Touring Projects

Purpose

The program supports Ontario-based professional artists/curators, ad hoc groups/collectives and arts organizations to tour performances, exhibitions, screenings and readings for public audiences within Ontario, nationally and internationally. The work(s) being toured must be created and performed by professional artists.

Deadline dates

Grant amount(s)

• Category 2 is available only at the June deadline.
• Applicants to Category 3 are encouraged to consult program staff before submitting an application
• Due to the number of applications we receive and the limited funds that are available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.

Recent changes

• OAC has added a COVID-19 section to the Touring Projects application form so that you can tell us about how you could modify your plans if your tour is impacted by COVID-19.
• Category 2 requests are available only at the June deadline (not-for-profit arts organizations, book and magazine publishers only).
• Applications from opening acts are now eligible.

Eligible applicants

Categories 1 and 3:

• professional artists/curators with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an art practice supported at OAC
• ad hoc groups/collectives with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an art practice supported at OAC
• not-for-profit arts organizations (including nationally designated youth orchestras - see definition), as well as eligible for-profit book and magazine publishers, with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an art practice supported at OAC

Category 2 (June deadline only):

• not-for-profit arts organizations (including nationally designated youth orchestras - see definition), as well as eligible for-profit book and magazine publishers, with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an art practice supported at OAC

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

Ineligible applicants

• municipalities, colleges and/or universities
• student ensembles
• community and youth/training orchestras (see definition)
• community and training choirs/choral organizations (see definition)

What this program funds

• tours with a minimum of three engagements to different venues (Category 1 / Category 2)
  • engagements may take place consecutively or may be scheduled with gaps between them, keeping in mind the efficient use of funds
  • each tour engagement may present different work(s)/programming
• tours to significant public arts festival/event with less than three engagements (Category 3 – see definition below)
• school tours within Ontario only (see definition below)
• in addition to tour engagements, the applicant can also lead:
  • workshops that offer skill development activities, such as master classes and tutorials, to the public or student participants
  • audience development activities that engage the audience, such as post-show chats, panels, artist talks, CD signings, radio interviews, etc.

Eligible tours must:

• include only engagements that take place outside the applicant’s home city (school touring in Ontario excepted)
• include guaranteed presentation fee(s) from the presenter(s) (school tours and independent media arts tours are excepted when significant in-kind support, such as venue, volunteers, promotion, is provided). Applications are strengthened by the inclusion of other revenue sources, which may include box office, merchandise sales, personal/organizational contribution, fundraising, other grants, etc.
• include artists’ fees paid in accordance with union rates or recommended industry standards
• be presented to a public audience (school tours excepted)

Eligible expenses include:

• travel, ground transportation, visas, transportation of freight and equipment, insurance and related costs
• per diems (daily meal allowance) and accommodations of artists and technical personnel while on tour at rates defined by appropriate collective agreements or reflective of where the tour is taking place
• marketing or promotional costs specific to the tour, including the hiring of a marketing manager or publicist
• for school tours and independent media arts tours only, eligible expenses may also include fees and salaries of artists and technical personnel while on tour, if not covered by the guaranteed presentation fee from the presenter

What this program does not fund

• pre-tour planning, rehearsals or pre-production
• creation, production or restaging of work
• school tours taking place outside of Ontario
• school tours that have as their primary activity skill development, creative workshops, arts education workshops or hands-on activities in schools or communities (see OAC’s Artists in Communities and Schools Projects program)
• tour activity supported by OAC’s Ontario Dances, Theatre Connects, or Connexions théâtres programs
• performances, readings or exhibitions at a convention, conference, symposium, trade/industry fair or arts marketplace
• book tours whose primary purpose is not public readings or the performance of literary works
• competitions, juried art shows, award ceremonies and pow-wows
• fundraising activities
• major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment

Ineligible expenses include:

• fees and salaries of artists and technical personnel (school tours and independent media arts tours excepted)
• pre-tour administrative costs
• booking fees/commissions
• costs associated with non-essential personnel on tour
• production and publication costs of exhibition catalogues or souvenir programs
• home-based overhead, such as rent, etc.

Activity timing

The activities for which you are requesting funding:

• cannot start before notification (three months after the deadline date)
• must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant results

Final report requirements

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

Final reports for this program require grant recipients to provide:

• description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any minor or approved changes to what had been outlined in the application
• 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 acknowledged or will acknowledge OAC support for your project
  • This should include samples of OAC logo recognition on any promotional or other materials produced in conjunction with the project, such as publications, brochures, posters, invitations, websites, or videos/films. This could also include a description of verbal acknowledgement at public events or the intention to include OAC acknowledgement in associated future activities/materials

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:

• read the Guide to OAC Project Programs
• read the Guide to OAC Assessment
• create or update your profile in Nova

Your application includes:

• basic information about the project
• your answers to application questions
• project budget
• artistic examples: It is mandatory to include two artistic examples. Each of the following is considered one example:
  • video (maximum 3 minutes)
  • audio (maximum 3 minutes)
  • images (maximum 5 images)
  • manuscript (maximum 3 pages)
  
  
• support documents:
  • tour itinerary (mandatory)
  • one signed contract or two signed letters of invitation (mandatory)
    Note: If you are unable to obtain a contract or letters of invitation because of COVID-19, this may be submitted at a later date. If a grant is awarded, it will be conditional upon receipt of these documents.
  • applicant history (mandatory)
  • biographies of key artists participating on the tour (mandatory)
  • letter from an expert (mandatory only for Category 3: Significant public arts festival/event)
  • additional contracts / letters of invitation, website and/or examples of printed promotional material, such as brochures, flyers or posters (optional)

Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.

For information on how assessors rate applications see the Evaluation Rubric – Activity Projects.

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

Program-specific definitions

Presenter: an organization/collective that selects tour-ready work for presentation and pays a presentation fee to the professional artist or arts group. A presenter provides the venue, supplies technical support, promotes the event, and presents the work in a professional manner to a public audience (or to a student audience in the case of school touring). A presenter may show artistic work as part of a series or festival.

School tour: a minimum of three engagements in different schools, or community venues to which students are transported, where the primary activity is the performance, exhibition or reading by a professional artist or arts organization. The schools must be for students in Junior Kindergarten to grade 12. Schools can be located in or outside of the professional artist’s or arts organization’s city, town or First Nation.

Significant public arts festival/event (Category 3): a high-profile festival or one-time only public event with a large audience and presenter reach, providing a platform for profile-building and market development. It should represent a unique and special opportunity for the applicant.

Self-presentation: presenting the applicant’s own work to a public audience without the support of a presenter. This typically involves renting a venue and relying largely on box office revenue.

Letter of invitation: an invitation from the presenter, presenting network or school board expressing interest/intent to book the applicant. The following information should be included: a guaranteed fee from the presenter (or a commitment to pay a guaranteed fee), the name of the work being presented, the venue and dates of the presentation. It can state that the activity is conditional on the applicant receiving other financial support for the tour.

Contract: a written agreement between the applicant / touring artist(s) and the presenter, presenting network or school board, and that is signed by both parties. The following information should be included: a guaranteed fee from the presenter, the name of the work being presented, the venue and dates of the presentation. It can state that the activity is conditional on the applicant receiving other financial support for the tour.

Letter from an expert (only required for Category 3: Significant public arts festival/event): a reference from a third-party recognized in the arts sector, familiar with the applicant and knowledgeable about the public arts festival/event. The letter should provide context on the significance of the event to the art form and its market development potential for the applicant.

Independent media arts tour: tours where at least 75% of the works programmed are by individual professional media artists/directors (e.g. film, video, audio) whose work was artist-controlled in the production and post-production phases (independently produced).