Theatre Rental Grant Program

• Grant support ranges from 0% to 100% of an applicant's request, depending on available resources.
• Grants cover venue rental fees and some associated labour costs; recipients must budget to pay for labour expenses above the standard inclusions if needed.
• Successful applicants receive a credit on their Civic Theatres account to offset eligible rental charges for approved performance dates.

• The applicant must be a Vancouver-based, non-profit professional arts or culture organization, a registered charity, a community service co-op (legally registered and in good standing), or a Local First Nation Band Council on whose unceded traditional homelands Vancouver sits.
• The organization must have been in operation for at least 6 months before the application deadline.
• The organization must have a clear mission to develop, create, produce, present, or disseminate artistic work for the benefit of the arts sector, with active annual public artistic programming.
• The organization must deliver programs and services within Vancouver, or be led by eligible First Nations peoples with events held in their traditional homelands.
• The proposed project must involve renting and staging eligible events at designated Vancouver Civic Theatres venues, such as the Orpheum, The Annex, Vancouver Playhouse, or Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and must align with the organization's mandate.

Who is eligible?

• Vancouver-based non-profit arts organizations
• Vancouver-based non-profit culture organizations
• First Nations Band Councils on whose traditional homelands Vancouver sits
• Registered charities with a mandate to present, produce, create, or develop arts and cultural work
• Community service co-ops operating in arts or culture

Who is not eligible

• For-profit companies and businesses.
• Individual artists not partnered with an eligible organization.
• Social service, religious, or sports organizations and clubs.
• Other City of Vancouver departments, branches, or community centres.
• Organizations whose main activities are not artistic or cultural.

Eligible expenses

• Venue rental fees at Vancouver Civic Theatres.
• Services of IATSE/City of Vancouver technicians at regular rates.
• Rental of VCT installed camera, recording, and IMAG package (where available).
• Rental of VCT installed projection system (if required and available).
• Audience services staff costs for live stream or recording events.
• Ancillary space staff costs, including plaza, lobbies, rehearsal halls, and salons.

Eligible geographic areas

• Vancouver, British Columbia

• Support of the organization's mission and alignment with the goals and principles of the City’s Culture|Shift plan, including commitment to cultural equity and accessibility.
• Organizational capacity to produce the proposed event(s) within a professional venue, demonstrating ability to deliver quality artistic work.
• Contribution to diverse and creative expression within Vancouver’s arts and cultural sector.
• Promotion of events to a broad Vancouver audience.
• Assessment of project merit relative to available budget and venue availability, as determined through a competitive evaluation process by Vancouver Civic Theatres and Cultural Services staff.

• Application assistance funding of up to $500 is available for Deaf/deaf, Hard of Hearing, or applicants with disabilities who require help completing the grant application.
• Requests for application support must be made by March 12, 2025.
• Applicants are encouraged to consult with staff prior to applying to discuss project requirements and eligibility.
• The online grant application platform is VanApply; new organizational profiles may take up to one business day to set up.