Apply Now: SaskFestivals Development Funding Program (Canada)

Deadline: 15-Apr-2027

The SaskFestivals Development Stream provides multi-year grant support to professional arts festivals and series in Saskatchewan to strengthen community engagement, economic activity, and the professional practice of local artists. The programme supports organizations working to build sustainable and impactful professional arts festivals and series across Saskatchewan. It aims to strengthen the province’s cultural vibrancy and economic vitality while encouraging community participation, tourism, professional development, and meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities.

About the SaskFestivals Development Stream

The SaskFestivals Development Stream is designed to strengthen the impact and sustainability of professional arts festivals and series in Saskatchewan.

The programme seeks to:

- Foster community engagement. - Promote tourism. - Support economic activity. - Strengthen the professional practice of Saskatchewan artists. - Improve leadership and management structures. - Encourage authentic relationships with Indigenous peoples. - Support engagement with other marginalized communities. - Contribute to Saskatchewan’s cultural vibrancy and economic vitality. Funded organizations are expected to develop strong organizational structures while contributing to the professional arts sector in Saskatchewan. How Much Funding Is Available? Funding is provided on a two-year cycle.

The minimum grant request is:

- $10,000 per year - Multi-year support over a two-year cycle The funding is intended to help organizations strengthen their operations, leadership, management structures, and professional arts programming. Strategic Priorities Applicants are expected to align their activities with the strategic priorities of SK Arts and SaskCulture. The programme also emphasizes meaningful community relationships and encourages organizations to develop authentic relationships with: - Indigenous peoples. - Other marginalized communities. - Local communities and audiences. Applicants should demonstrate how their work contributes to the broader cultural and economic vitality of Saskatchewan. Who Can Apply? Eligible applicants must meet specific organizational, programming, operational, and governance requirements.

Applicants must:

- Have a core mandate to present an arts festival or series. - Demonstrate at least three years of public programming. - Have operations centred in Saskatchewan. - Have primary programming centred in Saskatchewan. - Engage professional expertise. - Maintain sound financial systems. - Be governed by Saskatchewan residents. - Compensate artists. - Meet the programme’s grant reporting requirements. Organizations should demonstrate the capacity to manage multi-year funding and sustain professional arts programming. Public Programming Requirement Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of public programming. This requirement helps establish that the organization has an existing history of presenting arts programming and serving audiences before applying to the Development Stream. The organization’s operations and primary programming must also be centred in Saskatchewan. Professional and Financial Capacity Organizations applying to the Development Stream must demonstrate appropriate professional and organizational capacity.

Applicants are expected to:

- Engage professional expertise. - Maintain sound financial systems. - Develop strong leadership and management structures. - Be governed by Saskatchewan residents. - Maintain appropriate grant reporting practices. These requirements are intended to support organizations with the capacity to use multi-year funding effectively. Community Engagement and Inclusion The programme encourages organizations to strengthen their relationships with the communities they serve. Applicants are expected to support authentic relationships with Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities. This focus is intended to promote greater inclusion and meaningful community engagement within Saskatchewan’s professional arts festival and series sector. Artist Compensation Requirement Organizations must compensate artists to be eligible for funding. The Development Stream is focused on strengthening the professional practice of Saskatchewan artists, and organizations that do not compensate artists are not eligible. Applicants should therefore ensure that their programming and financial systems appropriately account for professional artist compensation. Who Is Not Eligible? Certain organizations are excluded from the Development Stream. Ineligible applicants include organizations that: - Receive operational funding from SaskCulture. - Receive operational funding from Sask Lotteries. - Receive operational funding from Creative Saskatchewan. - Receive operational funding from SK Arts’ Professional Arts Organizations Program. - Do not compensate artists. - Have outstanding grant reports. Applicants should ensure that they have no outstanding reporting obligations before applying. Building Strong Leadership and Management A key purpose of the Development Stream is to help professional arts festivals and series develop stronger organizational structures. Funding can support organizations as they work toward: - Stronger leadership. - Improved management structures. - Sustainable operations. - Professional arts practices. - Greater community engagement. - Alignment with SK Arts and SaskCulture strategic priorities. The programme therefore focuses not only on arts presentation but also on organizational development and long-term sustainability. How to Prepare a Strong Application Applicants should clearly demonstrate their organization’s existing programming history, professional capacity, and potential for sustainable development.

A strong application should explain:

- The organization’s festival or series mandate. - At least three years of public programming. - How operations and primary programmi