Touring Projects

Purpose

The program supports Ontario-based professional artists, ad hoc groups/collectives and arts organizations to tour performances, exhibitions, screenings and readings for public audiences within and outside the province.

Deadline dates

March 6 and October 16, 2019, 1 p.m. ET (Categories 1 and 3)

June 27, 2019, 1 p.m. ET (Categories 1, 2 and 3)

• Applications are available in Nova approximately two months before the deadline.
• Grant notification will be available approximately three months after each deadline.

Grant amount(s)

• Category 1 – Tour (minimum 3 stops): maximum $30,000
• Category 2 – Large-Scale Tour (minimum 3 stops): minimum $30,001 - maximum $75,000
• Category 3 – Tour to a Significant Public Arts Festival/Event: maximum $30,000

Important: Applicants to Category 3 must contact the program officer to determine eligibility. 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

• Category 2 requests are only eligible at the June deadline.
• Significant in-kind support now accepted, in lieu of guaranteed presentation fees, only for:
  • school touring within Ontario
  • independent media arts touring
• Applications from opening acts are now eligible.

Eligible applicants

• Categories 1 and 3: professional artists with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an arts practice supported at OAC
• Categories 1 and 3: ad hoc groups/collectives with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an arts practice supported at OAC
• Categories 1, 2 and 3: not-for profit arts organizations, as well as eligible for-profit book and magazine publishers, with a permanent physical address in Ontario working in an arts practice supported at OAC

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

Ineligible applicants

• municipalities, colleges and/or universities
• student ensembles (choirs led by professional Ontario artists excepted)
• students enrolled full-time in an educational institution (more than two courses)

This program funds

The program contributes to the travel, accommodation, per diem, insurance, shipping and other logistics costs of touring, if not covered by presenter(s).

Eligible tours must:

• include a minimum of three engagements outside the applicant’s home city
  • The tour may be contiguous or non-contiguous, keeping in mind the efficient use of funds.
  • Engagements may be with the same presenter or venue only if touring different works.
  • For the Significant public arts festival/event category, the tour may include fewer than three engagements.
  • For school touring within Ontario, engagements may take place in the applicant’s home city.
• include guaranteed presentation fees
  • For school touring within Ontario, significant in-kind support (such as venue, volunteers, promotion, etc.) can be used in lieu of a guaranteed presentation fee.
  • For independent media arts touring, significant in-kind support (e.g. venue, volunteers, promotion, etc.) can be used in lieu of a guaranteed presentation fee.
• include artists’ fees paid in accordance with union rates or recommended industry standards
• be presented to a public audience, or to a student audience for school tours
• include a range of revenue sources, such as presentation fees, box office, merchandise sales, personal/organizational contribution, fundraising, other grants, etc.

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 touring in Ontario, fees and salaries of artists and technical personnel while on tour, if not covered by the presentation fees
• for independent media arts touring, fees and salaries of artists and technical personnel while on tour, if not covered by the presentation fees

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
• major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment

Ineligible expenses include:

• fees and salaries of artists (school touring in Ontario and independent media arts touring excepted)
• fees and salaries of technical personnel (school touring in Ontario and independent media arts touring excepted)
• all pre-tour administration and all tour booking salaries
• costs associated with non-essential personnel on tour
• production and publication of exhibition catalogues or souvenir programs
• expenses attributed to 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

Important: Any major changes to the itinerary or budget must be approved by the program officer.

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 letter of agreement or two signed letters of intent (mandatory)
  • applicant history (mandatory)
  • biographies of key artists participating on the tour (mandatory)
  • letter from an expert (mandatory only if applying for a “Significant public arts festival/event”)
  • additional letters of agreement/intent, 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. 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: 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 intent: an invitation from the presenter, a presenting network or a school board. It must include a commitment to pay a guaranteed fee, the name of the work being presented, the venue and dates of the presentation. It can include a clause stating that the activity is conditional on the applicant receiving touring support for the activity. (A signed letter or itinerary from an agent is not an acceptable letter of intent).

Letter of agreement: a contract signed by the applicant and the presenter, a presenting network or a school board. It must include the guaranteed fee, the name of the work being presented, the venue and dates of the presentation. It can include a clause stating that the activity is conditional on the applicant receiving touring support for the activity. (A signed letter or itinerary from an agent is not an acceptable letter of agreement).

Letter from an expert: 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. (Only required if applying for a “Significant Public arts festival/event”).