Funding available for Indigenous arts and culture projects in Toronto

Applications are being sought for the 2021 Indigenous Arts and Culture Partnership Fund being distributed by the City of Toronto.

“This is one way the city is advancing truth and reconciliation and supporting Indigenous-led arts and culture, relationship-building and storytelling,” said Konrad Skorupa, Toronto’s cultural development officer with economic development and culture.

The Toronto fund is working to establish new relationships between Indigenous artists, arts and culture leaders and professionals and potential partners.

The application deadline for this year is Sept. 30. A virtual information session on the fund will be held next month.

“The online information session on June 23 will provide an overview of the program, including key goals, eligibility, program streams, application process and a question and answer session,” Skorupa said.

Also, those seeking fund information, either before or after June’s online session, can visit the following for more details:

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/grants-incentives-rebates/arts…

The fund, established in 2018, awarded a total of $300,000 to 12 recipients last year.

The 2020 recipients included the Ryerson University student powwow committee and organizers of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, who were awarded $30,000 each.

Also, the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto received $10,000 from the fund to support its Empowering Indigenous Youth Artist Entrepreneurs project.

Skorupa said the fund typically receives about 15 applicants per year.

During the first year of the fund, there were a half dozen recipients, including the Indigenous Performance Arts Alliance, which received $30,000, and Renegade Radio, which was awarded $10,000.

The nine 2019 recipients included the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival ($30,000) and the Toronto and York Regional Métis Council ($10,000).

Some of the projects and activities the fund supports include:

• Professional development and skills-building opportunities that further the work and careers of applicants
• Restoration, preservation and promotion of language and culture
• Audience outreach and market development
• Residencies, including Elder-in-Residence, technical or skills-based professional development, research or artistic exchange
• Research and development in institutional archives for larger projects

“The fund aims to spark new relationships between Indigenous artists, arts and culture leaders and professionals, and potential partners at both the grassroots and institutional levels,” Skorupa said.

Those applicants who are successful in obtaining funding will receive 90 per cent of their money once they complete the required documentation.

Fund recipients will receive the remaining 10 per cent once they release a final report indicating their project is complete.

Besides completing their own application form, those who are filing submissions must also include a finished questionnaire from their potential partner as well as a preliminary budget for their project.

Fund eligibility criteria includes the fact the primary applicant must be an Indigenous (status or non-status First Nation, Métis or Inuit) person, group, collective or organization.

Partners can be Indigenous or non-Indigenous groups, collectives or organizations.

Another stipulation for eligibility is that both applicants and their partners must be based in Toronto.

A committee featuring Indigenous community members will select the fund recipients.

Application projects will be judged based on their readiness and sustainability, impact and viability.

Those submitting applications can do so either through the fund’s Incubation Stream or Activation Stream.

Maximum funding for the Incubation Stream is $10,000 per project and will support development of new partnerships, project research, pilot projects or initiatives being undertaken for the first time.

Applicants in the Incubation Stream are eligible to apply through the fund’s Activation Stream in the future.

The Activation Stream features up to $30,000 in funding for each project. Funding for this stream supports ventures that will potentially have lasting impacts and opportunities for projects throughout the city.