Canadian Heritage: Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage – Local Festivals component

Next Deadline: January 31, 2026 (for festivals starting between September 1 and December 31 of the same calendar year); Other Deadlines: April 30, 2026 (for festivals starting between January 1 and June 30 of the next calendar year) & October 15, 2026 (For festivals starting between July 1 and August 31 of the next calendar year);

The Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage — Local Festivals component provides funding to local groups for recurring festivals that present the work of local artists, local artisans, local heritage performers or specialists, and local First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultural carriers. This includes the celebration of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and Indigenous cultural celebrations.

Objectives and expected results for the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program:

The Building Communities through Arts and Heritage (BCAH) program helps you celebrate your community, its past and its present. The program increases opportunities for local artists; local artisans; local heritage performers or specialists; and local First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultural carriers to be involved in their community. It also allows local groups to commemorate their local history and heritage.

Objectives for the Local Festivals component:

• Objective 1:  Provide local residents with opportunities to get involved by volunteering in their community through the planning and delivery of arts and heritage activities.
• Objective 2:  Integrate local artists, local artisans, local heritage performers and specialists, local cultural carriers, and local Indigenous Elders into the community through the planning and delivery of arts and heritage activities.
• Objective 3:  Integrate local community support into the planning and delivery of arts and heritage activities.
• Objective 4:  Provide local residents with access to their own local arts and heritage.

Eligible projects:

To be eligible for funding from the Local Festivals component, your festival must:

• have dedicated arts and heritage activities as a majority of its programming;
• feature local performing artists, local artisans, local heritage performers or specialists, local cultural carriers, local Indigenous Elders, and/or aspects of local heritage as a primary component in its programming and promotion materials;
• integrate volunteers into the project planning and delivery;
• feature live, in person activities delivered to residents by local artists, local artisans, local heritage performers and specialists, local cultural carriers and local Indigenous Elders (activities may include artistic demonstrations, sharing cultural traditions, question and answers sessions, workshops, live performances, and discussion panels);
• be easily accessible to the local community;
• be promoted to residents of the local community;
• receive support, in cash and in-kind, from local community supporters;
• receive support from your municipality or equivalent authority for the event;
• have a balanced budget – total expenses must equal total revenues; and
• present eligible activities for more than 1 calendar day over a period of less than 29 consecutive days.

Activities undertaken in the context of Indigenous celebrations such as Pow wows are eligible for funding.

The following activities are not eligible:

• events of a religious or political nature
• events of a primarily commercial nature, including food preparation for community meals and for sales, art and craft sales, or book fairs;
• sports or recreational activities;
• entertainment activities unrelated to arts and heritage (e.g. bouncy castles);
• activities whose primary purpose is fundraising or contest;
• film screenings and activities that are exclusively virtual;
• activities taking place outside of Canada or activities of a provincial/territorial, national or international nature;
• celebration of historical events that did not take place in Canada;
• activities that are, in whole or in part, an extension of your organization’s regular or permanent programming;
• programming that exclusively features activities presented by board members of the applicant;
• conferences and other events not intended for the general public;
• festivals that receive funding under the Canada Arts Presentation Fund, or one of the components of Canadian Heritage’s Celebration and Commemoration Program (such as Celebrate Canada);
• events that celebrate Canada Day (July 1); National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21); Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24); Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27); National Acadian Day (August 15); National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) and other national holidays.

Who can apply:

To be eligible for funding, your organization must:

• be a local non-profit organization or local group – incorporated or unincorporated or a local band council, a local tribal council or other local Indigenous government (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or equivalent authority;
• have submitted a final report on your previous completed festival if that event was funded by the Local Festivals component.

In addition, the most recently completed edition of your festival must have been organized and successfully delivered within the last two years, and met the following criteria:

• had dedicated arts and heritage activities as a majority of its programming;
• featured local artists and performers as a primary component; and
• presented eligible activities for more than one calendar day and less than 29 consecutive days.

SMARTGRANT SUBSCRIBERS CAN ACCESS THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (please be sure to be signed in for your account to access):