Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program
Deadlines
- 1 May (generally, for projects taking place after the following August)
- 1 December (generally, for projects taking place after the following March)
Program Description
The Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program provides assistance to projects that serve and reinforce Canada’s theatre touring and presenting infrastructure, and contribute to the development of increasingly appreciative and knowledgeable audiences for theatre in Canada.
There are two components to this program:
- Touring in Canada Grants:
a) Production Touring
b) Festival Hosting
- Special Initiatives Grants
Touring in Canada Grants
This component is for Canadian professional theatre companies (including collectives and ad hoc groups) and Canadian theatre festivals. Production Touring refers to tours of Canadian productions within Canada. These applicants must fill out the application form pages for Production Touring. Festival Hosting refers to Canadian theatre festivals presenting Canadian theatre works. These applicants must fill out the application form pages for Festival Hosting.
Special Initiatives Grants
This component provides assistance to Canadian professional theatre organizations for initiatives that serve the theatre touring or presenting community at large.
Eligibility
This program is open to professional Canadian theatre organizations and groups comprised of theatre artists who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada (as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada). The Canada Council recognizes a professional artist as someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic practice) and who has a history of public presentation. This Canada Council for the Arts program is accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and also to culturally diverse arts organizations.
Specific eligibility criteria and maximum grant amounts for each of the components are indicated below. Please note that meeting the eligibility criteria allows a company to apply to the program and to have the submitted application assessed. However, funding is not automatic. Grant recommendations are determined by a Peer Assessment Committee, based on the overall merit of the project in a national comparative context (see Assessment of Applications, below, for details).
Eligibility Criteria for Each Component
Touring in Canada Grants
a) Production Touring
Non-profit professional Canadian theatre companies (including collectives and ad hoc groups) who have developed a tour are eligible.
First-run tours to a co-producing partner’s locality are not eligible. Tours where the presenter does not guarantee a fee are not eligible.
Tours within a 400-km radius within the province of origin of the company or groups are not eligible. However, tours greater than 400 km from point of origin and within the province are eligible. Inter-provincial tours, regardless of distance, are eligible.
b) Festival Hosting
Canadian theatre festivals presenting professional Canadian theatre works are eligible to apply to this program on behalf of companies programmed by the festival. These applicants must fill out the application form pages for Festival Hosting. Companies touring to additional venues than the festival should apply to Production Touring and include the festival booking on their itinerary.
Special Initiatives Grants
Canadian theatre organizations (in general, companies, presenters, etc.) are eligible to apply for support. Both one-time-only and recurring initiatives are eligible. However, if the initiative is recurring, the applicant must justify this recurrence and reapply each year.
Grant Amount
Retroactive funding is not available. In other words, funding is not available for activities carried out before the program deadline.
Touring in Canada Grants (including both Production Touring and Festival Hosting)
There are no minimum or maximum amounts that may be requested or received through this program. Grants will vary according to individual requests and the peer assessment committee’s evaluations. Applicants may or may not be awarded the full amount requested.
Special Initiatives Grants
There are no minimum or maximum amounts that may be requested or received through this program. Grants will vary according to individual requests and the peer assessment committee’s evaluations. Applicants may or may not be awarded the full amount requested, but Special Initiatives Grants will cover a maximum of 50 percent of a proposed project’s expenses.
Application Form
Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program (PDF format) This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.
Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives Program Part D Financial Information: Budget and Tour Itinerary (Excel format)
Further Information
Robert Allen or Kim Selody
Theatre Section Officers
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. 4186
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
Fax: 613-566-4410
March 2010