Through its 2024 Connections & Exchanges Initiatives program, the Edmonton Arts Council is allocating funds for projects and initiatives aimed at realizing the City of Edmonton’s 10-year strategy, Connections & Exchanges.
This initiative supports new and ongoing arts and heritage activities, fostering resilience, innovation, collaborations, and creations. It aids nonprofit organizations in their artistic endeavors and emphasizes the shared duty of the arts community in carrying out the Connections & Exchanges plan.
The program underscores the Edmonton Arts Council’s dedication to backing Indigenous artists and those from groups seeking equity. This focus will shape the evaluation, decision-making, and approval procedures, which will be steered by four core principles of the Connections & Exchanges framework:
- Embracing inclusivity that mirrors the varied values of Edmonton’s communities;
- Promoting leadership, excellence, and innovation within the arts and heritage sectors;
- Recognizing a communal obligation to arts and heritage; and
- Enhancing economic stability for the arts and heritage sectors.
To be eligible, organizations must:
- Be a non-profit entity focused primarily on arts or festivals;
- Maintain an updated organizational profile in the Edmonton Arts Council’s online system, SmartSimple;
- Have no outstanding debts with the City of Edmonton.
Eligible initiatives should:
- Align with the organization’s mission, goals, activities, or strategic plans;
- Ensure fair and professional remuneration for artists and/or arts professionals;
- Be time-bound, starting after the application deadline and having a specified conclusion;
- Represent a new effort or a substantial modification to an existing one.
Ideal Project Examples:
Projects that align with the Connections & Exchanges Initiatives Program may include:
- A dance group engaging an up-and-coming choreographer to develop a new piece for later showing.
- An arts organization facilitating a tour showcasing landscape paintings by local artists in several smaller Alberta locales.
- A community choir inviting a renowned conductor for guest direction and member training.
- A support group for writers implementing a mentorship system for novice novelists.
- An Indigenous theater company expanding its development and rehearsal phase to include Elder and Knowledge Keeper consultations.
- Collaborative ventures between two Edmonton-based groups from different artistic disciplines, touring a multidisciplinary work featuring local artists to central Canada.
Exclusions:
This funding does not cover:
- Direct costs associated with capital projects or purchases;
- Programs already outlined in the organization’s latest annual programming or operational funding request, unless they’re significantly expanded as per this application’s guidelines;
- Activities already receiving financial support from the City of Edmonton through other channels;
- Costs incurred prior to the application deadline.
The deadline for submissions is May 1 by 11:59 AM.
Please note, the deadline is now 11:59 AM, not PM. Late applications or those that do not include all required information will be considered incomplete and will not be assessed.
