Dance Projects

About the Open Call

Purpose: The program supports the creation, production and presentation of live and virtual dance and other initiatives that benefit the Ontario professional dance community. It has five categories: Creation (for choreography and new work development), Production and presentation (for artistic, production, and presentation costs of live or virtual dance), Series and festivals (for presentation costs promoting professional choreographers and dance companies), Mentorship – Individuals (for Indigenous artists training in Indigenous dance practices, and for Deaf artists and artists with disabilities), and Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations (for training and community development initiatives like forums, workshops, master classes, equity and access initiatives, and other activities benefiting the professional dance community).Priorities: Category-specific priorities include projects that engage professional Ontario-based choreographers for Creation, Production and presentation, and Series and festivals. Series and festivals projects should not feature the applicant's own dance works. Training and community development projects should support dance practices where training opportunities in Ontario are limited.What this program funds: Artists’ fees (choreographers, dancers, outside eye/elder/dramaturge, composers, musicians, theatrical designers and technicians), fees for mentors, teachers, gurus, Elders, knowledge-keepers and other cultural carriers, fees for professional dance artists participating in Mentorship, training and community development projects, production costs (costumes, set, staging), publicity, marketing, promotion, audience development, administration costs, venue or studio rental, virtual platform costs, archival recording, travel, transportation and accommodation for key non-resident artists, childcare and other dependant care fees, and expenses related to making the project accessible to audience members and participants who are Deaf or have a disability.What this program does not fund: Events outside Ontario, projects eligible in other OAC programs (Touring Projects, Multi and Inter-Arts Projects, Media Artists Creation Projects), multi and inter-arts activities, travel/transportation/accommodation for touring, graduate degree/thesis projects, competition-based dance (except urban and powwow), amateur/student/pre-professional productions, fundraising activities, major capital expenditures (buying, leasing, renovating buildings, major equipment).Activity timing: Activities cannot start before the deadline, cannot finish before grant results, and must be completed within two years of receiving grant results.

What is Offered

Creation: maximum $5,000; Production and presentation: maximum $20,000; Series and festivals: maximum $15,000; Mentorship – Individuals: maximum $2,500; Training and community development – Ad hoc groups, collectives and organizations: maximum $7,500. Grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.

Requirements

Eligible applicants: professional dance artists who are Ontario residents; Ontario-based ad hoc groups and collectives of dance artists or arts professionals with expertise in dance; incorporated not-for-profit dance companies, dance series, dance festivals and other dance organizations with a head office in Ontario; other not-for-profit organizations or ad hoc groups and collectives. Note: Only Indigenous artists, Deaf artists and artists with disabilities can apply as individuals to the Mentorship – Individuals category. Dance companies receiving an operating grant of $30,000 or under from Dance Organizations: Operating, led by Indigenous artists, artists of colour, Deaf artists or artists with disabilities, can apply to the Training and community development category.Ineligible applicants: organizations receiving a grant in the Dance Organizations: Operating program (except specified exceptions); organizations receiving an operating grant in other OAC programs (with exceptions for priority groups); choreographers directing OAC operating-funded organizations; a member of an ad hoc group or collective applying for the same activity at the same deadline; dance studios, dance schools, or other training organizations; dance students or full-time enrolled students; for-profit organizations; colleges, universities, and municipalities; school boards; elementary or secondary public or private schools; schools run by First Nations or Indigenous Education Authorities. Organizations with a pending application in the Dance Organizations: Operating program may not apply until notified their operating application was not funded.

How to Apply

Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. You will be able to do this approximately two months before the deadline. Before applying, be sure to read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for basic eligibility requirements and other restrictions, and create or update your profile in Nova. Your application will include: basic information about the project, your answers to application questions, a project budget (OAC will not fund 100 per cent of a project in the Production and presentation, and Series and festivals categories, and applications to these categories must include a range of revenue sources), artistic examples (3 video examples, maximum 3 minutes each, excluding student work), and support documents (applicant’s résumé/bio and bios of any confirmed artists). Letters of support/reference or letters of agreement/confirmation are not required, except for applicants to the Mentorship, training and community development categories.