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GUIDELINES AND
APPLICATION FORM
EQUITY OFFICE
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
Follow these four steps to apply for this grant:
Step 1
Read the Program Guidelines for details about the objectives and description of the
program, who can apply and what you can do with this grant, grant amount, application
assessment process and criteria, etc.
Step 2
Read the Important Information section. If you have questions about the program or the
application process, contact the person indicated under Further Information.
Equity Office staff are available to discuss your project and confirm if you are eligible to
apply. You are strongly encouraged to contact the Equity Office well in advance of the
program deadline.
Step 3
First-time applicants to the Canada Council must e-mail or send a “Letter of Interest” (i.e.
a brief note indicating your interest in applying to the program) along with a curriculum vitae
or résumé outlining your artistic experience to the Equity Office on or before 15 June 2015.
Step 3
Complete all sections of the attached application form. Be sure to use the Checklist (Part
F of the form) to confirm that you have completed all relevant sections of the form and
have included all required support material.
Deadline (pilot program for the year 2015 only)
15 June 2015 – Submit letter of interest (first-time applicants only, see Step 3 above for details)
15 September 2015 – Submit full proposal (all applicants)
Your completed application form and all required support material must be postmarked on or before the
deadline date.
The Canada Council for the Arts will not accept applications postmarked after the deadline, incomplete
applications, or those submitted by fax.
Further Information
Vanessa Novack, Senior Administrative Assistant
Equity Office
Canada Council for the Arts
150 Elgin Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Email: vanessa.novack@canadacouncil.ca
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 4102
TTY: 1-866-585-5559/ EQG8E 03-15
You can communicate with Canada Council staff via email, text or video messages, web conference, or Skype in
English, French, ASL or LSQ.
Applicants who cannot access the guidelines and application form from the Canada Council website can contact
the Equity Office to request these documents in alternative formats.
www.canadacouncil.ca
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PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Canada Council
Equity Values
The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to equity and inclusion, and
welcomes applications from diverse Aboriginal, cultural, linguistic and
regional communities, and from people who are Deaf and/or have
disabilities.
This program is designated for artists and arts professionals who are Deaf,
have disabilities and/or are living with mental illness.
Mandate and
Role of the
Equity Office
Equity is a principle and process that promotes fair conditions for all persons
to fully participate in society. It recognizes that while all people have the right
to be treated equally, not all experience equal access to resources,
opportunities or benefits. Achieving equality does not necessarily mean
treating individuals or groups in the same way, but may require the use of
specific measures to ensure fairness.
The Equity Office advances the guiding principle of equity throughout the
Canada Council for the Arts to positively impact the Canadian arts sector
and, through it, the general public.
The Equity Office works to increase equitable access to Canada Council
grants and services for professional artists and arts organizations by
collaborating with all divisions of the Canada Council and consulting with
arts communities and other stakeholders to develop policies, programs and
strategies. Each division at the Canada Council is accountable for
implementing equity practices; the Equity Office plays a leadership role in
coordinating the approach and analysis.
The Equity Office’s responsibilities include:
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promoting integration and access for artists who are Deaf and/or have
disabilities to the Council’s processes and programs
maintaining a historic focus on supporting Canadian artists of African,
Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American or mixed racial heritage, and their
artistic practices
working closely with the Aboriginal Arts Office to integrate the distinct
history, experience and contributions of Aboriginal artists into a wider
equity framework
contributing to policy development for official language minority
communities.
The Equity Office’s role in developing programs is distinct from and
complementary to that of the disciplinary arts sections. Programs delivered
by the Office are:
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Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
intended to address funding gaps within the Canada Council’s regular
programs
defined by specific objectives and expected results
designed to assist the Council in mapping artistic activity within specific
arts communities to increase knowledge of these sectors and inform
policy development
time-limited.
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Program
Objectives
The Canada Council is dedicated to ensuring that Deaf artists, artists with
disabilities and artists living with mental illness receive equitable access to its
funding programs and greater access to creation and production opportunities
within the Canadian arts sector. However, the Council recognizes that the work
of these artists is often marginalized or not well understood within the broader
professional Canadian arts milieu and that multiple systemic barriers exist for
artists from these communities.
This one-year pilot program aims to encourage innovation and advance the
creation and production of art works by artists who are Deaf, have disabilities,
and/or are living with mental illness. An intended result is to raise the visibility,
health and vitality of the Deaf arts, disability arts and Mad arts sector.
The specific goals of this program are to:
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Program
Description
Stimulate the creation and production of new and original artworks by Deaf
artists, artists with disabilities and/or artists living with mental illness
Contribute to the creative and professional development of artists from these
communities
Advance the development of Deaf arts, disability arts and Mad arts practices
in Canada.
The Cultivate: Creative Development Grants program provides support to
individual artists who are Deaf, have disabilities and/or are living with mental
illness to pursue research, creation and production projects in dance, inter-arts,
media arts, music, theatre, visual arts and/or writing/literary arts, leading to a
new artistic work or body of work intended for public presentation, exhibition,
publication or distribution.
There are two categories of support:
Research/Creation grants provide artists the time and resources to explore,
develop and/or create a new artistic work or body of work. This may include the
research and development of ideas, concepts, themes or techniques. A completed
work or public presentation is not required.
Production Grants support the production of a new work or body of work
(which may also include a development or creation phase). Production projects
must include a public presentation or exhibition of the work or, in the case of a
sound recording, film, video, audio or new media production, include a concrete
dissemination plan.
For the purposes of this program, professional artists may include: actors,
choreographers, composers, dancers, media artists (film, video, audio, new
media), musicians, playwrights, spoken word artists, storytellers, theatre directors,
visual artists (including fine craft artists) and writers, as well as artists who work
across multiple disciplines and art forms.
Priority is given to projects that advance the aesthetics, content and form of
Deaf arts, disability arts and Mad arts practices.
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Who Can Apply
Note that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that you will
receive a grant.
Eligible applicants
To apply to the Canada Council for the Arts, you must be a Canadian citizen or
have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration
Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.
To apply to this program, you must self-identify as an artist who is Deaf, has a
disability and/or is living with mental illness.
You must meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, which is
an artist who:
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has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic
institutions)
is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the
same artistic tradition)
is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if financially possible
has a history of public presentation or publication.
You must also:
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have completed your basic training
have maintained a professional artistic practice for a minimum of one year
before the application deadline (but not necessarily in twelve consecutive
months)
meet the discipline-specific criteria below.
DANCE – Dancers must have performed in at least three public performances
for which they were paid a professional artist fee and must have been a creator or
co-creator on at least one professional dance production. Choreographers must
have presented at least one work publicly in a professional context, which was
performed by professional dancers.
INTER-ARTS – Creators must have publicly presented at least one inter-arts
work in a professional context.
MEDIA ARTS – Media artists must have completed at least one independent
film, video, audio or new media production that has been presented in a
professional context. Note: independent productions are those where the artist
is the driving force behind the project and maintains complete creative and
editorial control. Only directors (not producers) of independent films/videos are
eligible to apply.
MUSIC – Musicians must have performed in at least three public performances
for which they were paid a professional artist fee. Their performance repertoire
must include their own original works and/or works that they have significantly
reinterpreted. Composers must have presented at least one work publicly in a
professional context, which was performed by professional musicians.
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Who Can Apply
(continued)
THEATRE – Theatre directors must have directed at least one professional
theatre production. Playwrights and theatre creators must have written or
created at least one theatrical work that has been either produced or published
professionally. Actors must have performed in at least three public performances
for which they were paid a professional artist fee, and must have been a creator
or co-creator on at least one professional theatre production.
VISUAL ARTS – Visual artists must have had at least one public exhibition of
their work in a professional context for which they were paid an artist fee. Note:
A professional context generally refers to a public art gallery, museum or artistrun centre. However, alternative exhibition venues may be considered if the artist
was selected through a curatorial process and fees were paid.
WRITING/LITERARY ARTS – Writers must have at least one professionally
published fiction or literary non-fiction book OR a minimum of two texts of
creative literary writing (e.g. short stories, excerpts from a novel), 5 poems or
5,000 words of literary non-fiction articles published in professional magazines,
periodicals or anthologies. To be considered professional, publishers/
publications must use an editorial selection process and pay royalties or
compensate the authors. Note: self-published works are generally not considered
eligible as past publications. However, self-published writers who are members
of the Writer’s Union of Canada and have been assessed by other professional
writers may be considered. Spoken word artists and Storytellers must have
performed in at least three public literary performances for which they were paid
a professional artist fee or be recognized, in writing, by two established spoken
word artists or storytellers.
Collaborative projects
You may apply to pursue a collaborative project with one other artist who will be
considered a “co-applicant”. However, both artists must meet the eligibility
criteria. Please note that, for the purposes of this program, “collaborative
projects” are those where both artists share artistic control over the project and
share the intellectual property rights of the resulting work(s).
Note that mentors, performers, designers, or other creative personnel that you
hire to work on your project are not considered “collaborators” under this
definition but their fees may be included in your project budget.
In the case of a collaborative project, both artists must create and sign a letter of
agreement to confirm their collaboration. If a grant is awarded, the applicant
identified as the lead applicant in part A1 of the application form will be issued
the grant and will be responsible for meeting the Grant Terms and Conditions
on behalf of the collaborators.
Restrictions
This program is intended strictly for individual practicing artists. Arts
organizations, collectives, networks, associations, publishing houses and record
labels may not apply nor can agents, managers, curators, presenters, arts
administrators or other artist representatives.
Undergraduate or high school students enrolled full-time in a school, academy,
training institution, college or university are not eligible to apply.
Graduate students at the masters and doctoral levels are eligible to apply if they
meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, and the proposed
program of work is not related to their program of study.
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
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What You Can
Do With This
Grant
Eligible activities
You can use a Research/Creation grant to:
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do general research towards the creation of a new work or body of work in
any artistic discipline or form including the exploration of ideas, concepts,
themes or techniques
write new literary works, including novels, short stories, poetry, children’s or
young adults’ literature, graphic novels, exploratory writing or literary nonfiction where the writer’s voice and opinion are evident
create new spoken word/storytelling material
write an original play, develop a devised theatre work or complete a period of
development geared towards a future production
choreograph a dance work in any dance form, including wheelchair dance,
mixed ability dance or other contemporary or traditional dance forms rooted
in all cultures
compose a musical work in any artistically-driven musical genre, including
Aboriginal, classical, electroacoustic, experimental, folk/roots, improvised,
jazz, new music, traditional, and world music
create a new body of visual arts work in any media or form, including
De’VIA, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media,
printmaking, performance art, installation, and fine crafts
write a script or treatment or complete the creative development phase of an
independent film, video, audio or new media production
create or develop an original inter-arts work
You can use a Production grant to:
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self-produce an original play or inter-arts work
self-produce an original dance work or program of dance work in any dance
form
self-produce a single concert of original or significantly reinterpreted music
in your local area in any artistically-driven genre
produce a studio-quality sound recording (music, spoken word, storytelling)
of original or significantly reinterpreted work
self-produce a storytelling or spoken word concert of your own work
produce a body of visual artwork for a confirmed public exhibition in
Canada and/or abroad, in a professional visual arts context
complete an independent film, video, audio or new media production
Ineligible activities
You cannot use this grant for:
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presenting screenings, exhibitions or readings
touring
publishing
writing cookbooks, bibliographies, guides, manuals, indexes, catalogues,
books on personal growth or practical works, reference or technical works
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
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What Can You
Do With This
Grant (continued)
Ineligible activities (continued)
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Grant Amount
remounts of theatre, dance or inter-arts works that were not created or
significantly adapted by the applicant
sound recordings or concert productions featuring music that was not
created or significantly reinterpreted by the applicant
fundraising concerts
recitals
student or educational projects
commercial, industrial or corporate projects
television pilots, public service announcements and music videos
demos
websites to promote artists’ work
professional development, apprenticeship or mentorship projects, including
attending workshops, conferences, etc.
Amount available
The maximum grant amount that can be awarded is:
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$7,000 for Research/Creation
$10,000 for Production.
If you are successful, you might not be awarded the full amount requested.
These grants cannot be used to fund activities that occurred before this program
deadline or were previously funded by another Canada Council program.
Eligible expenses
You can use a Research/Creation grant to pay for:
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subsistence (living expenses) for time spent on the project (maximum of
$500 per week)
research materials, including books, DVDs, etc.
fees for creative advisors (e.g. mentors, dramaturges, script editors, etc.)
travel costs, including economy air, train or bus fare, car rental and gas,
ground transportation and combined accommodation and per diems to a
maximum contribution of $200/day for travel days
artist fees for creation/development periods (e.g. for hired actors, dancers,
musicians, artist assistants, etc.)
studio/facilities rental
cost of materials and supplies
access support costs for other individuals participating in the project (e.g.
fees for attendants, accessible transportation, sign language interpretation,
etc.)
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
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Grant Amount
(continued)
You can use a Production grant to pay for:
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subsistence (living expenses) for time spent on the project (maximum of
$500 per week)
Research/Creation costs (as outlined on page 7)
artist fees for performance, rehearsal and production periods (e.g. for hired
dancers, actors, musicians, etc.)
lighting, costume, set and sound design
fees for stage managers, technicians, production staff and crew members
royalty and licensing fees
studio/facility rental
venue rental
cost of materials and supplies
equipment rental
technical costs and services
post-production costs for sound recording, film, video, audio or new media
production
marketing and promotional costs (to a maximum of 10% of grant request)
access support costs for other individuals participating in the project (e.g.
fees for attendants, accessible transportation, sign language interpretation,
etc.)
Ineligible expenses
You cannot use this grant to pay for:
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Access Support
costs covered by another Canada Council grant
capital and equipment purchases
costs related to presenting screenings, readings or exhibitions
touring costs
publishing costs
commissioning fees
costs normally incurred by arts organizations
Applicants to this program may apply for additional funds to cover expenses for
disability-related supports and services that they require to carry out the
proposed eligible activities. The Canada Council may contribute toward the
access-related expenses, subject to available funds.
Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses may include but are not limited to the following:
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sign language interpretation
a personal care attendant
a guide
rental of specialized equipment.
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
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Access Support
(continued)
Ineligible expenses
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Major capital expenses (e.g. purchase of wheelchair, vehicle, computer,
renovations, etc.)
Services and supports for which an individual is already receiving funding
Services and supports which are not directly tied to the activities supported
by the grant.
If you wish to apply for access support, fill out the Access Support form. Only
include your own access support costs on this form; access support costs for
other individuals involved in the project may be included in your regular project
budget. Your request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by Council staff
only. The information that you provide is confidential and will not be submitted
to the assessment committee. Please contact the Equity Office if you have any
questions about your request.
Application
Support
Grant applications must be submitted in written English or written French. If
you require transcription services or Sign Language interpretation to submit a
written application due to disability-related barriers, you may request Application
Support from the Equity Office for these services.
Note: applicants seeking this support must contact the Equity Office before
incurring these expenses. To request Application Support, please contact
Vanessa Novack by email at vanessa.novack@canadacouncil.ca or by telephone
at 1-800-263-5588, extension 4102 on or before 15 June (three months before
the program deadline).
How Applications
Are Assessed
Assessment process
Peer evaluation is fundamental to the Canada Council’s decision-making process.
Eligible applications will be evaluated by a peer assessment committee,
composed of experienced individuals who are recognized as professional artists
by their peers. Committee members will be selected with consideration to fair
representation of artistic disciplines, specializations, gender, generations,
Canada’s two official languages, Aboriginal peoples, and the cultural and regional
diversity of Canada. Peer assessors will also be selected for their knowledge of
Deaf, disability and Mad arts practices and their experience in these fields.
New committees are formed for each competition.
All peer assessment committee recommendations are final.
For further information on this subject, please see “Peer Assessment: How the
Council Makes its Decisions,” posted on the Canada Council’s website.
Assessment criteria
Decisions will be based on the general merit of your application, compared with
that of all other eligible applications in this national competition, and on the
availability of funds.
Cultivate: Creative Development Grants
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How Applications
Are Assessed
(continued)
The committee will base its review of applications on the weighted assessment
criteria listed below:
Artistic merit (50%)
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the merit, clarity and originality of the proposed project
the artistic quality of your past work, as demonstrated by the support
material provided (i.e. digital images, writing sample or audio/video samples)
for research/creation projects, the clarity and appropriateness of the
research methodology and/or development process.
Impact (30%)
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the potential impact of the proposed project on your artistic and professional
development
the potential impact of the project on other project participants, your peers
and/or your artistic milieu
the potential contribution of the project to the development and evolution of
Deaf, disability and/or Mad arts practices in Canada
for production projects, the potential impact of the project on the public for
whom the project is intended.
Viability (20%)
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your ability to carry out the project, as demonstrated by the plans laid out in
your project description and your curriculum vitae or résumé
a reasonable and balanced budget.
Priorities for funding
After the applications have been assessed as described above, the assessment
committee will list the applications recommended for funding in order of
priority.
Where there are applications of equal merit and there are limited funds, the
committee will give priority to:
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applicants who identify as Aboriginal (i.e. First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or
culturally diverse (i.e. of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American or
mixed racial heritage)
first-time applicants to the Canada Council
applicants from or engaged in under-represented arts practices, regions and
population groups within the context of the competition
projects that advance the aesthetics, content and form of Deaf arts, disability
arts and Mad arts practices.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Processing the
Application
Application preparation
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You are responsible for providing all the information and support material
requested.
The Canada Council will make decisions about your eligibility based on the
information you provide in your application.
Submit only the material requested. Extra material will not be shown to the
peer assessment committee.
Carefully choose your support material as committee members have limited
time in which to study each application.
Do not submit originals. The Canada Council is not responsible for the loss
or damage of support material submitted.
It is important to inform the Canada Council of any changes to your contact
information.
Format and layout
You can apply by email or by mail. For paper submissions, all the documents
requested and the application form must be submitted:
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printed on one side only
on separate sheets of white paper (letter format, 8½ x 11 inches)
with a black font size of 11 points or larger
with paper clips (documents cannot be bound, placed under plastic or
stapled).
Avoid unusual formatting as it can make documents hard to read.
Acknowledgement of receipt
The Canada Council for the Arts will send you a notice acknowledging that your
application has been received. It does not confirm that your application is
eligible.
Response time
You will be informed of the result of your application in writing approximately
four months after the application deadline. The Canada Council does not release
results by telephone or email.
Personal
Information
The Privacy Act gives individuals the right to access and request correction of
personal information about themselves. The Canada Council will protect
personal information as required by the Privacy Act. The information will be
stored in a series of Canada Council data banks described in Info Source, a
government publication that is available on the Internet. All other information
may be accessible to others under the Access to Information Act.
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Personal
Information
(continued)
For this program, the Canada Council for the Arts requests that you indicate
your year of birth on the application form. The personal information that is
provided by you on this application form will not be used to assess your
application and will not be passed on to the peer assessors.
The Canada Council may share information related to applications and awards
with officials in other arts and cultural industry funding agencies, on a
confidential basis, to assist with program planning and evaluation.
Grant Terms
and Conditions
Before you apply for a grant, please note all the following conditions:
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All your overdue final reports for Canada Council grants must be submitted
and approved before you are eligible to apply for another Canada Council
grant.
You may receive a maximum of two grants to professional artists from the
Canada Council in any 48-month period.
If you are eligible to two Canada Council grants to professional artists
programs you may apply to both, for separate activities, within the same
fiscal year. However, you may only accept one of these grants.
If your application is successful, the terms and conditions will be outlined in
the grant notification letter. These are some of the conditions:
Grant payment
The Canada Council will send you the grant money after it has received your
grant acknowledgement form and after you have satisfied any conditions that are
provided with your grant notification letter.
Because grants and awards are taxable income, you may wish to receive the funds
in the same year or years that you will have grant expenses. If your project or
program of work will be carried out over two or more calendar years, you may
request that your grant be paid in more than one installment.
Tax status
Canada Council grants are taxable. T4A slips will be issued, at the appropriate
time, for grants and awards paid to individuals. If you have any tax-related
questions, please contact the Canada Revenue Agency or your provincial or
territorial revenue department.
Changes to proposed activities
You must notify the Canada Council immediately if you cannot use part or all of
the grant during the period stated in your application or if you decide not to
carry out your proposed activities.
The program officer must approve any changes to your funded activities (for
example, changes in the activity budget, to key creative personnel, or to the start
or end date) before you carry them out.
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Grant Terms and
Conditions
(continued)
Expiry date of the grant
The grant funds will be available to complete your project/activity/work for
three years following the competition deadline date that you apply to. The end of
this three-year period is the expiry date of your grant.
If you require an extension to the expiry date, please contact the appropriate
Canada Council program officer, in writing. Otherwise, the Canada Council will
cancel the part of your grant that has not been paid to you by the expiry date, or
you may be required to return a portion of the grant you have already received.
Acknowledgement of Canada Council for the Arts support
You must acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts in all
promotional material associated with the grant. Details about the
acknowledgement policy will be included with the grant notification letter.
Final report
You will be required to submit a final report on how you used the grant by the
date identified in your grant notification letter.
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GLOSSARY
The terms listed below apply specifically to the Equity Office’s programs.
Aboriginal people
First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada.
Collaboration
Efforts made by artists and/or arts professionals participating equally in the research, creation, production
and dissemination of an artwork.
Commission
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A request from an individual or organization to an artist or group of artists to create specific artwork.
A financial contribution toward a commissioned work.
Creation/production
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The artistic effort (including research) of generating new or substantially revised artistic materials or
artwork (play, dance, score, script, sculpture, video, installation, etc.).
The re-mounting of works.
The presentation phase in some disciplines, such as theatre and dance.
Cultural diversity and culturally diverse
Cultural diversity is the presence, expressions and participation of many different individuals and
communities co-existing in the general culture of a society, and the explicit recognition that the contribution
and participation of all peoples, particularly marginalized people, have equal value and benefit to the society
at large.
While cultural diversity is a broad and inclusive term, the Canada Council uses the adjective “culturally
diverse” to respectfully identify racialized groups that correspond to what is commonly understood as
visible minorities.
Deaf culture and hearing loss
While people with disabilities and Deaf people share similar and often overlapping histories in experiencing
systemic barriers, these groups are different from each other. Many Deaf people identify themselves as
“culturally Deaf” because they share distinct sign languages, traditions, values, histories, aesthetics and
norms. Sign languages are regionally and culturally specific visual languages with unique syntax and grammar
that are distinct from written and spoken languages.
There is a broad spectrum of hearing loss, including hard-of-hearing, oral-deaf, deaf-blind and late-deafened.
Individuals may not have the same degree of participation in Deaf culture, and they may identify as having a
disability rather than as being culturally Deaf.
The Canada Council has adapted the convention of using Deaf with a capital “D” to represent a range of
experiences: from being culturally Deaf or deaf, to having hearing loss, and using multiple forms of oral and
visual languages.
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Disability arts
Disability arts are created by people with disabilities or with mental illness. This includes artistic practices
and processes grounded in ensuring that the lived experiences and identities of disabled people are
conveyed, explored or represented. This typically means that disabled artists are directors, creators or main
contributors to the artistic process.
Disciplinary sections
A grouping of administrative units within the Canada Council for the Arts that provide grant programs,
services and administer funding for a particular artistic discipline, practice or sector. The Canada Council’s
disciplinary sections include: Audience and Market Development, Dance, Media Arts, Music, Inter-Arts,
Theatre, Visual Arts and Writing and Publishing.
Dissemination
Methods to present and distribute artwork to the public. This includes exhibition, touring, the circulation of
exhibitions, the promotion and distribution of artwork and literature, extension services and library and
resource centre activities.
Equity-seeking groups
Communities which face significant collective challenges in participating in society. This marginalization
could be created by attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability,
economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status, etc.
Impairment and disability
Impairments are physical, mental or learning conditions that may be evident or not, and have long-term,
temporary or fluctuating effects. The degree to which impairment affects people’s lives varies greatly.
Disability is an experience of exclusion or disadvantage. People with actual or perceived impairments
experience disability when they are disadvantaged as a direct result of that impairment, or due to social,
policy or environmental barriers, including discrimination and prejudicial attitudes.
Mad arts
The Canada Council recognizes mad arts within the overall Disability Arts sector.
Mad is framed as a social and political identity by people who have been labelled as mentally ill or as having
mental health issues. Rather than focusing on awareness and coping with stigma, Mad Pride focuses on
expressing the unique ways people experience the world in terms of making meaning, developing
communities, and creating culture. Mad arts is the artistic exploration of Mad Pride focusing on mad
histories and identities.
Mentorship
An activity or experience in which an apprentice learns from a mentor (an organization, institution or
individual with extensive knowledge and experience in a particular art form.), also known as an
apprenticeship. The mentorship can include exchanges, knowledge-sharing and/or collaboration that result
in benefits for both or all parties.
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Official language minority communities
Canada has two Official Languages, English and French. Official Language Minority Communities are
groups of Canadians whose maternal or chosen Official Language is the minority language in their province
or territory, for example, French speakers in Manitoba and English speakers in Quebec.
Partnership
A clearly defined artistic, financial or administrative relationship. Two or more parties working towards
shared and/or compatible objectives with: joint authority and responsibility; investment of time and
resources; sharing of risks and benefits; and an explicit agreement, contract or other instrument that sets out
terms. A partnership lasts whatever length of time suits the partners and their undertaking.
Peer assessment
An evaluation mechanism and principle of peer review according to which most of Canada Council’s
funding decisions are made. The Canada Council’s commitment to peer assessment is based on the belief
that decisions about which artists or arts organizations receive support should be made by their peers. Peer
assessment committees can be discipline-specific or multidisciplinary.
For more information please refer to:
http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/grants/how-the-council-makes-its-decisions
Peer-to-peer learning
Opportunities for artists, art professionals and organizations usually working within common artistic
traditions, disciplines, communities or sectors, to learn, discuss and share knowledge with one another.
Professional artist
A practicing artist who
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has specialized training in the arts (not necessarily in academic institutions)
is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition)
is committed to devoting more time to his or her artistic activity, if financially possible
has a history of public presentation in a professional context.
Racialized group
Racialized groups include those who may experience differential treatment on the basis of race, ethnicity,
religion, culture, etc., that is, treated outside the norm and receiving unequal treatment based on physical
traits.
Systemic barriers
Barriers within the system, embedded in policy, law, institutions, structures, geopolitics and politics. These
barriers are experienced by groups based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, language, region, sexual
orientation, etc.
Touring
Cross-border Canada/USA travel in addition to domestic and international travel for individuals, groups or
collectives of professional performing artists to further disseminate art and increase artistic expertise.
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