Description
Purpose
To assist theatre creators to develop new work.
This is a third-party recommender program. Using Nova, OAC’s online grant application system, theatre creators apply to theatre companies designated as recommenders for the program (a maximum of five applications per year). These recommenders assess applications and submit grant recommendations to OAC.
See About Recommender Grants below for more information on the process.
Priorities
Individual recommender theatre companies may have priority areas of activity or applicants; see each theatre company’s information when the program is active.
Deadline date(s)
The program is active from September 2024 until January 10, 2025, 1:00 p.m. ET. OAC does not set deadlines in this program. Recommender theatre companies set their own schedules for review of applications.
For application deadlines, see the List of Recommenders link at the bottom of this page. The list of recommenders for 2024-25 will be available at the beginning of September.
Grant amount(s)
- minimum $1,000, maximum $3,000
You may receive more than one Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators grant in any one program year (September 2024 – January 2025), towards one project or for different projects. You may receive recommendations from more than one recommender in the same program year. You may apply for a maximum of five Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators each program year.
Important:
Due to the number of applications received and the limited funds available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.
If you are awarded more than one grant in a single third-party recommender program year, these grants will count as one grant toward your three-grant limit for 2024. The recommender programs are: Indigenous Visual Artists’ Materials, Exhibition Assistance, Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators and Recommender Grants for Writers.
Recent changes
- The application questions have been reworked to better align with OAC’s current strategic plan.
- The maximum grant amount is $3,000.
- Program results are now available on our website under Grant Results.
Eligible applicants
- professional theatre artists who are residents of Ontario
- ad hoc groups and collectives composed of a majority of Ontario residents
Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.
Ineligible applicants
- organizations
- non-professional applicants
- employees or board members of the recommending theatre organization, or immediate family members of staff or board members
What this program funds
- any type of theatre-based creation activity by eligible applicants
What this program does not fund
- workshop costs, except when the intention of the workshop is creation
- productions
- activities in French (see the Théâtre – projets francophones program)
Activity timing
The activities for which you are requesting funding:
- cannot start before the recommender theatre’s deadline
- cannot finish before you receive your grant results, up to six weeks after the recommender theatre’s deadline
- must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant results
Final report requirements
If you receive a grant, you must complete the project and submit a final report in Nova. See Terms and Conditions – receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations.
In your final report, you will need to provide:
- a description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any approved or minor changes to what had been outlined in the application
- documentation and/or an explanation of how you followed or will follow OAC’s Recognition Requirements for Project Grant Recipients
- This could include social media screenshots or a description of how you recognized OAC or plan to do so in future activities or materials tied to the project.
To apply
Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. Before applying, you must create or update your profile in Nova.
Your application will include:
- basic information about the project
- your answers to application questions
- name of recommender you are applying to
- artistic examples as required by the recommender theatre company
- support documents
Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.
For details on creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.
About recommender grants
Recommenders are organizations authorized by OAC to receive applications, review them and make grant recommendations. OAC allocates a budget to each of the participating recommenders.
Within six weeks of an application deadline, the recommender will notify OAC of their grant recommendations. Funding recommendations are reviewed by OAC for applicant and project eligibility, and OAC then sends you an email letting you know that your notification letter is available online in Nova.
If recommended a grant, all grant recipients must acknowledge the notification letter in Nova. Individual grant recipients must also enter their Social Insurance Number (SIN). OAC then sends the grant cheque by regular mail.
Important
- Recommender grants are outright grants to artists from OAC and cannot be represented as any form of payment to or from the recommender, or to or from any member or director thereof.
- Under no circumstances should the grant be considered as a substitute for a commission fee.
Conflict of interest
If you have a conflict of interest with a recommender, you may not apply to that recommender. An applicant is in a conflict of interest if they are:
- a staff or board member of the recommender organization
- an immediate family member of a staff or board member
To further avoid conflicts of interest, recommenders:
- will not have applicants and members of their immediate family participate in the assessment of applications to the recommender
- cannot recommend grants that will be paid back to the recommender organization in any fashion
Recommender Deadlines and Contacts
The 2024-25 program is open from September 2024 until January 10, 2025. Note that the list of participating recommenders is posted in September 2024 when the program opens, and is subject to updates and changes during the program year.
Applicants should review recommenders’ priorities and websites to determine which recommenders are the best match for a particular project.
Recommender theatre companies set their own deadlines and are unable to accept any applications after their deadline has passed.
