Banff Centre's Artist Fund provides financial support to artists in many of our programs including full scholarships for Canadian Indigenous participants. Please fill out the Financial Aid question when you apply for your program to be eligible.
Thanks to Banff Centre’s generous donors, financial aid is available for most participants who attend Banff Centre programs. Depending on the program, this funding will cover a portion of the program fee, on-campus accommodation and meal plan. There are no cash awards.
See the Fees section on each program page for information about Standard Scholarship funding available.
Thanks to Banff Centre’s generous donors, financial aid is available for all self declared Canadian Indigenous participants who attend any Banff Centre Arts program. This funding will cover 100% of the program fee, on-campus accommodations and meal plan. There are no cash awards.
There is no requirement to apply for the international named scholarships, the system will automatically identify those eligible for review and you will be contacted by our admissions office if successful. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written English, as this is the language of instruction and official communication at Banff Centre. All successful applicants will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Thanks to the generous support of the Benediktson family, fellowships are awarded annually to international participants at Banff Centre across all artistic disciplines. Preference is given to artists who are citizens and residents of Iceland or Mexico.
The Benediktson Fellowship Fund for International Artists covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance.
Through the generous support of Fondation David R. Graham, scholarships are available to artists with French citizenship residing in France or one of the following French territories: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Southern And Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, Réunion, or Saint Pierre And Miquelon.
The Fondation David R. Graham Scholarship covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance.
Through the generous support of the Prentice family and friends, scholarships are available annually to Canadian Indigenous women living in northern or other remote communities who are enrolled in an Indigenous Arts or Indigenous Leadership program at Banff Centre.
The Jim Prentice Memorial Endowment Scholarships covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance, plus other agreed expenses.
Through the generous support of an anonymous donor, scholarships are available annually to Dutch artists residing in the The Netherlands who attend Banff Centre's music, opera or dance programs.
The Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Endowment fund for Dutch Musicians covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance.
Through the generous support of Raul Urtasun and Frances Harley, scholarships are available annually to artists from Argentina who are enrolled in visual arts, music, audio, dance, theatre production or literary arts programs at Banff Centre. Eligible applicants will be between the ages of 18 and 35 (inclusive); a permanent resident of Argentina. Preference will be given to applicants who are graduates of the baccalaureate school, Colegio Nacional Jose M Estrada, Quilmes, in the province of Buenos Aires.
The Raul Urtasun - Frances Harley Scholarship for Young Emerging Artists from Argentina covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance.
Through the generous support of Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust, scholarships are available annually to one or more artists from Israel in the disciplines of music, dance, or film. Preference will be giving to artists who hold citizenship and reside in Israel.
The Sir Jack Lyons Scholarship for the Arts covers 100% of the program fee, onsite accommodations and meal plan and travel assistance.
Please explore a list of national opportunities that may help you fund your experience at Banff Centre.
You may also wish to contact your provincial or municipal arts council for more information on funding opportunities.
Please explore the list of international funding opportunities that may help you fund your experience at Banff Centre.
Travel grants at the Canada Council for the Arts are open to professional artists through their respective disciplines. Artists may apply any time before departure date, and should apply as early as possible if they wish to receive results before departure (6-12 weeks in advance, depending on the program).
Many Provincial Arts Councils also offer travel grants, through their core funding programs to artists or through specific travel or tour grants. In cases where no specific travel grants are listed, we recommend calling a program officer at your local arts council to discuss what options exist in your region.
If you require a letter of support from Banff Centre, please contact Admissions@banffcentre.ca with any required details (acceptance letter, dates, fees breakdown, etc.).