The Indigenous Arts and Culture Partnerships Fund supports partnerships and collaborations that create new opportunities and visibility for Indigenous-led arts and culture. 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.
Toronto has been an important site for gathering, trading and celebration for Indigenous people for thousands of years. It is the treaty territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit and its land and waters have been stewarded by the Haudenosaunee, the Huron Wendat and the Anishinaabe. Toronto continues to be home to many diverse Indigenous peoples, whose artistic and creative contributions are vital to the fabric of the city. The City of Toronto recognizes the rich Indigenous history of this land, and our responsibility in fostering strong relations between the municipality and the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who call Toronto home.
Key Goals
The Fund supports projects or activities including but not limited to:
- Activities on sector-wide projects i.e., workshop on fundraising, governance and program delivery.
- Professional development and skills-building opportunities that advance applicants’ work and careers.
- Preservation, restoration, and promotion of culture and language.
- Residencies, including but not limited to technical or skills-based professional development, artistic exchange, research-based, Elder-in-Residence.
- Audience outreach and market development.
- Networking, knowledge sharing, gathering and exchange to promote Indigenous arts and culture.
- Development of creative entrepreneurship opportunities for Indigenous arts and culture.
- Research and development in institutional archives for a larger project, working in collaboration with the institution to exchange knowledge about their archival material.
- New economic and collaborative opportunities for Indigenous people created through arts and culture presentations.
Eligible
- The lead applicant must be an Indigenous (Status or Non-Status First Nation, Inuit, Métis) individual, group, collective or organization.
- Partners can be Indigenous or non-Indigenous groups, collectives or organizations.
- Both applicants and partners must be Toronto-based. Applicants must reside in the city of Toronto for six months plus one day per year for the year immediately prior to the application deadline (M postal code). A P.O. box is not an eligible address.
- Partners must have a Toronto office or physical location (M postal code).
- Partner confirmation is required with a completed partner questionnaire and an in-kind or financial contribution to the project.
- An urban off-reserve Indigenous-led organization located in the City of Toronto may also provide culturally-based programming outside the boundaries of the city of Toronto.
Not Eligible
- For-profit organizations.
- Students whose projects or initiatives are related to their school work.
- Non-residents of the city of Toronto.
- Groups, collectives or organizations that are non-Indigenous controlled (50 per cent Indigenous Board, executive staff, and/or membership).
- Core operating staff salaries and core operating costs of an incorporated non-profit organization.