Grassroots

The Conseil des arts de Montréal invites artist collectives and arts organizations to invest in the entire territory of the Island of Montreal, primarily in areas where artistic vitality is less present, in order to foster the emergence of artistic projects directly within their living environments. 

This program aims to support the realization of research, creation, or production projects on the territory of the Island of Montreal that are: 

• rooted in the living environment of the participating artists 

• focused on a close relationship within various neighborhoods 

• stemming from creative collaborations with key actors in the targeted area 

Who is this program for? 

For professional artist collectives and non-profit organizations. 

What are its objectives? 

It aims to: 

• allow artists to root themselves in their living environment and to create in suitable conditions and locations 

• support diverse artistic approaches that unfold across the Montreal territory in areas where artistic vitality is less present 

• stimulate collaborations between the artistic community and sectors outside the cultural field 

• encourage initiatives, projects, or partnerships arising from various priority groups 

What are its specific features? 

• Artistic projects must engage in a dialogue with the targeted territory or with the people who inhabit it. The uniqueness of the living environments or the territory must be highlighted. To this end, confirmation of a partner is mandatory 
• Artistic projects are not required to include a public presentation 
• Artistic projects must be carried out in areas where artistic vitality is less present, considering the following indicators: 
  • Presence of artistic and cultural activities 
  • Accessibility of cultural facilities 
  • Active cultural participation 
  • Distance from activity centers 

What type of assistance is provided?

• The financial assistance provided can cover up to 90% of the project’s costs to a maximum of $10,000. 
• Contributions in kind or in the form of services from a partner may constitute 10% of the financing package.
• Assistance may cover artist remuneration and support, creation and technical costs, and rental of space for creation or rehearsal.

How long does the support last?

This is a one-time, non-recurring grant.

What are the general eligibility requirements?

For an artist collective

Status and conditions

• Be a group of artists, regardless of the number (with a minimum of two artists)

• Be represented by the person responsible for the application, who must have Canadian citizenship or permanent residency

• Be composed of professional artists

• Be composed of a majority of artists (50% +1), including the person responsible for the application, residing on the territory of the Island of Montreal

For an arts organization

Status and conditions

• Be a non-profit corporation or a non-profit artist cooperative that does not distribute profits

• Have its head office located on the territory of the Island of Montreal

• Have a board of directors made up mainly of members with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency

• Have as its primary mission the creation and production of artistic activities

Professional requirements

• Have a recognized level of competence and be able to demonstrate it

• Be managed by qualified individuals

• Present activities recognized for their artistic quality

• Employ professional artists and cultural workers

What are the specific eligibility requirements?

Projects must include a confirmation letter from partners (for example: a community organization involved in the creation project, a creative/production residency venue, a local business engaged in the artist’s process, etc.).

What is meant by a partner?

In the context of an artistic project, a partner is an institution, a venue, an organization, an individual, or a team that commits to supporting your artistic project. Partnership involves collaboration between professionals of different statuses and skills. The partner can offer various types of support, such as financial resources, workspaces, technical expertise, or creative networks.

What types of projects are eligible?

• Research and creation phases of in situ projects

• Research, creation, or production residencies

• Artistic collaboration or partnership projects involving research, creation, or production with sectors outside the arts (e.g., social, economic, community, educational, tourism, health sectors, etc.)

• Co-creation* projects with residents aimed at enriching the artist’s creative process

*By “co-creation,” we mean an artistic process that integrates the public into the ideation, design, or production stages of the work. The artworks thus become the result of collaboration between one or more artists and citizens. This allows local populations to become integral parts of the creation process with the artist.

What is the project realization period?

The project must be carried out according to the timeline provided in the application and cannot be completed before receiving the Conseil’s decision.

How many applications will be accepted?

The number of applications supported by this program depends on the available budget, the number of applications received, and the evaluation of the project according to the program’s criteria.

Who is not eligible to apply (ineligibility)?

Applicants

• Individual artists

• Collectives and organizations that do not meet the general eligibility requirements

• Artist collectives incorporated as for-profit or non-profit companies, or as general or limited partnerships

• Organizations focused solely on dissemination

• Artist agents

• Organizations dedicated to teaching, education, or professional training

• Public, semi-public organizations mandated by governments or municipal corporations

• Organizations registered as general partnerships

Activity sectors

• Organizations working exclusively in variety entertainment and comedy

• Applicants working exclusively in cultural mediation

Projects

• Works already created and presented

• Dissemination projects

• Projects completed before receiving the Conseil’s decision (allow 8 to 10 weeks after the application deadline)

• Sound recording projects (album, CD, demo, etc.) of a promotional and/or commercial nature

• Cultural mediation projects

• Co-creation projects with residents that are primarily focused on cultural mediation processes

Applications

• Incomplete applications

• Applications received after the deadline

Ineligible applications will not be evaluated by the assessment committee.

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

Who should submit the application? 

For a collective:

• the person responsible for the collective. 

For an organization: 

• a duly authorized representative. 

Can I submit my application in English? 

Only collectives may submit their applications in English. Please note that the form questions are in French. 

What information and documents must I include in my application? 

• Project description 
• Project timeline 
• Confirmation letter from partner(s) 
• List of participants (artists, designers, and other key collaborators) 
• Short résumé of the artists (maximum 2 pages per artist) 
• Budget 

How are applications evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary peer committee. All projects will be assessed based on their comparative value in relation to the objectives and strategic priorities of the Conseil.

What are the evaluation criteria?

Quality – 40%

• Uniqueness and appeal of the artistic project

• Relevance of collaborations or partnerships

• Artistic approach’s engagement with the targeted territory

• Quality of the work accomplished by the members of the collective or organization

Project impact – 35%

• Specific characteristics of the area of the Island of Montreal where the project will take place

• Demonstrated anchoring of the project in the targeted territory(ies)

• Anticipated impact on one of the priority groups

• Collaboration with sectors outside the arts

• Integration and implementation of socio-ecological practices

Project management and financial stability – 20%

• Feasibility of the project and realism of the proposal

• Realism of the budget forecasts and financial balance

• Efforts dedicated to fair compensation for artists and cultural workers

• Financial health of the organization or collective

Neighborhood valorization – 5%
Areas where artistic vitality is less present will be prioritized, based on the presence of artistic and cultural activities, accessibility of cultural facilities, active cultural participation, and distance from activity centers.

What is the response time?

Between the application deadline and the Conseil’s decision, a period of eight (8) to ten (10) weeks is required to process the application.

How will I be informed of the decision?

The person responsible for the application will be invited by email to view the results on the ORORA portal. No decisions will be communicated by phone.

Can I appeal the decision?

Decisions made by the Conseil are final and cannot be appealed. However, the Conseil’s staff is available to answer any questions related to the decisions. Equity, ethics, and accessibility are core values of the Conseil, and listening and empathy are always prioritized in interactions with applicants. To help improve our practices, we now offer a feedback form available here.

That said, all organizations, collectives, and artists wishing to share concerns agree not to contact the evaluation committee members or board members of the Conseil regarding any matters related to the management, evaluation, or decisions of their application.

The grant is paid in two instalments, 80% at the start of the project and 20% on submission of the final report.   

Payment times may vary depending on the internal processing time of Ville de Montréal departments, which are beyond the control of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.   

What are my obligations?

By accepting the grant, the applicant agrees to carry out the activities covered by said grant and to respect the related conditions, which will be communicated upon acceptance of the application.

The collective or organization agrees to:

• carry out its project as planned

• notify as soon as possible if it is unable to carry out the project during the intended timeline. In such a case, it may be required to partially or fully reimburse the granted amount

• if required, submit activity and financial reports at the requested frequency

• if applicable, include in its report royalty-free photos, videos, or any other relevant visual material related to the completed project, which may be used for promotional purposes by the Conseil

Furthermore, organizations, collectives, artists, and their representatives agree at all times not to contact members of the evaluation committees or the board of directors of the Conseil regarding the management, evaluation, or decisions related to their application.

The Conseil’s staff is available and solely authorized to respond to questions about the application evaluation process and decisions made.