Grants of up to $30,000 to British Columbia nonprofits and First Nations to engage youth in arts and cultural experiences. Applicants may be required to confirm eligibility with program staff prior to applying. Proposals are invited for innovative projects that actively engage young people with professional arts and cultural organizations and their programming.
Programs will provide youth with exposure to professional artists and arts experiences, as participants in the artistic or creative process, and/or, as the primary audiences for artistic work and programming.
Funding assistance through this program will support exemplary approaches to youth engagement and the development of programming at various stages of implementation. Eligible projects can include both new and existing programming initiatives.
The Youth Engagement Program builds on existing expertise in the creative sector by supporting programs delivered by organizations that demonstrate success in artistic achievement, community engagement and organizational capacity.
The Youth Engagement Program supports eligible organizations across the province to engage children and youth in innovative projects that involve professional artists.
Eligible projects include:
-New initiatives, including the research and development of pilot projects; and
-The enhancement or expansion of existing programs; and
-Existing programs.
The program will support projects in three general areas of activity; the area of focus may overlap within any given project. Supported areas of activity may include:
1. New work – creation and commissioning: New artistic and curatorial projects for children and youth audiences that provide opportunities to engage with exemplary artistic experiences.
2. Participation in artistic creation: Projects that directly engage children and youth, working with professional artists, as creative participants in the artistic process, through developing and/or producing new projects wherein the quality of the participants’ artistic experience is as important as the project’s artistic achievement.
3. Outreach and engagement: Projects that actively engage and integrate young people into organizations’ core activities and programs.
For the purposes of this program, following the example of UNESCO, “youth” are defined as young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Similarly, following the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, “children” are defined as young people under the age of 18. Eligible projects must serve one or both of those definitions as primary participants.
Eligible projects include existing programs or new initiatives, including the research, development, implementation and/or presentation of pilot projects and new programs, as well as enhancements or expansion of existing programs.
An eligible project must:
-Have the engagement of children and youth, as audiences and/or as creative participants, at its core.
-Include professional artists and/or arts and culture practitioners.
Funded projects must:
-Compensate artists and other professional practitioners by paying fees at industry standards.
-Adhere to international intellectual property rights standards.
-Address cultural protocols where required.
Estimated Size of Grant:
Funding is available for projects of up to two years duration. Applicants may apply for a particular phase or phases of longer term projects; this phased approach must be clearly identified in the application. Receipt of funding for one phase of a project does not guarantee funding for subsequent phases of the work.
Chris Gilpin, Program Officer
778 698-3585
Chris.Gilpin@gov.bc.ca
Nicole Neidhardt, Program Officer
778-698-8981
Nicole.Neidhardt@gov.bc.ca
Mailing Address:
Box 9819
Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 9W3
Location Address:
800 Johnson Street, 2nd Floor
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 1N3
250 356-1718
bcartscouncil@gov.bc.ca
