Thursday, June 16, 2022

Grants & Funding for emerging and professional artists

The Talent Trust is committed to supporting emerging artists in any way we can through funding, mentorship, collaboration, and promotion.  Each year, we provide scholarships and special awards to emerging artists to help support the cost of their studies.  We know this is a big help to each recipient, but we also recognize that there are other expenses or projects that may need support.  Have a look at the funding opportunities below, you or an artist you know may be eligible!


Arts Equity Funding Initiative

This program helps emerging and established professional artists from designated communities who have historically faced barriers to accessing funding support. Designed to support artistic growth, development, production and dissemination, the initiative is available to the following designated communities of artists:

  • Indigenous (Mi’kmaq as well as other First Nations, Métis and Inuit)
  • African Nova Scotian
  • Black
  • Racialized people of Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, or mixed racial descents
  • Artists who are deaf, partially deaf, or hard of hearing
  • Artists who have disabilities
  • Artists who have mental illness or are mad-identifying

Create - up to $15,000: supports projects to develop or create new work

Present - up to $12,000: supports the public presentation of artists’ work.

Professional Development - up to $12,000: provides funding to strengthen artistic or administrative capacity through formal study programs, mentorship, workshops, apprenticeship, conference, and other professional development activity.

The deadline to apply for this grant is September 15, 2022. 


Mi'kmaq Arts Program

The Mi’kmaq Arts Program supports the development and continuation of Mi’kmaq art forms in the territory of Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). Arts Nova Scotia recognizes the specific needs and practices of the Mi’kmaq arts community and acknowledges a new funding program is required. 

Arts Nova Scotia aspires for all Nova Scotians to have opportunities to engage with the art forms that derive from Mi’kmaq language, world views, practices, and protocols.  Nova Scotia-based Mi’kmaq artists, groups (including ad-hoc groups) or organizations are eligible to apply. It is important to be recognized as an artist in the Mi’kmaq community as Peer Assessment Committees consider community connections. 

Creation Grant - $500 - $15,000: Assists with projects that involve the creation of a new work of art in any form including cross-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary work(s).

Presentation Grant - $500 - $12,000: Assists with projects that involve public presentation of artistic work(s).  

Professional Development Grant - $500 - $12,000: Assists with projects that involve activities intended to strengthen artistic or administrative capacity through formal study programs, mentorship, workshops, apprenticeship, conferences and other professional development activities.

In addition, applicants can be awarded in the same 12-month period as a Creation, Presentation or Professional Development grant a Visual Arts Materials Grants:

Visual Arts Materials Grant - up to $750: Assists artists working in the visual arts, crafts or traditional/customary art forms to create artwork. Grants of up to $750 are to help cover the cost of buying art materials and supplies.  This grant is intended for artists who in need material support only. 

The application deadline is September 15, 2022. 


Music Performance Trust Fund Scholarship Initiative

Music Futures Scholarship, open to students who do not have a family member affiliated with a musician’s union but who are pursuing degrees in music. This is the revitalization of a scholarship originally offered by the MPTF beginning in 1996.  There will be 30 scholarships of $2500 each awarded this year.

Scholarship applications are open June 1, 2022 to July 15, 2022.


Hot Docs: Film Funds

Hot Docs is dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary. Through its Film Funds, Hot Docs provides documentary makers with development, production, and completion grants, as well as professional development opportunities. Applications are currently being accepted through the following programs: The Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund supports filmmakers telling engaging, high-quality stories that embrace music artists in all their forms and that demonstrate Canadian music's role in the world. The Fund also welcomes international music stories told through the lens of Canadian filmmakers. Grants ranging from $15,000 to $60,000 are provided, along with creative and professional development support. The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund provides production grants of up to $20,000 to Canadian documentary filmmakers. In order to be eligible, applicants must be a corporation unaffiliated with any licensed network or programming undertaking. The deadline to apply for both of these programs is July 27, 2022.


Bloomberg Philanthropies: Asphalt Art Initiative

Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative seeks to help cities use art and community engagement to improve street safety and revitalize public space. The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program funds visual art, typically painted murals, on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities, with the following primary goals: improving street and pedestrian safety, revitalizing and activating underutilized public space, and promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities. The Initiative is currently accepting applications in Europe, and will provide up to 20 European cities with grants of up to $25,000 each, as well as on-call technical assistance. Eligible sites should be on or adjacent to active roadways, and may include crosswalks, intersections, vehicle/parking lanes, plazas, sidewalks, or transportation infrastructure such as traffic barriers, highway underpasses, or utility boxes. All cities in the continent of Europe with at least 100,000 residents within the administrative division of the city are eligible to apply. The application deadline is July 11, 2022.


Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarships will be open in January 2023.


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