IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PROJECT DATES: Please note that all ArtistsInspire Projects must be completed by March 31, 2024. If you have any questions, please email artedcoach@quebec-elan.org
How do schools apply for funds for Artists to facilitate hands-on CREATE-ive experiences?
Apply now for your school’s 2023-2024 ArtistsInspire Grant for Interactive Arts & Culture Experiences*!
For the 2023-2024 School Year, the Deadline to apply for your school’s grant is February 29, 2024. All projects must be completed by March 31, 2024.
Check with your colleagues to see if your school has already signed up or reach out to artistsinspiregrants@quebec-elan.org
What is the funding for?
Developing students’ creativity through Artist-facilitated virtual or in-person* Arts & Culture experiences
- CONNECT with qualified Artists from a variety of disciplines.
- Eligible Artists identify as members of the English-speaking Communities of Quebec. They represent the diversity of the ESCs’ demographic and cultural communities.
- Check out Artist Profiles as well as the 2023-2024 Workshop Catalogue, and contact Artists directly.
- Get to know and work with local Artists in your region whenever possible.
- When you are ready, if your school has not already applied, fill out an Application Form.
- COLLABORATE with creative and experienced Artists.
- All workshops are flexible.
- Plan your project out during a preliminary conversation.
- CREATE works of Art from all disciplines.
- Artists will work with at least 2 classes in a school.
- Each class will have at least 2 separate workshop sessions lasting about one hour each with the Artist.
- Plan for 6 to 10 hours of live (in-person or virtual) workshop sessions.
- CELEBRATE the final outcome with your class, the school community or the community at large.
- Take photos to submit with your Feedback Form. The form must be submitted so that the Artist can be paid.
- Photos of your project will be posted on ELAN ArtEd’s social media pages.
*** A note about working with the same Artist ***
Artists may work with the same school two years in a row. If the same Artist has worked with a school two years in a row, a different Artist must be chosen for the following year. After that, the previous Artist can return to the same school for another two years, if requested. This is to ensure equity among our teaching Artists and to encourage schools to discover new Artists, disciplines and projects.
A note about travel
Whenever possible, schools are requested to work with eligible local Artists. When local Artists are not available in the disciplines and/or specialties requested by schools, Artists may be eligible for travel expenses. Our travel budget is limited. As such, when a school has selected an Artist, the Artist will need to fill out a Travel Form to be approved by the ArtEd team. When considering travel, the ArtEd team will look at the impact the project will have on the school and community and whether there are other more local Artists that could facilitate a similar experience. We may ask the school to contribute to the travel expenses, if possible, using other funds (e.g. combining an ArtistsInspire grant with Culture in the Schools funding is a great way to extend a project and cover costs). In some cases, we may need to use some of the funds from the ArtistsInspire grant in order to offset costs, which may affect the number of workshops the Artist will be facilitating. We may also ask that a school rearrange their schedule so as to be to accommodate consecutive workshops in order to save on travel expenses (e.g. accommodation and food).
In regions where a visiting Artist/Arts organization is required to travel further than 100 km each way, ELAN may request that schools select an Artist/Arts Organization available to work with multiple schools in a School Board and/or geographic region when possible. See details in the guideline for eligible artists’ fees and expenses.
When you’re ready, applying is easy and quick – one contact person from the school sets up the account and enters the information about the school’s plan. Please note that as we only allow one application per school. In the application we ask for confirmation that the principal approves.
Not sure who applied for your school’s grant in previous years? Contact us as we may have to reset your account ID and password if the school contact person needs to change.
We are available to support you by phone and email for all of your questions.
ELAN’s ArtEd Team wants to support your school in getting the maximum benefit from your school’s grant – we encourage you to combine our funding with other sources. Many of our Artists are also in the Quebec Culture in the Schools Repertoire, as seen on the Artist Profiles and this can be a great way to extend your school’s project.
*Although the majority of projects now take place in-person, for one reason or another a school may still request virtual workshops. Schools can search for Artists who are available for Virtual Facilitation in the Connect with Artists page. A hybrid of both In-person and virtual is also possible.
What can the funding be used for?
The $1500 grants can be used to cover Artists’ facilitation of experiences with students DURING THE SCHOOL DAY with teachers and staff present and involved in the artistic activities*:
- Expect an Artist to work with a minimum of 2 classes. Each class should receive a minimum of 2 workshop sessions lasting about one hour each. In all, an Artist should facilitate 6 to 10 hours of workshop sessions with your school. The flexibility is to account for the different needs of a project. If your project requires more time with the Artist, your school should look into getting more funding from another source.
- While some materials cost is expected, as much as possible, Artists need to consider what is already available through the schools and their community. Material costs should not exceed 20% (including taxes) of the $1500/school grant.
- To ensure schools in all regions have access to diverse arts experiences, travel costs for Artists will be covered in addition to the $1500 grant when a qualified local Artist is not available in the discipline/specialty. Travel will need to be pre-approved and involve multiple schools within a school board in remote areas.
- Grants can be leveraged by connecting with other arts and culture funding opportunities, for example: by using the $1500 as the 25% required to apply for Culture’s in the Schools’ Host an Artist or Writer Program.
What are the reporting requirements?
Artists’ fees will be paid as soon as schools provide feedback on their creative experiences. Schools will need to:
- Schools are required to complete the feedback form after the Artist(s) has facilitated the ArtistsInspire experience in your school so that the Artist(s) can be paid by LEARN. A feedback form will be available from your School login page once your application is approved.
- Storytelling – share media/social media stories that schools/artists create about their project (respecting school/student privacy and consent guidelines)
