Travel Grants for Aboriginal Collaborative Projects
Deadlines
There are no deadlines for Travel Grant requests, but you are encouraged to apply a minimum of eight weeks in advance of your departure date so you may, where possible, receive notification of the results of your request before your departure.
Please refer to the Program Guidelines for detailed information.
Program Description
The Travel Grants for Aboriginal Collaborative Projects program provides support for Aboriginal artists to travel to other Aboriginal communities to collaborate in a traditional or contemporary artistic practice. This is a multidisciplinary program that is open to individual Aboriginal artists, arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations.
The program encourages social and community environments that support the development of Aboriginal arts and artistic practices. It aims to foster unique artistic relationships and networks through inter-nation collaborative exchanges among Aboriginal artists, across all disciplines.
In general terms, the Travel Grants for Aboriginal Collaborative Projects program supports collaborations that are:
- Creative – Two artists or groups of artists creating a work together.
- Developmental – The development of artistic skills and techniques among participants, the advancement of traditional or contemporary artistic knowledge, and the formalized exploration of artistic themes.
- Exploratory and Research – Artistic research with Aboriginal communities to recover, examine, and authenticate traditional histories and artistic practices (while respecting each Aboriginal nation’s affirmed protocol.)
Note: For this program, the Canada Council encourages submissions in Inuktitut or any other Aboriginal language, which will be translated into English or French for the assessment committee.
Eligibility of Applicant
We strongly recommend that potential applicants speak to the Program Officer in the Aboriginal Arts Office to confirm their eligibility before submitting their request.
Canadian Aboriginal individual artists, arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations are eligible to apply to this program. Foreign Indigenous artists must have a Canadian Aboriginal arts group, collective or organization apply on their behalf.
The Canada Council defines Aboriginal people as First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. For this program, Aboriginal people also include Indigenous and First Peoples from outside Canada.
Applicants should note that meeting the eligibility criteria allows them to apply, but it does not guarantee that they will receive a grant.
Individual Applicants
Individual applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. They do not need to be living in Canada when they apply.
They must also be Aboriginal artists who have:
- completed their basic training (not necessarily in a formal educational institution)
- produced an independent body of work
- received the recognition of their peers through the public presentation of their work or have been recommended by an established Aboriginal artist or an Aboriginal arts organization.
Arts Groups, Artists’ Collectives and Arts Organizations
Arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations must have Aboriginal artists as a majority of their members, and their artistic direction must be provided by Aboriginal artists of Canada. Arts organizations must show an ongoing commitment to Aboriginal arts, and must be operated by Aboriginal people. If they are governed by a board of directors, at least 51 percent of the directors must be Aboriginal people, and one of them must sign the application.
Grant Amount
Applicants, both individuals and organizations, may request a maximum of $2,500. If they are travelling to or from northern Canada, they may request a maximum of $3,000.
Further Information
Noël Habel
Program Officer
Aboriginal Arts Office
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 4178
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
Fax: 613-566-4386
April 2011