TAO — Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship

• Resumes or CVs for applicant and mentor
• Mentorship details form
• Recent support material samples
• Graduate program director letter, if applicable

Who is eligible?

• Individual professional artists from any artistic tradition
• Individual professional arts workers (mentors) such as arts managers, curators, or producers

Who is not eligible

• Companies or organizations are not eligible; this program is specifically for individual professional newcomer or refugee artists and their individual mentors.

Eligible expenses

• Financial support paid directly to the newcomer or refugee artist for their professional development.
• Financial support paid directly to the mentor for providing mentorship services.

Eligible geographic areas

• City of Toronto

• Artistic merit and quality of the application.
• Potential for the mentorship to support the applicant’s integration into the Toronto arts community.
• Meaningfulness of the mentorship experience for the applicant.
• Mentor's experience and qualifications relevant to the mentorship.
• Realism and feasibility of the mentorship workplan.

• Step 1: Connect with Program Manager
  • Contact Liza Mattimore, Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives, to discuss your proposal and seek guidance before submitting your application.
  • Request support for finding a mentor or accessing translation services if needed.
• Step 2: Register as Individual Applicants
  • Both the applicant (newcomer or refugee artist) and the mentor (co-applicant) must register as Individual Applicants on the TAC Grants Online portal: https://tac.smartsimple.ca.
  • Ensure that neither applicant uses an email address already in use by an organization or collective.
• Step 3: Prepare Application Materials
  • Complete the Mentorship Details section, addressing the questions on artistic practice, objectives, mentor statement, workplan, and reflection.
  • Gather and upload resumes or CVs for both the applicant and co-applicant.
  • Prepare and provide support material relevant to the mentorship, including recent examples of artistic work, and optional support material from the mentor.
• Step 4: Submit Application Online
  • Log in to TAC Grants Online and complete the application form.
  • Upload all required documents, including Mentorship Details, resumes/CVs, and support material.
  • Submit the application by 11:59 pm on the deadline date. Applications will not be accepted by any other means.
• Step 5: Application Accessibility Support (if applicable)
  • If you are Deaf or have a disability and require assistance, apply for funds to cover support services by contacting your Grant Program Manager at least six weeks before the program deadline and review the process for payment.
• Step 6: Confirmation of Submission
  • Receive a confirmation email upon submission of your application.
  • If you do not receive the confirmation, check your spam or junk mail folder.
• Step 7: Track Application Status
  • Wait for an email notification when the application results are available.
  • Log in to TAC Grants Online to view your results within two months of the submission deadline.

• Applicants and mentors must each have a unique email address registered in the TAC Grants Online portal; they cannot use an email linked to an organization or collective.
• Accessibility support of up to $500 is available per eligible applicant per year to assist Deaf persons or persons with disabilities in preparing their applications.
• The mentorship activities must begin after July 1 and be completed by June 30, 2026.
• Support material such as videos, images, or writing samples should follow specified requirements; video/audio must not exceed 3 minutes, and writing samples are capped at 15 pages, double-spaced.