Closed
Source verified August 11, 2026
OAC — Northern Arts Projects
Supports northern Ontario arts projects
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Funding available
$ 15,000
Deadline
Closed
Location
Ontario, Canada
Overview
Northern Arts Projects supports professional artists, not-for-profit organizations, publishers, ad hoc groups, collectives, First Nations and schools in northern Ontario, with maximum funding of $15,000 per category. It supports creation and production, presentations, skills and career development, and community-engaged arts initiatives.
Receipt of requests is now closed
Get notified about updates to this grant.
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 : 15,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- Non-profit
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Rural or Northern Residents
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Culture and Arts
- Other Education
- Grant-making Foundations
Target groups
- Indigenous peoples
- Rural / Remote communities
- Artists / creatives
Revenue structures
- 100% donations / grants
Scope
- Provincial
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Creation and production of new works in all artistic disciplines
- Exhibitions, single and series presentations, concerts, literary readings, book fairs, festivals and publications
- Skills and career development projects, including conferences, workshops, seminars, short-term courses, mentorships, festivals or other similar opportunities
- Projects that will benefit northern Ontario artists in their artistic or career development
- Community-engaged arts projects in communities and schools, collaborations, residencies and initiatives that engage community members in a creative process
Documents Needed
- Project budget
- Artistic examples: audio or video documentation, writing examples, images
- Support documents: résumés or bios, organization’s history, letters of reference, confirmation or commitment, sample session/lesson plan, as appropriate
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Professional artists
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Canadian-controlled professional arts and literary book and magazine publishers
- Ad hoc groups and collectives
- First Nations and schools run by First Nations or Indigenous Education Authorities
Who is not eligible
- Colleges, universities, and municipalities
- For-profit organizations, except eligible publishers
- Organizations already receiving OAC operating funding
Eligible expenses
- Costs for creating, producing, or presenting new artistic work
- Costs for skills and career development activities
- Community-engaged arts project costs
- Publishing-related editorial, production, circulation, marketing, distribution, and administration costs
- Small-scale equipment, software, electronics, childcare, and accessibility-related costs
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Fundraising activities, competitions and contests
- Major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment
- Portfolios or promotional packages
- Music videos, except professional live documentation of a performance
Eligible geographic areas
- Northern Ontario, including the Far North, Northwest, and Northeast regions of the province, the Manitoulin, Parry Sound and Nipissing districts, and all regions north of these districts
Selection criteria
- Assessors read and score all project applications before the assessment meeting
- In programs where the number of applications is much higher than the number of available grants, assessors review these preliminary scores as a group at the beginning of the meeting
- Only the highest-scoring applications are discussed and further considered for funding
How to apply
- Step 1
- Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs.
- Create or update your Nova profile.
- Step 2
- Prepare your application materials in Nova.
- Include project information, artistic examples, and support documents.
- Step 3
- Complete the application in Nova.
- Submit it online before the deadline.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed after submission in Nova
- Grant decisions are communicated by email approximately four and a half months after the deadline, and results are available in Nova
- If awarded, you must complete specific tasks in Nova before the grant cheque can be issued
- Grant payment will be held if final report issues remain unresolved or if OAC has asked you to repay all or part of a past grant
- If you receive a grant, you must complete the project as outlined, request prior approval for changes, publicly recognize OAC funding, and submit a final report when you complete your project
Additional information
- Applicants must create or update a Nova profile before applying.
- The application form is available about two months before each deadline.
- Applicants may be notified about 4.5 months after the deadline.
- Final reporting is required in Nova if funded.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the OAC — Northern Arts Projects Program
What is the OAC — Northern Arts Projects?
Northern Arts Projects supports professional artists, not-for-profit organizations, publishers, ad hoc groups, collectives, First Nations and schools in northern Ontario, with maximum funding of $15,000 per category. It supports creation and production, presentations, skills and career development, and community-engaged arts initiatives.
How much funding can be received?
OAC — Northern Arts Projects Funds up to $15,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the OAC — Northern Arts Projects program?
To be eligible for the OAC — Northern Arts Projects program, you must:
Meet program and OAC eligibility criteria at the time of application submission
Your activities cannot start before the deadline, cannot finish before you receive your grant results, and must be completed no more than two years after you receive your grant results
The program has four categories: New works, Presentation, Skills/Career development, and Working with community
What expenses are eligible under OAC — Northern Arts Projects?
Creation and production of new works in all artistic disciplines
Exhibitions, single and series presentations, concerts, literary readings, book fairs, festivals and publications
Skills and career development projects, including conferences, workshops, seminars, short-term courses, mentorships, festivals or other similar opportunities
Projects that will benefit northern Ontario artists in their artistic or career development
Community-engaged arts projects in communities and schools, collaborations, residencies and initiatives that engage community members in a creative process
Who can I contact for more information about the OAC — Northern Arts Projects?
You can contact Ontario Arts Council (OAC) by email at aforslund@arts.on.ca or by phone at 807-700-6227.
Where is the OAC — Northern Arts Projects available?
The OAC — Northern Arts Projects program is available the province of Ontario.
Is the OAC — Northern Arts Projects a grant, loan, or tax credit?
OAC — Northern Arts Projects is a Grant and Funding