciting, and it is clear how they relate to the project.  
  • The applicant and artistic collaborators demonstrate that they have the artistic skills necessary to complete the project at a very high artistic level. Note: Assessors consider the career stage or history of the applicant and artistic collaborators.  
  • The applicant or key collaborators bring extensive and appropriate cultural knowledge to their artistic roles in the project. Note: Where relevant, assessors consider the rights of Indigenous peoples to practice, revitalize, transmit and maintain control of their cultural material, practices and stories, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  
  • The choice of artistic collaborators is highly relevant to the proposed artistic activity, it is clear what they will bring to the project, and they have appropriate cultural knowledge. 
  • The project appears highly likely to help the artistic or career/organizational development of the applicant and artistic collaborators, with particular considerations for OAC priority groups. 

Rating: Very Good (4) 

  • The bio(s)/CV(s) demonstrate that the applicant has the relevant professional or organizational background and experience to lead the project. 
  • The main artistic idea of the project is relevant (to the public or arts sector) and interesting. Note: Assessors consider the location and environment in which the applicant works.  
  • Artistic examples present work that is interesting and distinctive, and it is clear how they relate to the project.  
  • The applicant and artistic collaborators demonstrate that they have the artistic skills necessary to complete the project at a high artistic level. Note: Assessors consider the career stage or history of the applicant and artistic collaborators.  
  • The applicant or key collaborators bring strong and appropriate cultural knowledge to their artistic roles in the project. Note: Where relevant, assessors consider the rights of Indigenous peoples to practice, revitalize, transmit and maintain control of their cultural material, practices and stories, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 
  • The choice of artistic collaborators is relevant to the proposed artistic activity, it is clear what they will bring to the project, and they have appropriate cultural knowledge.  
  • The project appears very likely to help the artistic or career/organizational development of the applicant and artistic collaborators, with particular considerations for OAC priority groups. 


Rating: Good (3) 

  • The bio(s)/CV(s) demonstrate that the applicant has the relevant professional or organizational background and experience to lead the project. 
  • The main artistic idea of the project is relevant (to the public or arts sector) or interesting. Note: Assessors consider the location and environment in which the applicant works.  
  • Artistic examples present work that is interesting, and it is clear how they relate to the project.  
  • The applicant and artistic collaborators demonstrate that they have the artistic skills necessary to complete the project. Note: Assessors consider the career stage or history of the applicant and artistic collaborators.  
  • The applicant or key collaborators bring appropriate cultural knowledge to their artistic roles in the project. Note: Where relevant, assessors consider the rights of Indigenous peoples to practice, revitalize, transmit and maintain control of their cultural material, practices and stories, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  
  • The choice of artistic collaborators is mostly relevant to the proposed artistic activity, it is somewhat clear what they will bring to the project, and they have appropriate cultural knowledge.  
  • The project appears likely to help the artistic or career/organizational development of the applicant and artistic collaborators, with particular considerations for OAC priority groups. 
 

Rating: Fair (2) 

  • The bio(s)/CV(s) do not demonstrate that the applicant has the relevant professional or organizational background and experience to lead the project. 
  • The main artistic idea of the project is not particularly relevant (to the public or arts sector), distinctive, interesting or compelling. Note: Assessors consider the location and environment in which the applicant works.  
  • Artistic examples present work that is not particularly interesting or distinctive, and it is somewhat unclear how they relate to the project.  
  • The applicant and artistic collaborators have not sufficiently demonstrated that they have the artistic skills necessary to complete the project. Note: Assessors consider the career stage or history of the applicant and artistic collaborators.  
  • It is unclear whether the applicant and key collaborators bring appropriate cultural knowledge to their artistic roles in the project. Note: Where relevant, assessors consider the rights of Indigenous peoples to practice, revitalize, transmit and maintain control of their cultural material, practices and stories, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Similarly, they consider the rights of cultural groups to maintain control over their stories, artistic material and practices.   
  • The choice of artistic collaborators is not particularly relevant to the proposed artistic activity, it is unclear what they will bring to the project, and it is unclear whether they have appropriate cultural knowledge.  
  • It is unclear whether the project will help the artistic or career/organizational development of the applicant and artistic collaborators. 


Rating: Poor (1) 

  • The bio(s)/CV(s) do not demonstrate that the applicant has the relevant professional or organizational background and experience to lead the project. 
  • The main artistic idea of the project is not relevant (to the public or arts sector), distinctive, interesting or compelling. Note: Assessors consider the location and environment in which the applicant works.  
  • Artistic examples present work that is not particularly interesting or distinctive, and it is not at all clear how they relate to the project.  
  • The applicant and artistic collaborators have not demonstrated that they have the artistic skills necessary to complete the project. Note: Assessors consider the career stage or history of the applicant and artistic collaborators.  
  • The applicant and key collaborators do not appear to bring appropriate cultural knowledge to their artistic roles in the project. Note: Where relevant, assessors consider the rights of Indigenous peoples to practice, revitalize, transmit and maintain control of their cultural material, practices and stories, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.   
  • The choice of artistic collaborators is not relevant to the proposed artistic activity, it is unclear what they will bring to the project, and they do not appear to have appropriate cultural knowledge.  
  • The project does not appear likely to help the artistic or career/organizational development of the applicant and artistic collaborators.