Mary Ann
| Sep 9, 2026

BCAC: Community Arts Organizations (Project Assistance)

Deadline: October 14, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT)

Program Summary:

Project Assistance: Community Arts Organizations supports the development of community-based arts through the creation or presentation of public programming initiatives that provide engagement between artists, participants, and communities, and reduces or eliminates barriers to public participation in the arts.

Activities may include performances, exhibitions, documentation, circulation and presentation projects, creation of new works, collaborative arts activities, artists’ residencies, exploration and presentation of traditional, new or diverse art forms, and artistic or organizational development projects.

This grant program supports a wide variety of community focused arts activities, including (but not limited to):

Collaborative, community-based arts activities, including the creation of public art projects or the creation, presentation and circulation of new works, using contemporary or traditional art forms in any discipline.
Presentation and circulation of works through performance or exhibition projects.
Artists’ residencies where the artist(s) directly engage with community members.
Organizational development projects and arts projects that develop or deepen relationships between community members, artists, Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
Community arts projects that involve artistic mentoring and skills development, led by professional artists, Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

Examples of Eligible Projects

Grants are available in this program to support specific projects focused the development, creation, expansion, or enhancement of new or unique public, community-based arts programming initiatives.

Projects that include creation or commissioning of work should be embedded within or in support of programming and engagement initiatives.

Examples of eligible activities include but are not limited to:

Developing and presenting a group art exhibition, artist talks, and community art workshops, focused on a theme, and coordinated and curated by a team of local artists.
A collaborative exploration of the culture of a specified community through dance, music, visual art and craft, or storytelling, led by members of that community, including artists and Elders.
Research, co-creation, and performances of a community-led theatre project that includes aspects of mentorship and skills training from professionals.
Indigenous artists, youth and Elders promoting Indigenous learning, mentorship and apprenticeship through the creation and public presentation of new art works or performances.
An artist development series for emerging artists to support skills development and foster peer connection with mentorship from established artists.
A multi-disciplinary presentation of artwork including readings from writers, live music, slam poetry, and non-commercial film screenings, presented in a concentrated timeframe and related by a unifying theme or concept linking the activities together as one project.

Grant Amount:

In this program, grants typically range from $5,000 to $20,000. The maximum request amount is $25,000.

Applicants may request:

a grant for up to 50% of the total eligible project expenses
or
a grant for up to 65% of the total eligible project expenses from applicants that are considered part of the BC Arts Council’s designated priority groups.

Applicant contributions to the project budget can include both cash and in-kind contributions.

Submit a realistic and balanced budget that shows how much money you need to complete the project. BC Arts Council intends to support successful applications at 100% of their request. However, in some cases grants may be awarded for less than requested.

BC Arts Council grant programs are competitive. We are not able to support all eligible applications. We generally fund between 20% to 30% of eligible applications in a program intake. To see a list of previous grant recipients and the range of grants awarded, visit the BC Arts Council Grant Recipients webpage.

Eligible Applicants:

Before you begin your application, make sure your organization and your proposed project is eligible. Ineligible applications will not be forwarded for assessment. If you have questions about eligibility, contact the Program Advisor.

Organization Eligibility

To be eligible, organizations must either be:

A Community Arts Organization, registered and in good standing as a non-profit society or community service co-op in B.C. for at least one fiscal year prior to application with:
- The majority of key staff and board members based in B.C.
- Creative control and decision making for programming and engagement primarily maintained within the organization and by leadership based in B.C.
- A purpose or mandate dedicated to arts and culture programming and activities. or
- A purpose or mandate to provide services to the arts and culture sector in B.C.; and
- Operations and activities that reflect this dedicated purpose or mandate.

For eligibility within this grant program, Community Arts Organizations are defined as nonprofit:

Community arts councils;
Community driven, generally non-professional, volunteer-managed arts and culture organizations; or
Community-based arts and cultural centres, whose primary purpose is community centered engagement and access to the arts.

Community Arts Organizations offer a range of programming focused on enriching a specified community through a variety of arts disciplines and experiences, using a grassroots approach to providing wider service to the community beyond their membership. Although generally community-led, community arts organizations may also engage and collaborate with professional artists, arts and cultural practitioners, arts administrators, Elders or Knowledge Keepers.

Community-based, user-pay arts groups whose purpose is focused on engaging members
through a single discipline (for example, community: choirs, bands, theatre or dance groups;
art and craft clubs) are only eligible IF their project supports artistic fees of:

Commissioning new work from professional B.C. artists or Knowledge Keepers.
A performance or exhibition engaging professional B.C. or Canadian artists or Knowledge Keepers, with priority on presentations of contemporary work.
Engaging a guest clinician, artist, or Knowledge Keeper for the development of artistic skills with a clear statement about the need and rationale for the selected guest.

An Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) community organization registered and in good standing as a non-profit society or community service co-op in B.C. for at least one fiscal year prior to application with:
- The majority of key staff and board members based in B.C.
- A commitment to offering regular arts and culture activities.