Closed
Source verified August 1, 2026
BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals
Supports new festival programming in B.C
Funding available
$ 25,000
Deadline
October 22, 2025
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Overview
Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals supports arts and culture organizations and arts or curatorial collectives in B.C. with grants up to $25,000. It funds development, enrichment, and creation of new or unique public programming within an existing consecutive multi-day festival, including artist fees, accessibility and accessible programming, and fees for Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Develop a new program or service
- Increase social or community impact
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- British Columbia
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Non-financial cooperative
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Culture and Arts
Target groups
- Artists / creatives
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Provincial
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Development, enrichment, and creation of new or unique public programming through a specific project, component, or programming initiative within an existing consecutive multi-day festival
- A visual arts exhibition within a multidisciplinary festival
- A specific screening series with B.C. filmmakers within a Media Arts festival
- A series of writing workshops for emerging novelists within a larger literary festival
- A showcase for young audiences within a music festival
Documents Needed
- Operating budget for the fiscal year in which the project takes place (organizations only)
- Letters from up to two project partners or collaborators confirming their participation in the proposed project
- The program from your most recent festival
- Examples of work related to the proposed project and the Completed Inventory Form
- Two letters of reference from established arts and culture practitioners familiar with the applicant’s work, for applicants who have not previously received funding through this grant program
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Arts and Culture Organizations
- Arts and Curatorial Collectives
- Indigenous Community Organizations
- Indigenous Governments in B.C.
- Municipal Governments or Post-secondary Institutions in B.C. that offer dedicated arts and culture programs
Who is not eligible
- Community arts organizations, for example, community arts councils
- Organizations currently receiving BC Arts Council Operating Assistance Program grants
- Organizations or collectives applying on behalf of a private or for-profit entity such as a registered business or sole proprietorship, except in the case of for-profit book publishing companies
- Collectives with less than 3 members or ad hoc collectives
- Member-funded societies, organizations dedicated to archives, social service organizations, industrial sites, archaeological sites, heritage sites, or historic places
Eligible expenses
- Artist fees for performing and contributing artists
- Expenses related to accessibility and accessible programming
- Fees for Elders and Knowledge Keepers
- Related travel, accommodations, protocols, hospitality, or accessibility expenses tied to artist fees
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Festivals in their entirety; festivals being offered for the first time; single-day festivals
- Operating expenses and activities, ongoing expenses, annual suites of programming, capital expenses, equipment purchases over $2,500, maintenance expenses, subsistence paid to artists or arts and culture practitioners, feasibility studies, start-up costs, seed money, project deficits, budget deficits, or contingency funds
- Projects or activities not based upon artistic or curatorial decision making, or where arts and culture is not the primary focus
- Activities that require payment from artists to participate without compensation; fundraising activities; conferences and conventions; family, religious, anniversary, or community celebrations; contests and competitions unless competition is integral to the art form or cultural practice
- Podcasts and radio programming not embedded within established artistic practice or specifically dedicated to the dissemination of artistic works; projects where arts therapy, health or therapeutic work is the primary project focus or outcome; projects focused on professional development or arts education; curriculum-based activities or projects; activities primarily intended for or focused within creative industries or the commercial sector; activities already funded through other BC Arts Council grant programs or third-party delivery partners
Eligible geographic areas
- B.C.
Selection criteria
- Applications identified under the BC Arts Council’s Designated Priority Groups policy are considered for funding prioritization
How to apply
- Submit your application through the online grant system
- New applicants must register and create a profile in the online system to access the online application
- Add the email address NoReply@BCArtsCouncil.ca to your safe senders list and check your spam folders
- Once your registration request is approved, you will be able to create your profile and access the online application
Processing and Agreement
- Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be forwarded for assessment
- Eligible applications are assessed as submitted
- Notification of results is generally 16 weeks after the intake closing date
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals Program
What is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals?
Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals supports arts and culture organizations and arts or curatorial collectives in B.C. with grants up to $25,000. It funds development, enrichment, and creation of new or unique public programming within an existing consecutive multi-day festival, including artist fees, accessibility and accessible programming, and fees for Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
How much funding can be received?
BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $25,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals program?
To be eligible for the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals program, you must:
Arts and Culture Organizations or Arts and Curatorial Collectives
Indigenous Community Organizations or Indigenous Governments in B.C.
Municipal Governments or Post-secondary Institutions in B.C. that offer dedicated arts and culture programs
What expenses are eligible under BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals?
Development, enrichment, and creation of new or unique public programming through a specific project, component, or programming initiative within an existing consecutive multi-day festival
A visual arts exhibition within a multidisciplinary festival
A specific screening series with B.C. filmmakers within a Media Arts festival
A series of writing workshops for emerging novelists within a larger literary festival
A showcase for young audiences within a music festival
Who can I contact for more information about the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals?
You can contact British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC) by email at Kaitlyn.Reining@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 778-405-3973.
Where is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals available?
The BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals program is available the province of British Columbia.
Is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals a grant, loan, or tax credit?
BCAC — Project Assistance: Professional Arts Festivals is a Grant and Funding