Call for Arts Circulation and Touring Program (Canada)

Deadline: 23-Sep-2026

The BC Arts Council Arts Circulation and Touring – Organizations and Collectives program provides project grants of up to $25,000 for eligible British Columbia arts organizations and collectives to support touring, circulation, presentations and travel. The program helps B.C. artists and artistic works reach audiences within and outside the province while strengthening professional networks and access to arts and culture. What Is the Arts Circulation and Touring Program? The Arts Circulation and Touring – Organizations and Collectives program is offered by the BC Arts Council to support the mobility and circulation of artistic work. The program provides financial assistance for eligible activities that allow B.C.-based arts organizations and collectives to: - Tour artistic performances and works. - Circulate exhibitions and cultural projects. - Present artistic work to audiences outside the applicant’s home base. - Host visiting artists or cultural practitioners. - Travel for artistic presentations. - Develop future touring and circulation opportunities. - Build connections with venues, presenters and cultural organisations. All funded activities must contribute to the exposure and circulation of B.C. artists and artistic work. Why It Matters Touring and circulation can help artists and arts organizations access new audiences, professional opportunities and cultural networks. The program supports this process by helping cover eligible costs associated with travel, presentations and artistic circulation. It can also improve access to arts and culture by enabling artistic work to reach communities beyond an organization’s normal operating area. What Funding Categories Are Available? The program has two funding categories.

Category 1: Outbound Compensated Touring

This category supports the circulation or touring of established artistic and cultural work to specific venues or events. The receiving venue or event must provide guaranteed compensation.

Examples may include:

- Touring performances. - Exhibition circulation. - Presentations of established artistic works. - Cultural projects presented at confirmed venues. The maximum grant under this category is $25,000.

Category 2: Inbound and Outbound Travel

This category supports travel associated with arts and culture projects.

Eligible activities can include:

- Travel to present artistic work. - Hosting visiting artists or practitioners. - Travel for project planning. - Participation in events that can lead to future touring opportunities. - Travel connected with circulation and touring development. The maximum grant under this category is $15,000. Geographic Requirement Funded activities must take place at least 80 kilometres from the applicant’s home base.

Applications must also identify:

- Specific venues; or - Specific invitations associated with the proposed activity. This requirement helps ensure that funding supports genuine circulation, touring or travel opportunities rather than routine local activities. How Much Funding Can Applicants Request?

The maximum grant amounts are:

- Up to $25,000 for outbound compensated touring. - Up to $15,000 for inbound and outbound travel. Applicants may generally request up to 50% of eligible project expenses. Applicants belonging to the BC Arts Council’s designated priority groups may request up to 65% of eligible expenses. The final grant amount may depend on the eligibility and assessment of the proposed expenses and available programme resources. What Expenses Are Eligible? Eligible project costs can include expenses directly associated with the supported circulation, touring or travel activity.

Examples include:

- Transportation. - Accommodation. - Per diems. - Registration fees. - Shipping. - Artist fees. - Other eligible project-related expenses. Applicants should ensure that their budgets accurately reflect the costs required to deliver the proposed activity. Fair Compensation Requirements Projects must provide fair compensation to artists and cultural practitioners. Compensation should follow appropriate industry standards. Applicants should therefore ensure that artist fees and other professional payments are properly reflected in the project budget. Who Is Eligible? Eligible applicants can include several types of arts and cultural organizations and collectives based in British Columbia.

These include:

- Non-profit arts organizations. - Indigenous community organizations or governments. - Arts or curatorial collectives with at least three members. - Arts organizations operated by local governments. - Arts organizations operated by public post-secondary institutions. - Eligible book publishers. - Eligible periodical publishers. Applicants must be based in British Columbia. Organizational Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet the programme’s organizational requirements.

The organization or collective must:

- Be based in B.C. - Provide public arts and culture programming in British Columbia as a primary activity. - Have provided this programming for at least one year before the application deadline. - Meet the relevant eligibility requirements for its organizational type. - Have a specific venue, event or invitation for the proposed activity where required. Collectives applying under the programme must have at least three members. What Types of Projects Are a Good Fit? A strong project is one that clearly demonstrates how funding will increase the circulation or exposure of B.C. artistic work.

Suitable activities may include:

- A B.C. theatre company touring an established production to confirmed venues outside its home base. - An arts collective presenting an exhibition in another community. - An organization travelling to an invited international arts event. - Hosting an artist whose participation contributes to a confirmed cultural project. - Travel connected to developing a future touring opportunity. The activity must meet the programme’s geographic and invi