Platform A Micro-Grants
Toronto Arts Council's 'Platform A' is a collaboration between four of Toronto’s leading organizations in community-engaged arts: Arts for Children & Youth, Art Starts, Jumblies Theatre and SKETCH.
Platform A Micro-Grants
Platform A is a collaboration between four of Toronto’s leading organizations in community-engaged arts: Arts for Children and Youth, Art Starts, Jumblies Theatre and SKETCH. These organizations have all emerged from grassroots initiatives and have grown to become key community builders in Toronto’s arts sector, engaging thousands of children, young people and adults annually through their diverse, innovative and accessible programming.
Grant Opportunities From Four Partner Organization:
ELIGIBILITY
Must have been a resident of Toronto for a minimum of one year.
May be an emerging or newcomer artist.
See specific organizations for independent eligibility requirements.
RESTRICTIONS
Applicants may only apply to ONE of the partner organizations for 2014/15 funding.
Applicants may be only those who have never in the past received a grant from Toronto Arts Council or Ontario Arts Council.
See each individual organization for specific perameters
Art Starts
Microgrants of up to $1000 will be given out to support local, newcomer and emerging artists/arts collectives in the development and creation of new arts projects. Art Starts' mission is to inspire and cultivate social change by bringingprofessional artists and residents together to create community-building art projects.
Click here for more details and to apply to Art Starts
Deadline October 30th, 2014
Art Starts is an award-winning charitable, not-for-profit organization that uses the arts as a vehicle to encourage social change in Toronto's underserved neighbourhoods. Bringing professional artists and communities together to work across all artistic disciplines, Art Starts combines the best practices of hands-on community consultation with a collaborative art-making approach and sound organizational and administrative support. www.artstarts.net
Jumblies Theatre
As part of this project, Jumblies is offering MICRO-GRANTS (up to $1,000) and INTERNSHIPS (with bursaries up to $5,000) for those interested in developing projects and skills in community arts. These opportunities are available to emerging Toronto-based artists and art managers from any discipline or tradition, with basic arts training or equivalent experience (please note, to apply for MICRO-GRANTS, you cannot yet have received any arts council grants).
Click here for more details and to apply to Jumblies Theatre
Deadline October 30th, 2014
In operation for over ten years, Jumblies is an inclusive and community-focused theatre company offering multi-year residencies, studio training, mentorships, and innovative collaborative projects. Jumblies is an award-winning organization increasingly cited as a pioneering and inspirational example of art that embraces and intertwines aesthetics with social engagement. www.jumbliestheatre.org
Arts For Children And Youth
AFCY is an award-winning organization whose mandate is to engage young people living in priority neighbourhoods in high-quality, accessible arts educational programs that are meaningful, relevant and collaboratively developed with community and education partners. AFCY positions arts programs in schools and neighbourhood venues as a means of building community, and empowering marginalized children and youth to reach their full potential as artists and social contributors. www.afcy.ca
SKETCH
SKETCH is a nationally recognized, award-winning community arts development initiative based in Toronto engaging young people living homeless and on the margins, ages 15-29, from across Canada. SKETCH creates equitable opportunities for diverse young people to experience the transformative power of the arts. SKETCH will work CUE, one of their shared platform projects, in the delivery of micro-grants. CUE is a radical, youth-led, high-access arts support initiative enabling young marginalized artists to develop arts project proposals, produce, and exhibit their visions, within an intimate and supportive community framework. www.sketch.ca
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BACKGROUND ON PLATFORM A
The aim of the Platform A initiative is to fuse the strengths and experiences of the four organizations to support a shared vision of seeding sustainable, high-quality community arts practice, and providing increased opportunities and access to the arts for youth and communities. The project will create new opportunities through shared platforms, mentorships, organizational bridge building, and micro-grants.
Through this initiative, each organization - Arts for Children and Youth, Art Starts, Jumblies Theatre, and SKETCH - will solidify their roles as entry points for youth and communities to arts practice, funding, and administration. They will increase local arts capacity and the potential for ongoing arts activities and employment in neighbourhoods throughout Toronto. Platform A will also create opportunities for their youth and community-based constituents by connecting them to each collaborating organization and their larger networks.
Platform A is a key initiative that was developed in line with TAC’s strategic priorities to enhance support forCommunity Connections in local and youth-based arts delivery, and foster increased Innovation and Partnershipsthat will incubate new ideas and opportunities across all disciplines.
Image Courtesy of SKETCH