Individual Grants

The Downtown Eastside Small Arts Grants program is intended to support emerging artists from the Downtown Eastside with an idea for an original art project.

Individual grants range from $500 to $1,000 and are designed to support one artist to develop their skills and showcase their work. A grant is money we give you to help make art - you don’t need to pay the money back. Your art can range from painting, music, theatre, writing, photography, pottery, textiles, jewelry making, carving, animation, dance, mixed-media, performance, video and more.
   

Do you live or work in the downtown eastside?

Our grants are only for emerging artists living and/or creating art in the DTES which includes areas of Gastown, Victory Square, Chinatown, Strathcona, the industrial area, and the Oppenheimer and Thornton Parks as shown on the map.

The boundaries are the rail yards and port lands to the north, Malkin Street to the south, Richards Street to the west and Clark Drive to the east.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

• Artists must complete and submit a grant application. 
• You’ll need to answer some questions about your experience making art, your connection to the Downtown Eastside, and your idea for a project.
• You can apply online or pick up a paper copy from the Carnegie Centre.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

All grant decisions are made by a Volunteer Advisory Committee made up of artists who live and work in the Downtown Eastside.
You will receive a decision about your application in January, and a cheque in February or March. Projects cannot begin until the grant decision is made. Please note, not all applicants receive funding.

Everyone who receives a grant must write a final report. You will be asked to describe what went well with your project and what could have been done better. We do not ask you to submit receipts, but we do ask for a simple account of how you spent your grant money. A Final Report Template will be provided to you.

Eligibility

1. Applicants must demonstrate an original art practice.
2. Each group member is required to submit a sample of their work.
3. Groups will need to demonstrate the role of each artist within the project, and how their project will be created collaboratively.
4. Preference is given to applicants who have not applied for and/or received government funding within the past three years (e.g. BC Arts Council, Canada Council, Creative BC).
5. Priority is given to new projects and/or applicants who have been funded for fewer than three years.
6. Please note that if you apply for an Individual grant, you are not eligible to apply for a Group grant, and vice versa. Artists applying for more than one grant in the same year will be disqualified.
7. Grants are for art projects that begin after the grant decision is made (January) and end by June. 
8. Grants may not be used for retro-funding (e.g. if the event date is in February, we won’t be able to fund).
9. Your artwork must follow acceptable community standards. DTES Small Arts Grants do not support works that exploit an individual’s vulnerability. For example, when photographing, ask yourself: “Would I like to be photographed or videotaped in this situation?”

What Can I use the Grant Money For? 

You can use the grant for expenses that are needed for your art project. This includes products such as art supplies or hiring professional services like a copy editor for your book. You can provide honorariums to anyone who contributes skills or knowledge to your art project.

• The DTES Small Arts Grants does not require groups to submit receipts. 
• We do ask for a simple account of how you spent your grant money in an expense report.
• This information is useful for us in designing an effective granting program.
• Grants are not intended to pay for food, rent, or studio rent. Artists cannot pay themselves a fee.

Additional Information 

• Projects must be presented to the public. The project funder will need to be acknowledged. Possible wording includes, “This project was (partially) funded by the DTES Small Arts Grants Program and Vancouver Foundation”, or “The artists appreciate funding received from the DTES Small Arts Grants Program and Vancouver Foundation”. Contact the Coordinator for approved logos.
• Grant recipients must write a Final Report. A template will be included with your grant payment. The Final Report is meant to share stories about your art project and to describe what went well with the project, and what could have been done differently. Images and/or video documentation of your artwork (whatever its form) and the public presentation of it must also be included in your Final Report.
• All projects must be completed and your Final Report submitted in order to be eligible to re-apply the following year. Final Reports must include images and/or video of your project presentation.
• Successful applicants who have not been funded before will be required to provide their S.I.N. (Social Insurance Number) to begin processing payment. 
• Vancouver Foundation staff appreciate the opportunity to make site visits. In some cases, we may ask to highlight your project for use in our communications and publications. 

I still have questions

We run several information sessions to support you with your application. Check our events page for details of upcoming information sessions. You can also contact the Program Coordinator directly. Contact the DTES Small Arts Grants office by phone (604) 665-2213 or email at dtesartsgrants@gmail.com.