Opportunities & Calls

• Opportunities Calls
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STORY TO ACTION PROGRAM

STORY TO ACTION (STA) is an 8 month program where the Story Money Impact team pilots impact campaigns for 5 Canadian documentary films or episodes.

We are looking for documentary films of any length that inspire action towards social and/or environmental justice. All content must be finished, premiered, and be fully available for community use by September 15, 2023. 

Once the films are selected, the SMI team will create impact strategies, build partnerships, and organize screenings designed to expand audience understanding of the social and environmental issues featured in the films. We are holding two zoom Q&A sessions to help answer questions regarding the program and the application process, register via Eventbrite:

• MAY 10TH AT 10AM PST 
• MAY 19 AT 10AM PST

Applications are open and will close by May 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. More information can be found here:

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Artists and Education Funding

This funding supports Alberta schools by subsidizing fees of professional Alberta artists of any artistic discipline that provide interactive arts residency projects for grades K-12.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 1, 2023

Who can apply

Individual eligibility criteria

To be eligible for this funding, applicants must be:

• an Alberta school or school jurisdiction recognized by Alberta Education 
• operating on a full-time basis
• for students in kindergarten through Grade 12

Two or more eligible schools may apply to collaborate on a project when school populations, locations or conditions warrant.

What does this grant support

The May deadline is for projects taking place in the next school year.

Eligible residency projects must meet the following criteria:

• engage either an Alberta-based individual artist, or a group of artists working together in any artistic discipline who has school residency experience to deliver a program
• provide students access to Alberta’s professional artists and their work
• provide an opportunity for students to observe and actively participate in the creative process
• encourage students to discover and express their creative potential
• take place on school property during school hours
• be five hours to thirty days in duration
• be completed within three months of its commencement date

Eligible expenses

The maximum grant will not exceed $15,000.

• schools located in the following jurisdictions can apply for up to 50% of the artist’s fee (excluding GST)
  • Edmonton
  • St. Albert
  • Sherwood Park
  • Fort Saskatchewan
  • Leduc
  • Spruce Grove
  • Stony Plain
  • Calgary
  • Airdrie
  • Okotoks
• all other jurisdictions can apply for up to 75% of the artist’s fee (excluding GST)

Artist’s fee may include travel, accommodation, meal expenses and non-reusable materials required for the proposed activity (e.g. paint, paper, clay, wood, data storage).

Ineligible expenses

Expenses and activities that are ineligible for AFA funding include:

• activity undertaken before an application is submitted to this project grant stream.
• activities by applied arts (culinary, architecture, graphic arts, commercial photography, gaming), commercial variety acts (face painting, balloon entertainers, fireworks/pyrotechnics, hypnotism), competitive performances and activities at social events

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Grow Your Business Online Grant

In the digital age, it’s crucial for consumer-facing businesses to develop and implement e-commerce capabilities to remain competitive. The adoption of digital technologies enables businesses to serve existing customers more effectively and to attract new customers in the digital marketplace.

The Grow Your Business Online grant will help up to 90,000 small businesses take advantage of e-commerce opportunities.

Eligible businesses will receive a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to help with the costs related to adopting digital technologies. Grants will be available through local and regional service providers across Canada. The application period to become a service provider has closed. The service providers will also support a network of e-commerce advisors who will advise and help small businesses adopt e-commerce.

Sponsoring department:
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

Funding mechanism:
Micro-grant

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Explore and Create

Expanding Canadian Arts Practice

Explore and Create funds Canadian artists, artistic groups and organizations committed to the creation and dissemination of innovative, vibrant and diverse art.

This program advances Canadian artistic practices by encouraging artists to investigate creative processes and take risks that lead to the development of unique works destined to connect with the public.

Explore and Create supports the research, development, creation and production of work, as well as professional development for artists.

Program Components:
Professional Development for Artists Up to $10,000
Research and Creation Up to $25,000
Concept to Realization Up to $60,000 a year
Deadlines vary for each program

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Literary Individual Project Funding

This opportunity provides up to $15,000 to support the development of individual Alberta artists, arts administrators, or an ensemble of artists by providing funding for a specific literary arts project.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

Who can apply

Individual eligibility criteria

To be eligible for individual project funding, you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:

• are legally entitled to be or remain in Canada
• are legally entitled to work in Canada
• have had your primary residence in Alberta for at least one full year before applying
• ordinarily live in Alberta for a least six months of each year with the exception of attending a formal program of study

You must be in good standing with the AFA with no open or outstanding projects or reporting to apply. Previous grant recipients must ensure all final reporting has been approved by the AFA before new applications are accepted.

Applicants, including ensembles or collectives, must not be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation.

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations are eligible to apply to this program and must list all principal artists involved in the project activities as part of their application. All members of an ensemble, collective, or collaboration must meet the individual eligibility criteria.

Principal artists cannot apply and/or receive funding for multiple projects at the same time, whether as an individual or a member of various ensembles, collectives, or collaborations.

What does this grant support

To be eligible for project funding:

• the applicant must own the copyright of a proposed work
• a proposed publication must be available and accessible to the general public

Please note, AFA funding is not assured for any project.

Eligible literary genres

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, eligible projects include the below list of genres. Literary arts translation and anthology projects in any of the below genres are also eligible:

• novels
• short fiction
• poetry
• graphic novels
• plays
• young adult fiction
• picture books
• literary non-fiction*

*The AFA defines literary non-fiction as a genre that uses inventive or literary techniques to produce work that is factually true and artistically elegant, and is written in a personal, identifiable voice. It can include:

• biography
• cultural, political or social commentary
• history
• literary journalism
• memoir
• personal essays
• travel writing

Types of projects

Through this opportunity, you may apply for project funding to support artistic activities in:

• art production
• marketing
• research
• training and career development

Art production includes the development, creation, of a work in literary arts.

Projects should be confined to a distinct phase of a work, such as a first or final draft, in one of the eligible literary genres listed above. 

Marketing includes a program of activity for a specific period of time to disseminate a completed literary work and/or to develop audiences and markets for the artist’s work.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• promotional reading tours and book launches
• on-line marketing initiatives such as book trailers
• attendance at literary festivals, non-academic conferences, or award presentations by invitation

Research includes a program of activity for a specific period of time that supports or results in the development of new work in the literary arts.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• experimentation
• exploration
• research of primary materials

Training and career development includes a course or program of study to develop a writer’s training in literary arts, including translation.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• workshops
• master classes
• retreats
• mentorship programs
• professional development
• professional courses of study in literary arts

Eligible expenses

You can receive up to $15,000 to support your project.

You may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are directly related to carrying out your proposed project.

These expenses may include, but are not limited to:

• artist fees
• commission fees
• promotion and publicity
• transportation and accommodation
• tuition or training fee
• royalties
• administration and contract fees
• basic living/subsistence expenses (housing, local transportation, food, child care, dependent care) up to $3,000/month
• other expenses and supplies considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible expenses

Costs for publication or production of books or periodicals in print or digital platforms are ineligible for project funding.

Additional expenses and activities that are ineligible for AFA project funding include:

• expenses for capital purchases, such as computers, printers, software, buildings or property, or for capital development and studio construction or renovations
• recreational training projects
• specific component activities undertaken as part of a course of study
• expenses already incurred prior to application submission, including grant writer fees

Ineligible genres

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, ineligible literary genres include:

• bibliographies
• cookbooks
• catalogues
• directories
• guides
• indexes
• journalism/reportage
• lifestyle articles
• manuals
• promotional publications
• scholarly books or articles
• self-help books
• textbooks
• trade journals
• reference or technical works

Additionally, project funding is not available to support publications in:

• community newspapers
• weekly or daily newspapers
• student or free magazines
• newsletters of associations or other organizations

Ineligible projects also include production of:

• privately-printed, self-published, and vanity press publications
• print-on-demand or shared cost publications

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Film and Video Arts Scholarship

Established in 2012, this $7,000 AFA scholarship is awarded annually to a young Albertan film and video artist who shows extraordinary talent in a film and video arts form and who demonstrates clear educational or training goals.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

Who can apply

1. To be eligible for scholarship funding you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:
   • are legally entitled to be or remain in Canada
   • have had your primary residence in Alberta for one full year before applying
   • ordinarily live in Alberta for at least six months each year with the exception of attending a formal program of study
2. You must be 25 years or younger as of the application deadline.
3. You must be enrolled in an eligible film and video arts training program.

What does this grant support

Eligible training programs

You must be enrolled in an eligible training program to receive this scholarship.

Eligible film and video arts programs that will be accepted for assessment of educational or training merit are the following:

• any level of undergraduate studies with a minor or major in film and video arts
• a recognized program or appropriate mentorship, workshop, master class, or course with a focus on film and video art

Graduate programs or their equivalents are ineligible for consideration.

Eligible genres

For the purposes of this scholarship program, film and video arts are defined as independent works in film and video produced by individual artists.

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Dance Individual Project Funding

This funding provides up to $15,000 to support the development of individual Alberta artists, arts administrators, or an ensemble of artists by providing funding for a specific dance project.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 1, 2023

Who can apply

Individual eligibility criteria

To be eligible for individual project funding, you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:

• are legally entitled to be or remain in Canada
• are legally entitled to work in Canada
• have had your primary residence in Alberta for at least one full year before applying
• ordinarily live in Alberta for a least six months of each year with the exception of attending a formal program of study

You must be in good standing with the AFA with no open or outstanding projects or reporting to apply. Previous grant recipients must ensure all final reporting has been approved by the AFA before new applications are accepted.

Applicants, including ensembles or collectives, must not be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation.

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations are eligible to apply to this program and must list all principal artists involved in the project activities as part of their application. All members of an ensemble, collective, or collaboration must meet the individual eligibility criteria.

Principal artists cannot apply and/or receive funding for multiple projects at the same time, whether as an individual or a member of various ensembles, collectives, or collaborations.

What does this grant support

Please note, AFA funding is not assured for any project.

Types of projects

Through this opportunity, you may apply for project funding to support artistic activities in:

• art production
• marketing
• research
• training and career development

Art production includes the development, creation and production of any dance work. 

• Albertan artists that have been contracted by commissioners to create a specific work are eligible to apply for project support through this funding opportunity.
• projects should be confined to a distinct phase of a work
• Alberta individual artists that have been contracted by commissioners to create a specific work are eligible to apply for project support through this funding opportunity.

Marketing includes a program of activity for a specific period of time that promotes or advertises work created by Alberta dance artists, and/or develops audiences for the artist’s work.

Research includes a program of activity for a specific period of time that supports or results in the development of a dance project.

Training and career development includes enrollment in a course or program of study designed to develop an artist’s training in dance, including related performing arts disciplines, and/or performing arts administration.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

• workshops
• master classes
• retreats
• mentorship programs
• professional development
• pre-professional and professional courses of study in dance

Eligible expenses

You can receive up to $15,000 to support your project. You may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are directly related to carrying out your proposed project. These expenses may include, but are not limited to:

• contracted artist and/or technician fees
• commission fees
• production
• promotion and publicity
• transportation and accommodation
• tuition or training fees
• royalties
• administration and contract fees
• basic living/subsistence expenses (housing, local transportation, food, childcare, dependent care) up to $3,000/month
• other expenses and supplies considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible expenses

Expenses and activities that are ineligible for AFA project funding include:

• expenses for capital purchases, such as buildings or property, or for capital development, and studio construction or renovations
• recreational training projects
• specific component activities undertaken as part of a course of study
• contracts for ongoing activities or artists pursuing projects similar in scope to usual activities with commissioner
• expenses incurred prior to the application submission, including grant writer fees

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples

This program supports Indigenous individuals, groups, Indigenous-led arts organizations and arts/cultural sector development organizations that foster a vital and resilient Indigenous arts ecosystem.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, groups and organizations may apply for funding for artistic and cultural activities.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, groups and organizations may apply to Creating, Knowing and Sharing (or to the other 5 Canada Council programs) for funding for artistic and cultural activities. Canada Council stands by Indigenous artists through a variety of programs and initiatives, such as {Re}conciliation. This program functions using a self-determined, Indigenous-centred approach. This means that it will be guided by Indigenous values and worldviews, administered by staff of First Nations, Inuit and Métis heritage, and assessed by First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals.

Collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, that are led by Indigenous artists/organizations are encouraged and facilitated in Creating, Knowing and Sharing.

Program Components:

Travel Up to $30,000
Small-scale activities Up to $3,000
Short-Term projects Up to $100,000
Long-Term projects Up to $300,000
Deadlines vary for each program.

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Arts Across Canada

The Translation component of Arts Across Canada funds activities linked to the translation of Canadian literary works or dramatic works into French, English, an Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) language, American Sign Language (ASL), Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), or any other regional Canadian or Indigenous sign language for Canadian publication or presentation. In case of sign language translation, sign language should be the language or one of the languages of performance.

For the translation of literary works: the Canada Council for the Arts is administering, on behalf of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the National Translation Program for Book Publishing (NTPBP) and we acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

You may be eligible for Application Assistance to pay someone to help you with the application process if you are experiencing difficulty and self-identify as:

• an artist who is Deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness
• a First Nations, Inuit or Métis artist facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers.

Activities – what is eligible

Your application can include 1 or more requests to:

• translate Canadian-authored literary work into French, English or an Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) language, for publication
• translate and surtitle Canadian-authored dramatic work into French, English or an Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) language, for Canadian presentation
• translate Canadian-authored dramatic work into American Sign Language (ASL), Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), or any other regional or Indigenous sign language for Canadian presentation.

In addition, literary publishers can apply once per year for an Annual Supplement for reading fees, bilingual editing and promotional expenses; and applicants for sign language translation can apply for an Annual Supplement for video documentation of the translated work(s).

You can’t apply for activities that occur before the deadline date, those that receive funding from another Canada Council program or those on the general list of ineligible activities.

Who can apply

Types of potential applicants to this component include:

• literary publishers
• theatre and multidisciplinary groups and collectives
• theatre companies and dramaturgical organizations
• multidisciplinary organizations
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups or collectives
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations
• Deaf and disability arts organizations
• Deaf and disability arts groups and collectives

Your eligibility to apply to this component is determined by the validated profile created in the portal.

• Up to $25 000 for each translation, plus an Annual Supplement for targeted costs

Additionally, for organizations with profiles in Literature (with the exception of Indigenous Publishers), you must presently receive core support through the Supporting Artistic Practice: Literary Publishers component.

Organizations presently receiving core grants can apply to this component.

 The upcoming application deadline is January 11, 2023.

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Call for submissions: Emerging Screenwriter’s Grant

Whether you are finally putting that winning idea to paper, or digging out an old draft you never quite finished, we’re here to encourage you to take that next step! All submissions will receive written notes from the jury, but only winning scripts will receive an in-person feedback session. The winning short script (under 50 pages) will receive $250, and the winning feature-length script (50 page minimum.) will receive $500.

Submissions for this year’s Next Draft: Emerging Screenwriter’s Grant are open from August 1st, 2022 to December 1st, 2022.

You are able to submit as many scripts as you like, but please ensure the scripts follow the eligibility guidelines. If you submitted last year and didn’t win, we welcome you to submit an updated draft of your script. For the purposes of this grant, Emerging Screenwriters are defined as individuals who have not previously had a screenplay produced by a third party or production company.

HOW IT WORKS

Please fill out the contact form on this page and attach your script(s). We advise that you include a synopsis (max 700 characters) and indicated a short section of the script that you feel best represents the film (max 20-pages). This is due to time constraints; jurors are not required to read every submission in full. Once you submit, our programming manager will contact you with an invoice for your submission(s). The cost to submit is $10 per script for FAVA Members, $20 per script for non-members. Submissions that are not paid for will not be evaluated by the jury; the deadline to pay for your script is one week after the submission deadline.

PRIZES

• Selected Feature Film Script (50 page minimum.): $500
• Selected Short Film Script (under 50 pages): $250
• A one-on-one feedback session

All submissions will receive written notes from the jury, but only winning scripts will receive an in-person feedback session.

Scripts must follow industry-standard formatting, include a title page and be submitted as a PDF. If you are not certain what industry-standard format looks like, please review THIS PAGE.

ELIGIBILITY

For the purposes of this grant, Emerging Screenwriters are defined as individuals who have not previously had a screenplay produced by a third party or production company. All submissions will receive written notes from the jury, but only winning scripts will receive an in-person feedback session. Screenwriters who have self-produced their work in the past are welcome to apply. Screenwriters can submit a short and a feature script, but will only be eligible to win in one category (if both are worthy, preference will be given to the feature). If you submitted in previous years and didn’t win, we welcome you to submit an updated draft of your script; previous Next Draft winning scripts are not eligible. Only those residing in Alberta are eligible.

If submitting multiple scripts, please fill out the submission form separately for each script.

• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

50th Anniversary Micro-Grants for Visual Artists

In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the AFA Art Collection (established in 1972), this program supports individual Alberta artists, ensembles, or independent curators with one-time funding of up to $2,500. This program supports specific visual arts projects that explore or engage with the history and diversity of visual arts in Alberta, or respond to our province’s visual culture and identity.

This funding opportunity is a subsection of our Visual Arts and New Media funding opportunity.

Who can apply

To be eligible for individual project funding, you must be a resident of Alberta. This means you:

• are legally entitled to be or remain in Canada
• are legally entitled to work in Canada
• have had your primary residence in Alberta for at least one full year before applying

You must be in good standing with the AFA to apply.

Applicants, including ensembles or collectives, cannot be incorporated under either provincial or federal legislation.

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations

Ensembles, collectives, and collaborations are eligible to apply to this program and must list all principal artists involved in the project activities as part of their application. All members of an ensemble, collective, or collaboration must meet the individual eligibility criteria.

What does this grant support

Please note, AFA funding is not assured for any project.

For the purposes of this funding opportunity, eligible visual arts projects include, but are not limited to, works of art in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, fibre arts, ceramics, photography, mixed media, installation arts, and media or computer-assisted art. Eligible works also include Indigenous traditional arts such as beading, jewellery making, and quilling.

Funding is for creation and art production. This is not a purchase program. Ownership and copyright of works supported through this program remain the sole property of the artist. Artists interested in having their work acquired by the AFA Art Collection may submit completed works to the Art Acquisition by Application program.

Types of projects

You may apply for one-time project funding to support artistic activities that respond to, or engage in dialogue on:

• the history and diversity of visual arts in Alberta
• what it means to be an Albertan artist
• the role of visual culture and identity in our province
• Indigenous traditional cultural and customary arts
• recognition, respect, and value of culturally-diverse artistic practices
• representation of historically underserved communities within the visual arts, including Indigenous populations, racialized communities, women, artists who are Deaf and/or have a disability, and 2SLGBTQ+

Eligible expenses

You can receive up to $2,500 to support your project. You may apply for up to 100% of eligible expenses that are directly related to carrying out your proposed project.

These expenses may include, but are not limited to:

• contracted artist and technician fees
• commission fees
• production, including materials and supplies that are appropriate for the development of the project
• promotion and publicity
• transportation and accommodation
• royalties
• administration and contract fees
• basic living/subsistence expenses (housing, local transportation, food, childcare, dependent care)
• other expenses and supplies considered by the AFA to be reasonable and necessary

Ineligible Projects

Additional expenses and activities that are ineligible for AFA project funding include:

• Capital expenditures for the purchase of buildings or property or for capital development such as construction or renovations
• Capital expenditures for purchase of studio furniture and/or equipment such as computers, technology, lighting, audio, etc. that can otherwise be rented and/or has a use beyond the life of your project
• Career training, post-secondary study, or recreational training projects
• Thesis exhibitions, graduate films, and other activities undertaken as part of a course of study
• Applied arts such as gaming, architecture, interior design, commercial photography, graphic and commercial arts and/or fashion design
• Media works produced for commercial and/or broadcast purposes
• Expenses already incurred prior to the application submission, including grant writer fees

• Other
• Opportunities Calls
• Funding

Run for a Reason

Fort McMurray Marathon is excited to announce Run for a Reason – a new charity fundraising program!

Early Bird registration is open for Run for a Reason until May 31 – the new fundraising program for the Fort McMurray Marathon happening on September 25!

HOW IT WORKS – RUNNERS

When you register to run, you will have two ways to participate:

1. Make a one time donation to a participating partner organization of your choice!
2. Choose a participating partner organization & collect pledges:
   • Browse the list of Fundraising Partners, and choose an organization that you would like to support
   • As you train for race day, collect pledges & donations in support of your chosen organization!
   • Share your progress via your personal pledge page

HOW IT WORKS – DONORS

Not a runner, but still want to participate? Community members can contribute by donating to Run for a Reason! Donations can be made in two ways:

• Donate to an individual runner’s pledge page
• Donate to to a participating partner organization of your choice

This year we run for more than just medals – this year we Run for a Reason and Arts Council Wood Buffalo can be yours.