We’re accepting applications for Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators
Applications for 2023 recommender grants have closed.
If you have any questions or access considerations in submitting your application, please contact Najla Nubyanluv at [email protected].
Our jury of artists will be assessing each application based on the following criteria:
- Artistic: What is the jury’s opinion of the artistic quality of the piece?
- Mentorship: Is the mentorship proposal clearly defined and thoughtfully considered? Does it seem like a good fit for the artist and the project?
- Impact: How might this project make a bigger impact on the theatre sector, or within the community? Does the jury feel this project is leading the way for change?
- Feasibility: Does the project have a work plan and/or development goals articulated? Do the resources match the vision?
- Intersectionality: What are the stories being told, and who is telling them? Does the applicant or group self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour), D/deaf, disabled, or as part of another equity-seeking group?
Application materials should include:
- Basic information about you (or your group’s) overall artistic work (Max 300 words)
- What are you planning to do, and what do you want to achieve with the project? (Max 425 words) – see prompts in the “assessment” criteria section above!
- CV
- Script sample or video clip (if applicable)
Frequently Asked Questions:
The mentorship can involve an experienced external collaborator, outside eye or consultant with whom you intend to develop an artistic relationship. There are no restrictions on their age or the type of experience they have. So long as this person can offer skills development or training that you need, and the mentorship provides a meaningful growth opportunity for you and your project.
For sure, we just want to understand how this person will be the best fit to help your development as an artist and the development of your project.
Not at all, we’re all remote these days anyway!
That’s okay — tell us who your dream mentor would be, why you think they would be a great fit, and what goals you’d like to work on with a mentor.
How much should I apply for? Do I have a better shot of being funded if I apply for more/less money?
The strength of the application will be the primary factor in determining if a project gets funded, not the amount you apply for. Often, projects will receive funding, but the amount awarded is less than the amount requested. We can’t speak for the current jury, but in the past, Why Not Recommender grant juries have historically opted to distribute smaller grants over a larger amount of projects rather than give out a small amount of larger grants.
In the interest of keeping a level playing field as much as possible, we would ask that you only submit the requested materials of a CV and only one (1) sample of the artistic work, along with filling out the application questions. If your piece isn’t a script-based work, you are welcome to submit a video link (or link to other multimedia) if that would better represent the project.
The jury will be composed of a diverse group of artists from the community, and will be facilitated by a Why Not team member.
Yes, this would qualify, provided it is not just an archival filming of an existing production or something similar. It needs to be a new creative idea.
Please contact Najla Nubyanluv at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to provide support where we can. Please note that the sooner you reach out, the more time we’ll have to be able to assist.
Please don’t wait until the very last second to submit, as we can’t control whether or not there may be snags with Nova when submitting. Make sure your profile in Nova is set up in advance as well.
Feel free to reach out to Najla Nubyanluv, at [email protected].
