Deadline

1 October

Program Description

This program provides grants to Canadian organizations for the public presentation of works in architecture, landscape architecture and urbanism. The grants support special projects that promote contemporary, Canadian works of architecture to a broad and diverse public.

Projects must lead to the production of books, films and videos, television programs, radio programs, multimedia programs, exhibitions, architectural competitions, series of articles or lectures, or other public events. Projects must have a minimum content of 50 percent contemporary, Canadian works of architecture.

The purpose of the program is to give the public the opportunity to:

• better understand the role of architecture in helping to shape a rich physical, social and cultural environment in Canada
• better appreciate the artistic values of contemporary, Canadian buildings, landscapes and the urban environment. 

For this program, works of architecture include buildings, landscapes and places, as well as works of critical and (or) design research on architecture, landscape architecture or the urban environment

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

These grants are available to Canadian organizations, such as publishers, producers, exhibition centres, artist-run centres, public galleries, museums, and organizations that coordinate architectural competitions or public events.

To be eligible, your organization must:

• be at least 75 percent Canadian-owned
• have its head office and executive located in Canada
• have produced at least three books, journals, films, videos, television programs, radio programs, multimedia programs, exhibitions, competitions, or events on contemporary art or architecture in Canada in the past 10 years (a sponsor of a competition that does not meet this requirement must have a contractual relationship with a competition organizer and (or) professional advisor that has produced at least two professional architectural competitions over the past 10 years)
• have satisfied all its contractual obligations toward third parties that participated in earlier projects.

If your organization is a publisher, it must meet the above requirements and be currently holding a grant from the Book Publishing Support program of the Canada Council’s Writing and Publishing Section. (University presses do not need to meet this requirement.)

If your organization is holding an annual or multi-year grant from the Canada Council (for example, from the Book Publishing Support, Assistance to Artist-Run Centres or Assistance to Art Museums and Public Galleries program), it may receive an Assistance for the Promotion of Architecture grant as long as the funds are used for activities not covered in its current operating grant.

This Canada Council for the Arts program is accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.

Eligible Projects

Works of contemporary architecture (post-1945) by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must make up a minimum of 50 percent of the project. In addition, projects must:

• result in a public presentation of contemporary, Canadian buildings, landscapes, places, and (or) critical or design research about contemporary, Canadian architecture, landscape architecture or the urban environment
• be based on a critical or curatorial approach that will advance public discourse on contemporary Canadian architecture, landscape architecture or the urban environment
• aim for a wide, diverse audience and involve appropriate communication strategies and distribution plans.

If the project involves a film, video, television, radio or multimedia program, it must meet the above requirements and must also be broadcast-driven. (That means that, unlike in the programs administered by the Media Arts Section, you must have distribution plans, broadcast licences or broadcast agreements to be eligible for funding from this program.)

For competition projects, only the following are eligible: building competitions (endorsed and limited) and ideas competitions (open or limited), as defined by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. (See the competition categories chart at www.raic.org/architecture_architects/architectural_competitions/index_e.htm.)  Competition projects must engage the public and provide for the public presentation of competition results.

Ineligible Projects

The following are not eligible for support:

• the construction of buildings, landscapes or places
• projects of a primarily academic or theoretical nature, or projects intended for a scholarly audience
• projects that present primarily historical works of architecture (pre-1945)
• projects that present primarily visual or media arts installations, rather than works of architecture
• projects organized by students and exhibitions presenting the works of students, or works created in a training or educational context
• professional manuals or reference books intended for a specialized audience
• projects that are eligible for funding from existing Canada Council grant programs in the Media Arts or Inter-Arts Sections
• projects that are currently funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), although the public presentation of a project that received SSHRC funding in the past may be eligible, if these activities were not funded by the SSHRC grant.

Other Restrictions

Your organization may submit a maximum of two applications per competition.

Your organization may submit a maximum of two consecutive applications for a large-scale project spread over several years. The applications must, however, be for different portions of the project. If the Canada Council awards a grant for the first phase of a project, there is no guarantee that it will support the project’s second phase.

If your organization has not submitted its final report and (or) financial accounting for any earlier grant from the Canada Council for the Arts (except current multi-year grants), it is not eligible to apply to this competition.

Grant Amount

Amount Available

The grants awarded under this program may be as high as $50,000. However, grants shall not exceed the following:

• 50 percent of the total cost of an exhibition or an event
• 33 percent of the total cost of a publication or
• 25 percent of the total cost of a film, video, television, radio or multimedia program, or architectural competition. 

Note that in-kind revenues are not accepted in calculating your total project revenues.

Note that you must round your budget request to the nearest hundred.

Successful candidates may not be awarded the full amount requested.

Retroactive funding is not available. In other words, your organization cannot use grant funds to cover any expenses that have occurred before the deadline date.

Eligible Expenses

Eligible expenses include:

• the direct costs of producing, promoting and circulating publications, films, videos, television programs, radio programs, multimedia programs, exhibitions, competitions or events
• professional fees and travel costs for critics, curators, practitioners, research assistants and other professionals collaborating directly on the project
• production costs for models and photographs
• design, construction and installation costs for exhibitions or events
• design and printing costs for publications
• contingency funds (a maximum of 10 percent of the amount of grant requested).

The above expenses (those that apply) plus those listed immediately below are eligible for films, videos, television programs, radio programs and multimedia programs:

• equipment and space rental costs
• artistic, professional or other fees and honoraria
• travel expenses
• production costs
• payment for technical services, materials and processing.

The additional eligible expenses for architectural competitions include:

• professional fees for a professional competition advisor
• prize monies for the competition winners, but only if entry into the competition is limited to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
• the costs of producing and promoting public exhibitions and charettes related to the competition.

Ineligible Expenses

The following expenses are not eligible:

• capital expenses
• administrative staff salaries
• general administration and maintenance costs
• the costs of a permanent website.

Application Form

Assistance for the Promotion of Architecture (pdf, 368 KB)
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.

Further Information

Brigitte Desrochers
Program Officer
Visual Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON  K1P 5V8

Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 5270

TTY: 1-866-585-5559

Fax: 613-566-4332

April 2010

For further information, please contact:

Brigitte Desrochers
Program Officer
1-800-263-5588 or
613-566-4414, ext. 5270