Note: This site has been designed to be best viewed in a browser that supports web standards, the content is however still accessible to any browser. Please review our Browser Tips.

We have provided the following access keys:
Skip to search
Skip to main navigation
Skip to secondary navigation
Skip to discipline navigation
Skip to content

Opera/Music Theatre Program: Annual Funding

UNDER REVIEW

Deadlines

1 December 2010 (Annual Funding) 

Program Description

The Opera/Music Theatre Program is intended to:

  • recognize and support artistic excellence and achievement in opera/music theatre
  • advance the creation and development of new Canadian works, while continuing to advocate for the vitality of the international operatic form
  • encourage innovative education and outreach programs that attract and serve new audiences for opera/music theatre, including young audiences
  • support the training and development of Canadian opera/music theatre artists, and administrators, from diverse cultural backgrounds
  • encourage the use of best management practices within the opera/music theatre field
  • foster mutual understanding, co-operation and collaboration among creators, performers, producers and audiences of traditional and non-traditional operatic theatre, other disciplines and still-evolving forms.

This program provides multi-year (three-year), annual and project funding to professional, Canadian opera/music theatre companies. Grants contribute to the development and presentation of traditional and alternative repertoire (including Canadian repertoire), and to the creation, production and presentation of new, original Canadian works for opera and music theatre.

Note that the project funding component of this program has its own guidelines and application form, which are available on the Canada Council’s website.

Top of Page

Eligibility

All Applicants

To be eligible to apply for multi-year or annual funding, your organization must meet all of the following requirements. It must:

  • be a professional, non-profit Canadian opera/music theatre company
  • have a board of directors in place at the time of application
  • have completed at least three full years of professional activities
  • produce and stage at least two productions a year, and give at least two performances of each production (small music theatre companies must produce and stage at least one major production a year, along with relevant public activities such as workshops, public readings or training sessions for singers and (or) performers in techniques appropriate to this repertoire)
  • receive significant support from other levels of government, the public and the private sector
  • engage professional artistic and administrative personnel

This Canada Council program is accessible to Aboriginal artists or arts organizations and artists or arts organizations from diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.

Annual Funding Applicants

To be eligible to apply for annual funding, your organization must have received project grants in each of the last two competitions. It must also meet the basic eligibility criteria described immediately above. The peer assessment committee’s decision to award an annual grant for the first time will be based on your organization’s performance against the assessment criteria (compared with that of all other eligible applicants in a national competition), the ability of your organization to demonstrate that it fulfills a distinctive role within its community, and the availability of funds.

Multi-year Funding Applicants

If your organization has received multi-year funding in the past, or has received annual grants for its overall activities from this program in each of the last two years, it must apply for multi-year funding (unless stipulated otherwise by the Music Section).

Restrictions

Please note that opera/music theatre and other organizations cannot request operating support in more than one Canada Council program. Applicants must consult with the appropriate sections to determine which peer assessment committee may best assess their activities.

The Opera/Music Theatre Program does not support projects involving market-driven forms of music and/or music for which an established commercial support structure exists (such as musicals or rock operas).

For this program, music theatre is defined as an art form that involves important scenic components, including a predominant use of the singing voice along with other means of dramatic expression. 

Top of Page

Grant Amount

The Opera/Music Theatre Program awards grants using a competitive process. A peer assessment committee will recommend the funding priorities and will establish the value of the Canada Council for the Arts’ contribution to the proposed activities of successful applicants. Recommendations are based on the program’s assessment criteria and available funds.

Retroactive funding is not available.

Top of Page

Application Guidelines and Form

Opera/Music Theatre Program: Multi-Year and Annual Funding Application Form and Guidelines (PDF Format)

Appendices - Opera/Music Theatre Program: Multi-year and Annual Funding (Word Format)

Top of Page

Further Information

Daniel Swift
Music Section
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. 5248 

TTY: 1-866-585-5559

Fax: 613-566-4409

October 2009