Funding Opportunities for Artists
Banff Centre's Artists' Fund provides financial support to artists in many of our programs (see the Fees section on each program page for information about funding available). In addition, for your convenience, we have compiled a list of national and international 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. We are always looking to expand and update our links section, so please contact us with any suggestions.
Banff Centre Funding
Banff Centre Named Scholarship Funds
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 all or a portion of your program fee, on-campus accommodations and meal plan. There are no cash awards. Please fill out the Financial Aid question when you apply for your program. The financial aid you receive is made possible by Banff Centre’s generous donors. After you are accepted into the program, you will be notified of the donor who supported you and be required to write a thank you letter.
Benediktson Fellowship Fund for International Artists
Through the generous support of the Benediktson family, these fellowships are available annually to Banff Centre international participants in any arts discipline, with preference to Icelandic and Mexican artists. Preference will be giving to artists who hold citizenship and reside within Iceland or Mexico. Applicants must be competent in speaking and reading English (the language of instruction and all official correspondence at Banff Centre). Please indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for this Fellowship. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus travel assistance. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Fondation David R. Graham Scholarships
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. Applicants must be competent in speaking and reading English (the language of instruction and all official correspondence at Banff Centre). Please indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for this Scholarship. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan (to a maximum of $4,000) plus a $3,000 travel award. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Jim Prentice Memorial Endowment Scholarships
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. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus assistance for travel and other agreed expenses. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Liz Crockford Artists Fund
Through the generous support of the Crockford family, scholarships are available annually to Canadians enrolled in any arts discipline at Banff Centre. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus assistance for travel. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Endowment fund for Dutch Musicians
Through the generous support of Irene M. Bakker, scholarships are available annually to Dutch artists residing in the The Netherlands who attend Banff Centre's music, opera or dance programs. Applicants must be competent in speaking and reading English (the language of instruction and all official correspondence at Banff Centre). Please indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for this Scholarship. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus travel assistance. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Paul D. Fleck Fellowships
Banff Centre grants Paul D. Fleck Fellowships to artists whose unique achievements and innovation distinguish them in the arts community. The fellowships recognize the achievement of these gifted artists by providing them the opportunity to create new work using the resources of Banff Centre to develop and refine their projects. The Paul D. Fleck Scholarship Trust was named in honour of this former president of Banff Centre (1982-1992). The fellowships are awarded centrally through Banff Centre's Arts Programming Office and on the recommendation of the department director.
Raul Urtasun - Frances Harley Scholarship for Young Emerging Artists from Argentina
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 or an Argentinean national who considers Argentina to be their permanent place of residence but who is temporarily based elsewhere for their studies or professional development; and competent in speaking and reading English (the language of instruction and all official correspondence at Banff Centre). 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. Please indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for this Scholarship. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus travel assistance. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Sir Jack Lyons Scholarship for the Arts
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. The scholarship provides the opportunity to participate in programming, receive mentorship, and create new work at Banff Centre. Preference will be giving to artists who hold citizenship and reside in Israel. Please indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for this Scholarship. Successful applicants will receive coverage for up to 100% of their program fee, onsite accommodations, and meal plan plus travel assistance. You will be expected to write a thank you letter to the donor at the end of your program.
Canada
General
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts individual project grants
- British Columbia Arts Council
- Calgary Arts Development artist opportunity grant program
- Canada Council for the Arts
- Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)
- Edmonton Arts Council travel and project grants
- JRG Grant for Artists with Disabilities
- Ontario Arts Council national and international residencies
- Manitoba Arts Council grants
- Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council professional project grants
- Arts Nova Scotia Grants to Individuals
- Nunavut Department of Culture, Language, Elders, and Youth Culture
- Prince Edward Island Arts grants program
- REACH Mentorship/ Residency for projects by Ukranian- Canadian artists or projects with a connection to Ukrainian heritage
- Saskatchewan Arts Board project and travel grants
- Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture Advanced Artist award
Indigenous Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Aboriginal traditional arts project grant
- First Peoples’ Heritage, Language & Cultural Council Aboriginal arts development awards
- Manitoba Arts Council travel/professional development grant for Aboriginal artists
- Ontario Arts Council Indigenous arts projects grant
- Saskatchewan Arts Board Indigenous/Metis art and artists projects grant
- Saskatchewan Arts Board travel grant program
Media + Production
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts film and video project grants
- BC Arts Council project assistance for media artists
- Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec grant program for digital artists
- Ontario Arts Council grants for emerging, mid-career, and professional media artists
- Edmonton Arts Council travel and project grants
- JRG Award for Atlantic Canadian filmmakers with Disabilities
- Toronto Arts Council project funding for media artists
Literary Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts literary arts project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council project assistance for creative writers
- Manitoba Arts Council literary arts writers’ grants
- Ontario Arts Council subventions pour les projets de création littéraire francophones
- Ontario Arts Council literary creation projects (works for publication)
- Ontario Arts Council literary creation projects (works for performance)
- Toronto Arts Council writers grants (fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, and oral traditions)
Performing Arts
Music
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts music project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council grants for performing artists
- Manitoba Arts Council performing arts grants
- Ontario Arts Council music grants
- Toronto Arts Council music project funding
Dance
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts dance project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council grants for performing artists
- Edmonton Arts Council travel and project grants
- Ontario Arts Council dance initiatives
- Toronto Arts Council dance project grants
Theatre
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts theatre project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council grants for performing artists
- Manitoba Arts Council performing arts grants
- Ontario Arts Council subventions pour les projets franco-ontariens
- Ontario Arts Council theatre project grants
- Toronto Arts Council project and playwrights grants
Visual Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts visual arts and new media project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council project assistance for visual artists
- Ontario Arts Council grants for emerging, mid-career, and established visual artists, and for visual and media arts projects
- Toronto Arts Council visual artist project funding
- Alberta Society of Artists: Graduate Scholarship Application
- Alberta Society of Artists: Undergraduate Scholarship Application
For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
International
United States
- Academy of American Poets
- A Room of Her Own Foundation
- Artist Communities Alliance: Funding, Fees + Fellowship Resources
- Artist Trust
- Arts Writers Grant Program
- Creative Capital Grants
- Humboldt Area Foundation
- Kansas City Artists Coalition
- Lighton International Artist Exchange
- Lindbergh Foundation
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Performance and Visual Artist Network
- New Music USA
- Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
- Pollock Krasner Foundation
Worldwide
- Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation
- Arts Promotion Centre Finland
- Arts Council of New Zealand
- Australia Council for the Arts
- European Association for Jewish Culture
- European Cultural Foundation
- Fondation DRG - see Banff Centre scholarships
- FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange
- Mondriaan Fund
- Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
- Sanskriti Foundation
- The Japan Foundation
- Wales Arts International
- Convocatoria de Estímulos 2017
Additional Resources
Travel Grants
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.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council
- Government of Nova Scotia, Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage
- Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
- Ontario Arts Council
-
Saskatchewan Arts Board
- Manitoba Arts Council
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts / Arts Branch
- British Columbia Arts Council
- Cultural Services Branch, Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Yukon (Yukon Arts Advisory Council)
- Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Education, Culture and Employment (Northwest Territories Arts Council)
Other resources:
Grant Application Tips & Tricks
- Take time to carefully read grant application guidelines.
- Attend local or online orientation sessions or grant application workshops.
- Contact grants officers to seek advice if you have questions.
- Review the application process/system well in advance of the deadline.
- Prepare your application in advance and provide clear/concise answers.
- Ensure your budget is realistic, not inflated and that the math adds up.
- Select portfolio materials that best demonstrate your practice and support your creative objectives.
- If submitting supplementary materials, review naming conventions and file requirements (formats, file type, file size), and ensure your submission follows the guidelines.
- Stay within any word limitations.
- Take time to review and re-review your application and look for any typos or broken links.
- Submit application prior to the deadline!
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.).