Support program for Indigenous artists

Are you an Indigenous artist looking to carry out artistic projects and explore the plurality of your practice? This support program can help fund your projects and develop your career as an artist. 

Who is eligible to apply?

Indigenous artists: First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists.

What are the program objectives?

This support program aims to promote the plurality of Indigenous arts practices by supporting:

• creation, production and dissemination projects
• the advancement of traditional and contemporary arts practices
• the professionalization of artists
• the presentation of artistic activities

What type of assistance is provided?

Assistance may cover up to 100% of the project’s costs or form part of a financial structure that includes multiple funding sources. You could receive a grant of up to $15,000 to complete an artistic project.

What is the duration of the support?

This is a one-time, non-recurring grant.

What are the general eligibility conditions?

Must be an Indigenous artist (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) who:

• resides on the Island of Montréal or within a 50 km perimeter surrounding the Island including Kahnawà:ke and Kanehsatá:ke
• is recognized by their peers or community as an artist who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to their arts practice and art form, whether traditional or contemporary
• is a professional artist (see Glossary for details)
• is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

What types of projects are eligible?

• Research and creation
• Production
• Development of arts practices
• Artistic collaboration and guidance

When must the project be carried out?

The project must be carried out according to the timeline provided in the application. The project cannot be completed before June 27, 2024. 

How many applications will be approved?

The number of project applications the Conseil accepts varies depending on the number of applications it receives, its evaluation of the interest and relevance of the artistic activities and the allocated budget.

Who is ineligible to apply?

Projects

• Projects completed before receiving the Conseil’s decision (approximately six to eight weeks following the application deadline)
• Sound recording projects (albums, CDs, demos, etc.) of a promotional nature
• Projects specifically related to film or web film production
• Projects that are essentially promotional, including video clips
• Projects whose main focus is cultural mediation
• National or international prospection projects
• Capital projects or projects to acquire specialized equipment

Activity sectors

• Indigenous artists working exclusively in variety arts or comedy

Applications

• Incomplete applications
• Applications received after the deadline

Ineligible applications will not be considered by the evaluation committee.

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

Can I submit more than one application in the same year?

No, only one application may be submitted per year and per artist.

Can I apply for various phases of a single project spanning more than a year?

Artists in the creation-production phase can submit:

• an application one year for the research and creation phase
• a second application another year for the production/dissemination phase

Can I submit a video application? If so, how do I proceed?

Yes, it is possible to submit a video application. If you choose to submit your application in video format, you must answer the questions on ORORA and ensure that your video does not exceed seven minutes in length.

Who should submit the application?

The artist carrying out the project.

Can I submit an application in English?

Yes, you can submit your application in English. Please note, however, that the questions on the form are in French only.

What information and documents must I include in my application?

• A list of links to excerpts or complete versions (depending on the discipline) of works, a portfolio or activities related to the application
•  If necessary, a personal appendix (presented as a single PDF document) comprising any supporting documents that you feel are relevant to your application

Please note that all information required to properly assess your application must be included in the official documents and not as an attachment. 

How are applications evaluated?

Applications are evaluated by an Indigenous jury of peers. All applications are evaluated on merit, based on the artistic value of the projects.

4-step decision-making process

• The Cultural Advisor – Indigenous Arts, under the authority of management, receives and confirms the application’s eligibility
• The Indigenous peer evaluation committee evaluates the applications and makes its recommendation
• The Indigenous Arts Committee proposes the allocation of grant amounts and makes recommendations to the board of directors
• The board of directors meets to make a final decision and award the funding

What are the evaluation criteria?

Artistic merit 70%

• Relevance of artistic process and practices
• Uniqueness and authenticity of the approach
• Quality of previous work

Project feasibility 30%

• Artist’s ability to complete the project;
• Presentation of the key steps involved and realistic budget estimates

What is the response time?

It will take six to eight weeks from the deadline for the Conseil to process the application and the Board of Directors to reach its decision.

How will I be informed of the decision?

The artist will receive an email invitation to view the results on the ORORA platform. No decisions will be communicated by phone.

Can I appeal the decision?

The Conseil’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal. However, Conseil staff are available to answer any questions regarding decisions. Equity, ethics and proximity are an integral part of our values, and listening and empathy will always be a priority in our customer relations. With the aim of improving the way we work, we are now providing you with a feedback form, which you can find here.

However, all organizations, collectives and artists wishing to share their concerns with us agree not to communicate with members of the evaluation committee or the Conseil’s Board of Directors about the management or evaluation of their application, or about decisions related to their application.

How will the grant be paid?

The grant amount will be sent in one payment (100%) after the decision letter has been sent.

Payment times may vary depending on the internal processing time of Ville de Montréal departments, which are beyond the control of the Conseil des arts de Montréal. 

Commitments

By accepting payment of the grant, the artist agrees to complete the activities covered by the grant and to comply with the accompanying conditions, which will be communicated upon selection of the application.

Artists agree to:

• carry out the proposed project as planned
• notify the Conseil as soon as possible if unable to carry out the project in the fiscal year for which the grant was awarded. In this situation, the recipient may be asked to reimburse the grant in full or in part.
• submit an end-of-project report through ORORA within four (4) months of the end of the project. The report and budget can be downloaded from the ORORA portal. You will receive an email with information on how to access them
• include in the report photographs, videos or any other relevant, royalty-free visuals that the Conseil may use for promotional or archival purposes. Forward these items by e-mail to the following address: mylene.guay@montreal.ca

In addition, organizations, collectives, artists and their representatives agree at all times not to communicate with members of the evaluation committees or members of the Council’s Board of Directors in any matter relating to the management, evaluation or decisions related to their application. 

The Conseil des arts de Montréal staff are available to answer questions about the application evaluation process and decisions.