150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Canada Council for the Arts
New Funding Model Webinar
January 8, 2016
Caroline Lussier: Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to this webinar on the Canada Council’s New
Funding Model. I’m Caroline Lussier, Director of the Dance Section.
Guylaine Normandin: And I’m Guylaine Normandin, Director of the Theatre Section.
Caroline: So a few words about how we will proceed. Anyone attending this webinar may at any time send
us a question by writing in the Q&A box in the top right corner of your screen. There are close to 1,000
registered for this webinar today, so you will understand that we will not be able to answer every single
question. Our backstage team though will read your questions, regroup them around themes as much as
they can, and bring them forward. We will try to provide answers to the unanswered questions in upcoming
blogs.
Very important: please be informed that this webinar is being recorded and will be posted on our website in
about two weeks.
Guylaine: Today’s session has three main parts. The first one is an overview of the key characteristics of the
New Funding Model. After that we’ll go over some of the program details and then we’ll answer your
questions with the help and support of other directors and office co-ordinators, who are off-screen but will
help us stay on topic.
We have in the room with us today: Aimé Dontigny, Director of the Music Section; Sylvie Gilbert, Director of
the Visual Arts Section; Youssef El Jai, Director of the Media Arts Section; Arash Mohtashami-Maali, Director
of the Writing and Publishing Section; Claude Schryer, Coordinator of the Inter-Arts Section; and Steven Loft,
Coordinator of the Aboriginal Arts Section.
Am I forgetting anyone? Colleagues? Thank you.
Before we get to the presentation, I would like to remind you that we announced the New Funding Model
back in January last year at our annual public meeting. At that meeting we also committed to an ongoing
dialogue with the arts community. In June we got back to you with the titles and objectives of our six
programs and you got back to us with comments and insights. Today we continue the dialogue and we bring
you some more elements on the new programs. This is a work in progress. What you will see and hear is by
no means the finished product. There is quite a bit left to define and refine, so we might not be able to
answer all the questions today. And also because there’s so many of us here today, and we’re so happy. But
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
we are also looking for answers ourselves. We want you to know though that all your questions are very,
very important to us.
Let’s jump into the key characteristics of the New Funding Model.
The first one is that the New Funding Model is comprised of six non-disciplinary programs with 30
components. The activities currently supported by Council have found a home in one or more of the
components. The programs are non-disciplinary but the disciplinary expertise remains.
Second, the New Funding Model is flexible and responsive to changes in arts practice. At the same time,
current eligible recipients will continue to be eligible for funding in the New Funding Model.
Third, there’s a renewed relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists and arts organizations. This is
expressed in the program Creating, Knowing and Sharing the Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and
Métis Peoples.
Fourth is the integration of mechanisms to support equity priorities in all programs. At the moment, we
address our priorities relative to equity groups with tools and processes that run parallel to our programs.
These processes, including assessment criteria, will be fully integrated into the New Funding Model.
And last but not least, our new online portal. The portal will allow you to apply online and it will also tell you
or your organization to which programs you are eligible to apply.
Caroline: Thank you, Guylaine. So next, what remains in the New Funding Models? First, commitment to
supporting artistic excellence. Next, peer assessment. On that note, I would like to stress that whenever
there will be a competition where the assessment of artistic merit is necessary there will be disciplinary
peer committees.
Next is Canada Council’s dual mandate to serve both the arts sector and the Canadian public, and Canada
Council’s commitment to respect and promote First Nations, Inuit and Métis art, as Guylaine just explained.
And a commitment to respect and promote Canada’s official languages, and artistic practices reflecting
cultural, ethnic and regional diversity and deaf and disability art.
To support all this we have different grant types. First of all, project grants basically as we know them now.
A new type grant, a composite grant, is a single grant that covers more than one activity or project. We have
core grants, which is what we know now as operating grants. And another new type of grant, micro grants,
which are very specific to the Creating, Knowing and Sharing the Arts and Cultures of First Nation, Inuit and
Métis Peoples program.
Thank you.
Guylaine: If you haven’t done it so far, I encourage you to visit our website to look at the details of every
program. What will one find on the Council website? You will find the six programs and their objectives. You
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
will also find program components including eligible applicants, eligible activities, assessment criteria and
the maximum grant amounts.
And now, shall we dive into it?
Caroline: We will go through the names of the programs and the components and then we will open it up
for questions.
I shall dive right in with a first program, Explore and Create, a program which has four components. The first
one offering project grants. They are: Professional Development for Artists, Research and Creation, Concept
to Realization and the fourth component offers core funding and is Artist-Driven Organizations.
It is my pleasure to inform you that this program will have two directors, my colleague Sylvie Gilbert,
currently Director of Visual Arts, and myself, Caroline Lussier, Director of Dance.
Guylaine: Congratulations.
Caroline: Thank you. The second program is Engage and Sustain. The director of this program will be
Aimé Dontigny, who is currently Director of the Music Section.
The program has two components. They’re both core funding. The first one is Artistic Institutions and the
second is Artistic Catalysts.
Guylaine: Third program. It is my privilege to talk to you about a program which is very specific, very new
and which Council is very proud of - Creating, Knowing and Sharing the Arts and Cultures of First Nations,
Inuit and Métis Peoples. This program has five components. The first one, again, Project Grants; small-scale
activity, travel; short-term projects; long-term projects; and the last one core funding to Indigenous
organizations. A director will be appointed for that program; Steven Loft, Coordinator of the Aboriginal Arts
Office, is currently overviewing this program.
The fourth program is supporting Artistic Practice. The program has six components. Three of them offer
core funding: National Arts Services Organizations, Support Organizations and Literary Publishers. The other
components offer Project Funding, Sector Innovation and Development, Literary Publishing Projects and
Professional Development for Arts Professionals. The director for this program will be Youssef El Jai who is
currently director of the Media Arts Section.
Caroline: Next, Arts Across Canada. Seven components to this one. The first one is Core Funding which will
be offered to Arts, Festivals and Presenters. The six following components all offer project funding. They
are: Public Outreach; Foreign Artist Tours; Circulation and Touring; Translation; Representation and
Promotion; and Travel. The director of this program will be Arash Mohtashami-Maali, currently Director of
Writing and Publishing.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
And finally, the Arts Abroad Program has six components. They’re all project funding. They are: Travel;
Representation and Promotion; Residencies; Translation; Circulation; and Touring and Co-Productions. I’m
very happy to tell you that I will be director of this program.
Guylaine: Congratulations.
Caroline: Thank you. Next we will tell you of our next steps. Guylaine, I’ll leave that to you.
Guylaine: A transformation is in progress. In January, 2016, so in a few days, we will have our Annual Public
Meeting and the launch of our strategic planning. The public meeting will be webcast so we encourage you
to attend in great numbers, as you are attending this webcast today. I also wanted to tell you that the
strategic plan is very closely linked to the New Funding Model and that it will inform investment in the New
Funding Model.
A little later in the spring you will get more information about the program. Later in the fall we’ll have
information sessions. In December our online portal will be open for applications to register and in April
2017 we’ll have the first program deadline.
Caroline: Thank you very much. I think David we’re ready for questions. David will introduce himself.
David Schimpky: Thanks Caroline and thank you Guylaine for that run-through of the program information.
My name is David Schimpky. I’m the Director of Program Integration and Coordination at the Canada
Council for the Arts. I am obviously off-screen and we’ll be reading off some of the questions that we’ve
received. Let’s start with this one.
Q: How will juries be composed in the New Funding Model? What sort of expertise or roles will we be
looking for people participating on those commitments to play?
Caroline: We are presently working on possibly refining the criteria for selection of juries. One thing which
is important to say is that we will be working with, as I said in the presentation, we will be putting together
disciplinary juries for many of the competitions. As I said, whenever there will be evaluation of the artistic
merits we will have disciplinary juries. We are looking at the different competitions for which it would be
pertinent to have multi-disciplinary juries.
David: Thanks very much Caroline. Another question that’s come in:
Q: Will organizations be eligible to apply in multiple components?
Guylaine: The answer is sometimes. There are some broad rules as we have now in the New Funding Model
in terms of the number of grants an organization can hold at the same time. There will be also limitations
for organizations that have a core grant in receiving project grants. This will very much depend on the type
of grant but if I can just give an example. In theatre, an organization receiving a core grant will obviously be
able to apply for, let’s say, a touring grant. It’s all going to depend on the components and on the type of
organizations or individual, and the discipline.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Caroline: If I can add to that, which is that an organization will be able to hold one core grant at a time
which is basically what we have right now in almost every discipline.
David: Thanks very much. Here’s another question:
Q: Will there be funding opportunities for developing live streaming for Canadian performing arts across
the world or I guess in Canada too?
Guylaine: This is work with new technology. It’s something that some organizations are doing right now.
Live streaming can be funded throughout the activities of a company. There is no specific component for
such projects but organizations can certainly include it in their various projects. It’s a new way of
disseminating art forms so it’s certainly something that we would be welcoming.
David: Thanks very much. Here’s one question I’m sure is burning in the minds of many of our participants
today.
Q: Will organizations in core grants still be obliged to use CADAC?
Caroline: Yes, for various reasons. One of them is that CADAC is a partnership. It’s not just clients from
Council so it’s something that allows for more streamlined reporting. One thing we would like to do is to use
the gold mine of data in CADAC in a way that we can better understand the impact of our programs on the
communities and also that you can better see what the situation is in your various milieux and various types
of organizations. Really, it’s something that’s important and yes, we’ll continue to use it.
Guylaine: And it’s information that we want to share with the milieu. We do studies on impact, on the
evolution of the art forms, or whatnot. This is information that we want to bring back to the community so
that we can all make use of it.
David: Thank you very much. This next question I’ll paraphrase a bit to roll it up to a bit of a higher level. It
applies to maybe more listeners to this webinar.
Q: For applicants that are currently receiving support for different activities. Will they find the same sort
of support in the New Funding Model for those similar activities?
Caroline: As Guylaine said in her opening comments, when we designed the architecture of this New
Funding Model we looked at all the activities that Council is supporting right now and we made a
commitment that these activities would be supported in the New Funding Model. The New Funding Model
was in no way a new structure to eliminate some of the activities that we are currently supporting. On the
contrary, we want to actually open up to new ways of working. The existing activities will find support in the
New Funding Model and we are very much hoping that we will be able to support the new ways of working
that are coming up and that we are seeing and not supporting right now. Hopefully this new flexibility will
bring us to support a wider variety of activities.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Guylaine: And if I may add, all organizations currently holding core grants (or what we used to call,
sometimes still, operating grants) are coming into the New Funding Model with their current support.
David: Thank you very much. That’s a very good segue actually to the next question.
Q: How will applicants that are currently receiving operating grants transition to the new model in terms
of... can you talk a little bit about the way the deadlines will work and perhaps how the funding will be
treated.
Caroline: Well I’ve mentioned their funding will follow them in the migration from the current model to the
New Funding Model. In terms of program deadlines it’s something that we will announce a little later but
what we are doing is looking at all the deadlines for all the core funding recipients, and all recipients in
every program right now, and making sure that every grant holder finds a way in the New Funding Model
without interruption, as smoothly as possible. These details will be announced way in advance so people
have an opportunity to prepare for their next grant and look at the guidelines and be ready for the move.
David: Thanks. That is yet again a great segue to our next question which actually has something nice for us
to hear.
Q: It’s great that the Council is ensuring that existing grant recipients are able to retain their funding but
what new opportunities will be created for emerging artists and people who are working in emerging arts
forms?
Caroline: I would say that the New Funding Model has been thought out very much with emerging artists in
mind. If you look at Explore and Create, it is targeted not just towards emerging artists but very much with
the new generations in mind. Just the name of the program speaks for itself – Explore and Create. This is,
we would think, very much a program where the emerging artists will be able to access support. Then again,
young artists touring may apply to Arts Across Canada, or to Arts Abroad.
One thing also very particular to the Creating, Knowing and Sharing the Arts and Cultures of First Nations,
Inuit and Métis Peoples program is the small-scale activities component which is targeted to them.
Steven, maybe you want to say a few words about that component which is most specific to your program.
Steven Loft: Thank you Caroline, yes I would. Because it’s new to Council we’re very excited about it. The
small-scale activities program will be one that’s set up to allow artists to access smaller amounts of money
very easily. The application process will be very simple. The results will be quite quick. We’re putting some
strong resources behind this. The idea behind it is to give artists what they need to make their work; that
could be materials, it could be tools, whatever they determine they need to get to the next level in their
artistic development. It’s a very flexible, very open program. We’re hoping that emerging artists take
advantage of it as well as very experienced artists and the mid-career artists. But it’s a really good program
for people who have never had a relationship with the Council before to get that first grant, to be able to
access some money just to make some work. We’re very excited about this component.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Caroline: Thank you very much Steven. Steven has been at the heart of the concept of this program so
thank you for stepping in.
David: Thanks very much to all of you. This is a question that we’ve had put to Council before and it’s a
good opportunity to talk about it again.
Q: The differences between the components in Engage and Sustain, particularly in artistic institutions and
artistic catalysts, and how they are different from one another and indeed how they’re also different
from the organizations we’re referring to in Explore and Create, artist-driven organizations. Can you
speak a little bit about that?
Caroline: Certainly. I will refer to the text and not try to invent an answer so I will go directly to the
descriptions that you may find on the website.
For artistic institutions, the beginning is very practical. Organizations with annual revenues of more than $2
million ... but we’ll read the second part which gives the more qualitative answer: “Organizations that focus
on artistic leadership and civic responsibility...” -- this is very new language to Council -- “... and the artistic
catalysts or organizations that have an ongoing contribution to artistic practice and strengthens the cultural
life of community.” If you are used to our programs you will see that these nuances are new to our
programs and very specific to these organizations which we think have a very important role to play not
only in the arts but also in society. If I go back to the Explore and Create program, to the artist-driven
organizations, we think in that component, we will be supporting, as the title says, artist-driven
organizations. If I think of the dance medium, which is the one I know best of course, we think of
choreographer-led organizations. But if we think in terms of visual arts for example we will see many artistrun centres supported in that component. That gives you a sense in different art fields how we see things.
I hope this provides an answer to your question.
David: Thank you very much Caroline.
Q: The next question is around different kinds of non-incorporated organizations, groups, collectives, ad
hoc groups, collaborations. What is their access or treatment going to be in our New Funding Model?
Guylaine: Well already we do support ad hoc groups and ensembles, non-incorporated organizations. In the
New Funding Model we’ve tried to be even more open. I would say that for those organizations there are
more opportunities, especially in the Explore and Create program, to access funding because, as everybody
is able to see, there has been an explosion of organizations in the past 30, 40 years and this is a model that
can work, that has worked, that will continue to work but it is not the only model and it’s not a model that
everybody wants to live with and we wanted this New Funding Model to be as open and flexible as possible.
Caroline: If I may add. If you look at, for example, in Explore and Create, Guylaine was mentioning, in the
Concepts to Realization component artists will have access to the composite grant which is the new type of
grant I was mentioning earlier and that’s very new and that’s also to help artists who have many activities
going on for them, to not have to go into the organizational model, to be able to get support for the many
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
activities that they have going on at once because we know this is the case in the milieu and still the
organizations will also have access to the composite grant. Many different ways to access support.
David: Thank you very much. Our next question is around equity. Many people are aware of our Equity
Office that we have right now and the great work that they’re doing.
Q: What is becoming of our colleagues in the Equity Office and their particular goals and programs?
Caroline: They’re staying, for one.
Guylaine: Yes. The approach to equity in the New Funding Model is very much integrated. The people are
staying, the specialists are here. There is training for staff around equity issues. What is very different as
mentioned in the first part of the presentation is that the equity issues are integrated in the programs, in
the criteria, in the eligibility, in the assessment, so the equity issues are very much at the heart of this model
and not forgotten at all.
Caroline: And also our colleagues from the Equity Office are staying with us at Council as Guylaine was
mentioning and we will all be benefitting from their expertise. Part of that team will be working with the
new division which is now the Artistic Disciplines Division, which will become the... David, I need your help.
David: Arts Granting.
Caroline: Art Granting Division. Some of that team will be coming with us in our division so yes very
important to know that the expertise of that team is maintained and will actually be shared and we will be,
if anything, working closer.
Guylaine: Yes, and equity is not only an issue for the Equity Office but it should be on everybody’s mind.
David: Okay, thank you very much. Here’s a good one.
Q: Clearly Steve’s intervention was well received and we’re wondering why there’s not more micro
grants throughout our New Funding Model.
Guylaine: I will answer this question very frankly. When we saw the program Creating, Knowing and Sharing,
which was designed in somewhat of a parallel fashion, I don’t know about my colleagues but I was a little bit
jealous because there is so much beauty in that program. But it is specific to the First Nations, Inuit and
Métis peoples. Micro grants, yes, are specific to that program. We have small grants, we have short-term
grants, we have other forms of grants which will welcome emerging artists if that’s what your question is
about. Even though there are some specifics of the Creating, Knowing and Sharing program that we can
learn from, there are echoes between the programs and the micro grants specific to the Creating, Knowing
and Sharing program.
Caroline: Yes, I guess the need was not as strongly identified in the other programs and that’s why it’s an
option that did not make it to the final version.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Guylaine: I would say it’s a very specific need for the First Nations communities which we know have had
difficulty to access Canada Council programs, and we wanted to make a special step to help those
communities access our programs and that’s the thinking behind the micro grants.
David: Thank you very much. I’ll just interject for a moment saying we’re aware that a number of
participants had difficulty joining the webinar earlier on and many are coming and joining us part way
through. I would just refer people to the information that’s on our website. There is a box on our main page
about our New Funding Model and the six new programs that we have and there’s a lot of rich information
there. I will also add that this webinar is being recorded in its entirety and will be posted to our website
within the next two weeks. You will have a chance to get caught up on parts that you may have missed and
we’re sorry for any difficulty that people had participating today.
I will just continue on the theme of Indigenous arts because that’s an interesting area for participants.
Q: Are Indigenous peoples expected to apply only to Creating, Knowing and Sharing or are they able to
apply in all areas? In the past, it was noted by this question, that Aboriginal peoples have been
encouraged to apply to the Aboriginal components.
Guylaine: In the New Funding Model it’s all about choice. Indigenous artists can apply to the Creating,
Knowing and Sharing program or to any other program as they see fit. The only restriction I would say is
that a grant cannot be received in two different programs for the exact same thing, but that’s the only
limitation.
Caroline: And that’s a limitation which applies to any applicant.
Guylaine: Exactly.
David: Thank you very much.
Q: It’s been noted by some participants that festivals and presenters do have a component named for
them in Arts Across Canada. Could you talk a little bit about that component and what it means for
festivals and presenters.
Caroline: Indeed. It is core funding and it is new for many disciplines to have access to core funding at
Canada Council for festivals and presenters. I will say right from the get-go that the support from Canada
Council to these organizations will be complementary to the support received from Heritage Canada. That’s
very important. Organizations will be able to still access the funds that they are receiving from Heritage and
apply to Canada Council for that core funding, as I said, in a complementary fashion. Guylaine, do you want
to?
Guylaine: I think it’s important to recognize that Council supports artistic festivals for the role they play in
the arts sector, which is quite different than why Canadian Heritage is supporting festivals. It’s nicely
complementary because one doesn’t go without the other.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
David: Thanks very much. The next question is about the Canada Council’s budget. Participants, and I could
say all of us here, were watching very closely the dollars of the last few months in terms of the Canada
Council’s budget and the election promise to increase the Canada Council’s budget.
Q: How well does the promise of new funding, how does that impact the New Funding Model and how
will we invest the money?
Guylaine: It’s a very simple answer. First of all we are all waiting for the budget and we will hear about the
budget at the same time as you all on this webinar and at the same time as other Canadian citizens. So we
should hear about the budget around the end of March. Any supplementary funds -- that we would be
delighted to receive -- will be invested in the New Funding Model, but I would say, stay tuned, just like we
are, until we hear more at the end of March.
Caroline: We are of course very excited about what has been announced but we have to wait and see what
comes in the budget.
Q: And will there be an impact on the New Funding Model? How does the funding go together with these
new programs that we developed?
Caroline: Well the programs are ready to receive additional funding. Their structure was made to receive.
We can continue with what we have but it’s ready and anticipating.
David: I’ve been made aware that there’s a couple of similar questions. Participants have been asking about
Equity and our Equity Office and not everybody is familiar with this unit of the Council which is really
responsible for ensuring that our funding and our activities are keeping pace with Canadian society in terms
of its composition and groups that have particular barriers with accessing Council funding and in particular
our priorities in deaf and disability arts. We have a lot of information on our website about the framework
for deaf and disability arts, which I would encourage our participants to look at if they’re interested. There’s
also cultural diversity, which remains a priority for the Council as well as official-language minority
communities. These are English-language communities inside Quebec and francophone communities
outside Quebec.
I hope that’s helpful and I would just mention too for participants if there’s specific questions that we don’t
get to during the webinar today we do encourage you to follow -up, to contact us. Again, we will also be
trying to make efforts to respond in writing to some of the questions that we have received today as well,
so I appreciate all of your questions. Our next question…
Q: Will a composite grant be multi-year grants as well?
Caroline: Composite grants do come in what we call right now a long-term frame. We use the multi-year
language mainly for core grants and we refer more to short-term and long-term grants when we talk about
project grants, so whatever the word, composite grants are project grants but the project can cover two
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
years, if I am correct. David, you can confirm. I believe composite grants go up to two years. That’s a very
specific question.
David: That’s something we’re still working on but we’ll be releasing more information about that in the
coming months.
Caroline: Thank you. So, a little tricky question but keep in mind that it is a project grant but not limited to,
you know, just a few months. And of course, composite grant because it is a grant that supports different
activities, since we understand that activities take, you know, quite a few months to roll out.
David: Thanks very much. There’s a question around discipline assessment.
Q: To what extent are we still going to be conducting ... having our peer assessors work on a disciplinary
basis?
Guylaine: To a great extent. As mentioned before by Caroline, all the components that require an artistic
assessment will be assessed on a disciplinary basis. In other cases, there might be occasions where
assessment is not done this way and even currently, or for the theatre clients. For example, Leadership for
Change has not been assessed only by theatre peers. So far, we’ve been pairing up with music and dance
the first year, dance and inter-arts the second year. So, there are occasions where disciplinarity is less
important but as long as were assessing artistic merit the disciplinary aspect is crucial.
Caroline: Maybe I can tack on another answer to that, which will probably come up. It is that, also we’re
talking about disciplinary peers but within Council also we are maintaining our disciplinary expertise. Each
one of us who is a director of a disciplinary section right now will remain experts, shall we say, in our new
assignment. As we have told you, we will all become directors of one of the six programs but we are
maintaining our hat as disciplinary experts. The same goes for our officers so that they, the officers, will
maintain their expertise of their specific field whichever of the programs they are attached to and this way
they are maintaining their expertise, their knowledge of the field, and their knowledge of who is in the field,
which will enable them to invite the appropriate peers into the committee and that is very important. It’s
important, we know, to you and it’s important to us, to make sure that our expertise is maintained and we
will have to ensure within Council that we find the ways to maintain our knowledge of our specific field.
Even though we and our work will change, we will have to develop knowledge of many different fields.
David: Thank you, Caroline.
Q: A question around whether any of the current activities funded by the Council will not be eligible in
the New Funding Model.
Caroline: Colleagues do you want to? Sylvie Gilbert, our colleague from visual arts, will answer.
Sylvie Gilbert: It’s a complicated question – so, a complicated answer that is specific to the visual arts.
Before we worked on the New Funding Model, we had a consultation with the community and based on the
outcome of this consultation we made the decision to move some of the acquisition money that we had
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
from museums and galleries to touring and co-production on the international scene. So we did shift some
of our current budget to be able to give access to a different new activity – or not different but new activity
– activity that we did not fund in the past. So, the acquisition budget as we know it today will not remain. So,
that’s a very specific example of a budget that was existing. There was a project budget so I don’t know if
any of my colleagues might have also, you know, little pockets of money that have been reassigned. We’ve
all re-shuffled some of our budget and made them bigger or a bit smaller, to be able to develop or give
access to our community to specific components in the New Funding Model. But if you have a question – a
follow-up question – about acquisition, I would invite you to call an officer in the visual arts because that is
very specific and it might bore the rest of the 900 hundred people that are listening to us, but thank you for
your question.
Guylaine: Yes. I think it’s exceptional that, in general, most of the activities are still eligible, with some
exceptions.
Caroline: And potentially in a different format because for example I was speaking of the milieu I know best.
We have a program right now which is called Dance on Screen, which does not find itself under such a name
in the New Funding Model, but the film projects of dance artists will be supported in the Explore and Create
program. We have the same goals for…
Guylaine: Artists and Community Collaboration.
Caroline: Thank you very much. Which is now a program as such and does not find itself in the same format
in the new model, but these projects are very important in the philosophy of Council and they will be
supported. Depending on the objectives of a specific project, they may be supported again in the Explore
and Create program or find their way in the public outreach program. As I say, it depends on the objective
and of the project, or its outcome, or its specific activities. Almost all activities will find their place in the
New Funding Model; so very specific to visual arts. Otherwise, if anything, we are widening the scope of
what we support.
Guylaine: Yes. I think what you said is key about the outcome so we no longer focus so much on the
activities themselves but on the outcome. So the outcome can take many forms in terms of activity and
that’s another aspect of the flexibility of the New Funding Model.
Caroline: And maybe we can invite you to see where your project would be best positioned and best
assessed and find the best fit. We invite you to read very carefully the assessment criteria. We have brought
them up very early in the process because we thought it was very important for you to understand the New
Funding Model and to think of how to position your project or your activities or your organization in the
new model. So, we look at assessment criteria quite carefully because the nuances are sometimes very
important between the two models, the current model and the new one.
David: Thanks very much. A question we’ve talked a little bit about.
Q: How will our existing section directors transition to the new model. What about program officers and
what will the relationship be between applicants and program officers in the new model? I think maybe
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
one of the aspects of that question is around whether there will continue to be a single program officer
for an applicant that they get to know and work with closely.
Caroline: Yes. We have reshaped our teams of course because we will be working quite differently as you
may understand. Officers are… everyone at Council, or everyone in the division, is staying and you will find
all the officers you know in 2017 – unless they retire of course or leave Council for personal reasons – but
every officer has been assigned a new position in the new model. Everyone was informed before Christmas
about where they were going. They might be very happy to let you know where, in which program they will
be working. So you will always find someone to speak to who knows about your discipline; who knows
about your milieu, if not specifically in an individual program. Because we have disciplinary expertise in
almost every program. In every program, sometimes an officer will have to consult with an expert of the
specific field that you are working in, consult with a colleague from that specific discipline. In fact, expertise
remains, officers all remain in a different role, absolutely, but as I’ve said also keeping their hat as a
disciplinary experts.
Guylaine: And the role will continue to be to guide, to advise, to choose the peers that are on the
committees, to give feedback etcetera so this rule of facilitation is still part of the officer’s life. As
disciplinary heads and whatever our title will be with regard to disciplines in the new model, it will be our
role as directors also to gather our officers and speak about trends and make sure everybody is aware of
what’s going on in the other programs, sharing information. Sharing information is a key word in not just
the New Funding Model, but for us inside Council on how we will be working, very important. I hope we’ve
answered the question.
David: Well, in so far as I can make that assessment, yes. I’ll leave it up to our participants to decide in their
heart what they think, but I’m sure that’s good. Our next question is around transitioning to our new model.
Q: Participants have noted the opening of the portal in December and the opening of the programs in
April of 2017. What does that mean for those who perhaps have a relationship with programs that have
deadlines over the next year or so and how are we going to be handling that?
Guylaine: In 2016 it’s more or less business as usual so the published deadlines are what they are for the
next year, but later on this spring we will be sharing a more detailed calendar of the various deadlines.
Organizations and artists will know in advance that the activities for which they used to seek funding have a
deadline coming up in 3 months and 6 months. Whether you’re applying for project or core funding, there
will be enough advance notice for everybody to plan and to organize their applications.
Caroline: Another thing also is to think that in the new funding model for project grants very often we will
have more dates than we have right now. In some cases right now, we have one deadline a year. We’re
moving to 2 or 3 deadlines per year in many programs. For core funding it’s quite different. We have
organizations right now on 3-year cycles; some on 2-year cycles; and some on 4-year cycles. We have to
harmonize that and harmonize amongst disciplines, so, harmonizing amongst programs and amongst
disciplines. So some organizations might see their cycle extended for one year. Some might see a 4-year
cycle shortened and everybody will be informed with enough time to prepare and the transition plan will be
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
announced in due time for everyone to be able to pick their work before the next application, and that’s to
come. It’s in the work plan right now and we’ll pass on the information as soon as we have it.
David: Thank you very much.
Q: We already spoke a little bit about the promise of new funding for the Canada Council. Perhaps you
can talk a little bit about just how we’re going to spend all that money?
Caroline: In theatre! [laughs] Did you want to take it? I will take it. First of all, we are expecting to see what
the new parliamentary appropriation will be. We will take whatever money the government will send our
way. As Guylaine said, whatever comes our way whether it is in the first year or the second year we have all
heard the same thing from our new Prime Minister. The programs are made to support new parliamentary
appropriations and we will have plans ready and we do have a strategic plan coming up. So our 2016 – 2021
strategic plan will very much inform where, in the new model, additional investment might go.
David: Thank you very much.
Q: Where do community-engaged arts or community arts fit in to the new funding model? Are
community-engaged arts organizations eligible for core funding? That’s a very specific question but
perhaps you could talk more broadly about community-engaged arts and our artists in the community
collaboration funds that we’ve had available in the past. And continue to have available right now
actually.
Guylaine: Yes. It depends. If we’re talking about community engagement art projects, it depends what the
outcome is. Is it a creation artistic outcome or is it a public outreach outcome? So it might very well be
eligible in Explore and Create or in Arts Across Canada or in the Creating, Knowing and Sharing program. So
it really depends on the nature of the project and the outcomes that are sought or expected. In terms of
community arts organizations, I think we have to be very clear on the terminology – community-engaged
arts organizations – as long as they are professional and so are the professional artists and, you know,
conform to all the criteria of professional artists as defined by the Council, they are eligible. Community
organizations that do community theatre or music or whatever discipline, are not eligible for Council
programs.
David: Claude Schryer, who works a lot on our Artists in the Community Collaboration Fund, is also going to
add just a few words.
Claude Schryer: Sure. Hi everyone. So organizations that have a core-grant in the Inter-Arts Office that do
social engagement work or artists who make collaboration projects will continue to be eligible. Their
operating grant will be folded into the new model, but it’s a good question because one of the advantages
of this New Funding Model is that it’s much more flexible and responsive to a wide range of artistic practice
including arts and community collaboration work and I feel confident going forward that they’ll continue to
be funded and, in fact, will expand across all 6 programs.
Caroline: Thank you Claude.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
David: Thanks very much.
Q: A good question: going back to the very beginnings of our initiative on the New Funding Model, why
are we redoing our suite of programs, why are we developing a new model in the first place?
Guylaine: To remain relevant basically, in order to follow or to continue to support the arts in a meaningful
way. What we had been doing was to create a new program here, a new program there and we multiplied
the programs to a number that is hard to manage at this time and creating a new program every time
something new happens. At the rate something new happens these days, this is no longer viable. So the
simplification allows Council to be more responsive, to be able to move faster – we hope – to be able to not
oblige artistic communities to fit in one of very many small boxes but to have boxes that are big enough so
everybody can find their place. I don’t know if anybody wants to add anything to that?
Caroline: I would say the key words were, right from the get-go, simplification, flexibility, relevance. I think
with those words, those 3 words are the philosophy of this new architecture. Also, another thing was, and I
must say Simon Brault was visionary in his thinking when he rethought the programs. For him, it was also to
be able to give Council the means to accept new money and present a face to government and to society
which was more interesting in a sense than just having disciplinary programs. Here we have a set of
programs that have very specific objectives and a priority to act in a certain area or a certain territory,
whether outreach or creation. Again, to support First Nations and Métis peoples, we now have programs
that are formatted for that.
Q: Next question is around different categories of artists that we have. Currently we have a number of
programs that have categories for emerging artists, mid-career artists, established artists. Are these
categories going to be maintained? Will there be an impact, negative or positive, on artists who are in one
of those categories now?
Guylaine: Those categories are not maintained. It is a decision that was made as we designed the new
programs. The categories are not maintained but we want to make sure that artists are supported at any
stage of their career, that the model was in no way built to disadvantage anybody. It is made to be open and
in certain cases the fact that we had categories might have advantaged certain categories of artists. But the
mere fact of having categories is also a disadvantage sometimes to certain artists. So, it was a double-edged
sword, and the sword no longer exists. Now it’s open and everybody has a chance. We will be looking at
distribution of funding; making sure nobody is left out in the cold, for sure, but without having these small
boxes again.
Caroline: And as Guylaine said, following up very closely so that no one is left out, that we support all
generations, which of course is a concern of emerging artists, for whom it’s more difficult to enter or to get
a first grant and to start a career.
Q: So there have been some questions around how artists will navigate this new suite of programs.
Obviously, it’s quite a difference from our current approach and when we open up, what kind of support
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
will be available to applicants in terms of finding the right place for their projects or their activities or
their organization among these programs?
Guylaine: Well one of the new features at Council is the portal. The way the portal is going to work is after
registration, whether an artist or an organization, you will be identifying who you are and what discipline
you work, what is it you do. The portal will tell you to which programs you might be eligible, of course,
depending on the activity you want to do or the means you are pursuing. Another tool that will still be
available to you is the program officer and I think I need to emphasize that. There will still be people even
though we’re going to have this fantastic, intelligent portal. There will still be people here to talk to you, the
information officers. The program officers are going to help you find the right place but I believe that the
portal will make it very much easier and that the program officers and the information officers might not
have that much work to do after that.
Q: In terms of final recording, right now we obviously are asking many of our recipients to provide us
with final reports. How will our approach change, if it needed changes at all?
Caroline: If anything, final report, yes absolutely, will be maintained. We distribute public money. We need
to know how that money is used. That’s basic governance. And also, we are thinking of making everything
simpler but maybe more precise and to request from you information that will be helpful to us and in the
end back to the community. We hope to be able to tell stories from the reports that you will be sending us.
We have to inform Canadians of how our money is being used and we have to inform Canada’s new artists
and all Canadians of the projects that are being created and presented through our funds. So, yes, final
reports will remain and put to, we hope, better use.
David: Thanks, I’ll just add to that. You know all of us know the arts make a big difference in the lives of
Canadians and are really important for our country. And we want to understand how that’s happening for
our projects and convey that to government and others.
Guylaine: And that information is here in final reports in various narratives. What the New Funding Model
will allow us to do in the new system is use that information that we have and that is buried in big blue files,
if it ever comes to Council, and is now not easily accessible because it’s mostly narratives.
Q: Next question is about professional artists. Obviously artists spend a lot of time working on their craft
but there’s interest in what kind of funding opportunities there might be for developing business skills
and business acumen in terms of that side of an artist’s work?
Caroline: That’s a very interesting question. We have the component, professional development for artists,
or Artistic Professional Development, but it does not exclude the possibility of developing business skills,
but it is in the program Explore and Create and it is also true that we have professional development for
administrators in the Supporting Artistic Practice Program. Your question is excellent and we will make sure
that artists can develop their business skills. Excellent question.
Guylaine: Also, I would say that the Supporting Artistic Practice program has a component called Sector
Innovation and Development and in that component we might see projects for groups, individual artists,
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
organizations, to think of different ways of working, to think about different business models, different
production models, creation models. So this is very much an experimentation zone for the artistic milieu to
work differently. Steve, do you want to add something?
Steve: Thank you Guylaine. I just want to mention that one of the things that came out in our consultations
with the Indigenous artistic community is a need for that and also a need to assess what we did for Nunavut
specifically. So within the Creating, Knowing and Sharing program administrative development is definitely
an eligible activity for individuals or for organizations. So there’s a definite defining need that we saw there,
so those kind of programs of administrative development are eligible in that program.
Caroline: Thank you.
David: Thank you very much.
Q: Another question, will applicants still be able to apply with paper-based applications?
Guylaine: Yes. Yes they will. There’s going to be, of course, the opportunity to make application online but
alternatively the paper application will still be accepted.
Caroline: But you will love the portals. We’re being told by our colleagues who are developing the portal,
who are doing a fabulous job. We did say at one point this portal will be intelligent. Just maybe to add a few
words about what we said earlier: with the portal, an applicant, whether an individual or an organization,
will fill out a basic form online which will give what we call the profile of the applicant. With that profile,
depending on whether it’s an artist or an organization and depending on the field in which that applicant is
working - the field or fields, because that’s also a possibility, to register in different fields. From there,
different doors will open if you want to see it that way. The doors will be the access to different
components. So, some doors will open and some will not. The portal in that sense will guide you into the
programs to which you have access. And the other thing is once you register you are registered for
whichever application you might want to present. So, there will be so many new features that you will love.
But again for people with any other needs or people who might not have access to the portal or for
whatever circumstance, yes we will of course accept paper applications.
David: Thanks and in response to a question we received as well, our portal will be able to handle interim
and final reporting as well as support material.
Caroline: Absolutely. It will be intelligent.
Q: Another question is about organizational capacity-building and what sort of supports we’ll have in the
new model for that sort of activity.
Caroline: Those activities will be supported in the Supporting Artistic Practice program. Again, we have - to
remind you of the components for projects, for project development - we have Sector Innovation and
Development. We also have the Professional Development for Arts Professionals. So, mainly the type of
activity we’re talking about right now would be supported in the Sector Innovation and Development
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
component. Now, we have moved away – already in the philosophy of the Leadership for Change program –
we have moved away from the idea of having one organization receiving support for one activity. We’re
really looking in that program at supporting sector development and innovation. So more in the holistic way,
more on a one-on-one manner, because there is a need, and you want the money to go further and that
type of work to respond to the needs of more than one organization and yep, work more holistically.
Guylaine: And to have more impact...
Caroline: Thank you
Guylaine: ...as well.
Caroline: Yes, Thank you.
David: Thank you very much.
Q: Speaking of supporting artistic practice and sector development, where’s research, where do research
projects fit into the New Funding Model?
Guylaine: If we’re thinking artist research project, they fit in Explore and Create. I’m taking this question
because it will be my program so I better know what I am talking about. Research is, there is a component
specifically for research, which is called Research and Creation in the Explore and Create program. Now
again, when we have concept to realization, the research part of a project is of course included in that
component. For you to see the difference between those two components, Research and Creation does not
require a deliverable. So it can be really the preparation stages of the creation or just less research, or
research for the sake of research. The concept to realization component is expected to give a finished
product with presentation of one kind or another. It can be digital presentation. It can be live presentation
in front of the public. In that continuum of we think of research in the conceptual phase, the real concept of
course, we include the research part of the creation or production.
Caroline: There could also be other kinds of research. Research that will help with sector development and
that would be funded through the Supporting Artistic Practice program.
Guylaine: Steve?
Steve: Thank you Guylaine. And I would just add as well that in the Creating, Knowing and Sharing program,
one of the activities we’ve added as eligible is any form of critical discourse. So, research going into
Indigenous art is now an eligible activity within that program.
Guylaine: Thank you
Caroline: Thank you very much. And of course research is covered in Explore and Create in the core funding
of your organization. And almost, and somewhat I suppose, in certain circumstances accepted.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
Q: Obviously, today’s webinar is at a very high level in providing preliminary information to people.
There’s a lot of interest in further details; - discipline-specific kinds of questions, perhaps regional issues.
Can you talk a little bit more about subsequent information sessions we’ll be doing and the roll-out of
information between now and when we launch the New Funding Model?
Guylaine: Do you want to talk about the communications…
Caroline: Sure.
Guylaine: ... plan in general?
Caroline: Sure. I’ll start with that. What’s coming up in the next weeks, actually, is that many of us directors
will be on the road or giving webinars and talking to our specific communities. I know both Guylaine and I
will be on the road across Canada – we call it our Cross-Canada Tour – and giving information sessions in
different parts of the country. And also very often tagging along. I’m doing presentations with my colleagues
Claude Schryer from the Inter-Arts Office. We’re doing joint presentations and pretty much covering the
larger cities and giving webinars, planning webinars for the parts of the country we cannot, or we will not be
reaching during those information sessions. So, you should be hearing from your sections if they will be in
your part of the country. So, that’s what’s coming up in the next few weeks. Maybe we can go to the next
slide which gives the next step …. just to remind people.
Guylaine: Yes, I would also like to add that we had two tele-conferences with the National Arts Services
Organization. We are talking with disciplinary organizations at the moment. I also invite you to follow our
blog in which we’re going to try to answer questions that we did not have a chance to answer today and to
call your program officer, of course, but in the spring. So, I wouldn’t go so far as to give you an exact date
but in the spring we’ll be able to release more details of the program. But in the meantime, there’s an
information number that you will see shortly. There is a Twitter account. You can reach us by email, and you
can of course call your officer.
David: Thanks very much. I am amazed to see that we are running out of time now and we’ve arrived at
what I think will be our last question.
Q: I know some of our participants have been waiting patiently to hear us talk about Arts Abroad but
also what the future of our Audience and Market Development Office (AMDO) will be. So, could you
speak a little bit about what Arts Abroad specifically will be doing and how that will inter-relate with the
activities that AMDO has traditionally led?
Guylaine: Well although the Audience and Market Development Office will no longer exist in the new
model, the people from AMDO still exist and the activities that are currently supported through AMDO will
continue to be supported. They will be supported in different programs. They will be supported in
Supporting Artistic Practice. They will be supported in Arts Across Canada and in Arts Abroad. So, in terms of
particularly Art Abroad, the travel, representation and promotion are the main activities that will continue
to be supported. So, for organizations to attend markets etcetera, for individuals to travel, for agents to
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin
PO Box | CP 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
1-800-263-5588
canadacouncil.ca
conseildesarts.ca
travel. It will be more or less business as usual except to a different program with more deadlines, with
more flexibility.
David: Thank you very much. Thank you to Guylaine and Caroline for this. We already are receiving a few
nice comments back on the webinar today. I would also say thank you to all our participants for your terrific
questions. I feel I’m really privileged to be able to see your feedback and I want to assure you that this is
simply an early stage of releasing information. You know, as our panelists noted, we’re still refining our
work on the funding model. We’re still getting ready to release more information, more details. Many of
you have very specific questions within specific areas of activity. I can assure you that in good time before
we launch the program we’ll have a complete package of information for you. I also want to once again
apologize to those who through technical issues were obliged to join us late. I hope you are able to catch up
with the webinar content through our website later on. Again, don’t hesitate to contact us, the information
is here on screen and we look forward to continuing the conversation with you.
Caroline: So maybe just a few last words. Thank you very much to Guylaine. Thank you, my co-presenter.
Guylaine: Thank you Caroline.
Caroline: Thank you to all our colleagues who are here in the room, Directors, future Directors of programs
and current directors of disciplinary sections. It is really too bad that they’re not with us on the screen but
there’s many of us here in the room and we would not all have fitted. Thank you very much to our
backstage team. Also, many colleagues here, we’ve had the voice of David with us but many colleagues here
backstage working with us. We’re like a production crew here. Guylaine and I have been very privileged to
be the voices of Council today but everybody is with us. Thank you very much for joining us today and we
will see you hopefully in your home towns in the coming months, maybe at Council but thank you very
much for joining us today.
Guylaine: This webcast has been recorded and in 2 weeks you’ll be able to see it again and to share it on
our website.
Caroline: Thank you. Bye everyone.
Bringing the arts to life De l’art plein la vie