Purpose
This program supports Ontario-based Indigenous arts professionals and arts professionals of colour, or ad hoc groups/collectives made up of Indigenous arts professionals or arts professionals of colour for professional development and skill-building opportunities that advance applicants’ work and careers. It funds all contemporary and traditional art practices that are supported at OAC. Projects can include: study and training, mentorship, internship and apprenticeship and documentation of art work.
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, you must:
Your application includes:
- basic information about the project
- your answers to application questions
- project budget
- artistic examples. These videos will help:
- support documents: artists’ résumés, bios, letter of support (if applicable)
Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.
For information on how assessors rate applications see the Evaluation Rubric – Skills and Careers.
For help creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.
Program-specific definitions
Arts professionals: are defined as artists, arts administrators, community animators, curators, programmers, technicians and arts educators who are engaged in creating, producing, promoting, performing, presenting, distributing and/or programming artistic work.
Study and training: include conferences, master classes and workshops or training courses that broaden arts professionals’ knowledge, refine their artistic approach and/or allow them to acquire greater mastery of their art or professional practice above the basic level.
Mentorships: are developmental relationships between professional artists and mentors in which the mentor (a more experienced artist or elder) shares information, skills or knowledge and standards or best practices that will advance the artists’ careers, enhance their education and build their networks. The artists should receive the primary benefit of the mentorship.
Internships and apprenticeships: are temporary positions that emphasize on-the-job training, giving work experience in the field or artistic practice above the basic level. The internship/apprenticeship must provide education, not merely employment, and the intern/apprentice should receive the primary benefit.
Documentation of art work: are materials that document an artist’s skills, training and abilities. Examples are: professional preparation of demo recordings for musicians; archival recording of works in performance for dance artists; demo reels for theatre artists; documentation of visual arts work; documentation of learner’s support material for arts educators; websites as a presentation tool.
Indigenous: Individuals who self-identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
OAC is referring to people of colour based on the Government of Canada’s definition of “visible minorities,” which is “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.”