DANCE PROJECT grants for individual artists, organizations and collectives

General Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be professional choreographers, or professional not-for-profit dance organizations or collectives. The payment of artists’ fees is a requirement in this program.

A professional artist is someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practises his or her art, and has a history of public presentation.

You may not apply as an individual and as an organization or collective for the same project in the same competition. If you are one of the members of an applicant collective, you may also apply as an individual for an unrelated project in the same competition.

The project for which funding is requested must take place in the City of Toronto.

Individual artists

If the applicant is an individual artist, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• Individuals must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (Landed Immigrants) or have an application pending for Permanent Resident Status. If requested, you must be able to provide documentation to verify this.
• Individuals must have been a resident of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the deadline, and live and work in Toronto for at least 8 months a year. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet the residency requirement.
• Choreographers must have completed at least 1 (one) year of independent dance practice and a minimum of 5 (five) publicly performed pieces.
• Professional artists who are pursuing a graduate degree may not apply for work related to their thesis.
• Individuals may receive only one grant per calendar year through this program, but may be eligible to apply to other TAC programs.

Organizations and Collectives:

If the applicant is an organization or a collective, the following eligibility criteria apply:

• Organizations and collectives must be incorporated non-profit organizations or unincorporated collectives which operate on a non-profit basis. A collective is defined as two or more artists working together under a group name, either on a single project (ad hoc) or on an ongoing basis. At least 50% of the members of the collective must live in Toronto.
• All members of an organization or collective must have completed at least one year of independent dance practice.
• Organizations and collectives must be located in the City of Toronto. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet this requirement.
• Organizations and collectives may receive only one grant per calendar year through TAC.

The following are not eligible to apply to this program:

• Choreographers who operate a company that receives Operating support from TAC
• Organizations or collectives that receive Operating support from TAC
• Dance schools
• Undergraduate students

TAC will not fund 100% of a project, except in the Creation category. Applicants to the Production/Presentation, Series/Festivals and Dance Field Development categories must indicate a range of revenue sources, which may include donated goods and services.

Funding categories

For PROJECT grants, you may apply in one of four categories:

• Creation:

This category supports choreographic creation, including research and development, exploration and commissions. Some form of presentation (e.g., in-studio, with invited peers or public) must be included as part of the process. If you create your work in stages, you may apply for funding for different stages of creation, but remember you can only receive one grant in a calendar year from TAC. The maximum grant in this category is $8,000.

Eligible expenses include:

• fees paid to choreographers, dancers, and creative resources such as an outside eye, mentor, elder, dramaturge, etc.
• studio costs and production elements that are essential to the choreography.

• Production & Presentation:

This category supports creation, rehearsal, production and presentation of fully developed dance works, including the remount of repertoire. The maximum grant in this category is $10,000.

Eligible expenses include:

• Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including publicity, marketing and outreach.

• Dance Series and Festivals:

This category supports dance series and festivals. The maximum grant in this category is $10,000.

Eligible expenses include:

• Artists' engagement fees, production and administrative fees and costs, including publicity, marketing and outreach.

• Dance Field Development:

This category supports projects that develop and advance the practice of dance in Toronto, and/or contribute to an understanding and appreciation of dance. Projects can include dance technique or choreographic workshops, laboratories, conferences, etc. Professional development projects must benefit a group; individual professional development projects are not eligible. Individuals are not eligible applicants in this category. The applicant must be an organization or collective. The maximum grant in this category is $8,000.

Eligible expenses include:

• Artistic, production and administrative fees and costs, including publicity, marketing and outreach.