Strategic Opportunities and Career Planning
Aid for atypical projects decisive for career planning and development and for the exploitation of the work. These projects may include a number of activities and take place over a long period.
Introduction
Structured around nine components, the program offers financial support for a wide range of activities in all disciplines.
To find out more about the grant program, please visit the dedicated page on the CALQ website at:
Strategic Opportunities and Career Planning, at a glance
Strategic opportunities and career planning, at a glance
To encourage career planning and development and to foster the exploitation of their work, the CALQ offers artists flexible financial aid to support atypical projects that may include a number of activities and take place over a long period.
Adaptable to a range of situations, the CALQ’s assistance can help artists seize decisive professional opportunities, carry out longer term projects or conduct a number of activities in parallel or sequentially that contribute to career advancement and the recognition of the artist’s work.
For your project to be eligible, it must not be eligible for the other components of the program.
Maximum amount
$100,000 per year. Support can be granted over several years.
IMPORTANT: This program is not yet available through Mon dossier CALQ. You must complete the grant application form available on the "Presentation of the application" section.
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec receives the application file by WeTransfer. You will find the instructions for sending the application form under the "Presentation of the application" section of this program.
Before submitting an application, it is recommended that you read the program carefully. If any questions remain after this reading or to validate its understanding, we suggest that you contact the person in charge of this program, by email or telephone, for information and advice on how to present your project and what to include in your application.
Target applicants and eligibility
General conditions
This program is for professional artists from all disciplines supported by the CALQ This link will open in a new window and independent curators recognized in the disciplines of visual arts, arts and crafts, architectural research, digital arts, and film and video art.
In keeping with the Act respecting the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, only individuals who carry out on their own an activity covered by this program are eligible for financial aid. If you are a shareholder of a corporation or a partnership or if you are employed by a non-profit organization, you may apply only for personal projects that are not part of the activities of the company or the organization in question.
To be eligible, you must meet one of the following conditions :
- have participated in at least one production independent of or subsequent to your education, presented in a context recognized by peers in circus arts, multidisciplinary arts, popular song, film and video art, storytelling, spoken word creation in the literary domain, dance, music or theatre.
OR - have disseminated a work or body of work publicly at sites or in a context recognized by peers in digital arts, visual arts (including comic strips) and arts and crafts, or have publicly disseminated a work in architectural research. These works must have been produced independent of or subsequent to your training.
OR - have published, in a context recognized by peers, at least one book or three texts in a literary genre eligible for the CALQ. Electronic publications and self-published works are also eligible. A context recognized by peers does not include the university research and academic publishing milieus.
If you meet the eligibility criteria in one discipline, you may present a project in any of the disciplines supported by the CALQ.
Candidate eligibility
Profiles
Professional artist
To be eligible, you must be a professional artist and have minimal experience in one of the disciplines supported by the CALQ. The CALQ considers professional artists those who:
- declare themselves to be professional artists;
- produce works or practice an art on their own behalf or offer services for payment, as creators or performers, in disciplines within the CALQ’s jurisdiction;
- have been recognized by their peers;
- publicly present or perform works at sites or in a context recognized by their peers.
For the purposes of this program, the term “artist” also includes writers, storytellers, architects and craftspersons.
Curator
To be recognized as an independent curator in the disciplines of visual arts, arts and crafts, architectural research, digital arts, and film and video art, you must:
- have produced independent projects;
- have to your credit at least one public presentation and have published at least one critical text in a professional context;
- have professional experience in organizing artistic projects;
- not be employed full time as a curator in an arts organization.
Legal status
The applicant must be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant as contemplated in section 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In both instances they must normally reside in Québec and have resided there for at least the preceding 12 months.
Applicants who have resided outside Québec for two or more years are considered ineligible for the Conseil's programs, unless they have maintained their status as a Québec resident.
In this instance, it is the applicant's responsibility to demonstrate his eligibility by submitting proof of participation in Québec's health insurance plan, as administered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.
Rules
These rules govern all CALQ grant programs.
You can submit up to five separate applications and receive a maximum of five grants per CALQ fiscal year, from April 1st to March 31st. All applications submitted, including those deemed ineligible, are counted in the annual maximum.
Applications with a fixed date:
The fiscal year a grant application falls under is indicated under the application date for each program in the ''Presentation of the application'' section. You can only submit one application per registration.
Apply any time:
Travel, Circulation of Works Within Québec, Circulation of Works Outside Québec:
Applications submitted between March 1st and 31st inclusively are counted for the following fiscal year.
Others :
Applications received between February 24 and March 31st inclusively will be recorded in the following fiscal year.
You may not have more than three projects being considered, supported or under way at the same time.
If you have received financial support from one of the CALQ’s grant programs, you must produce a Grant Use Report within three months after the completion of the project. To be eligible to submit a new application, you must have submitted Grant Use Reports for all projects that have reached their end, and these reports must be approved by the CALQ. The official end date for the project is the date you set when applying.
Failure to meet deadlines for the submission of projects will render your application ineligible.
Deadline to submit an application
You can submit your application at any time before the start of your project to make it eligible.
Eligible projects and expenses
Projects
Eligible
- Projects responding to a prompt need.
- A series of activities over a long period.
- Major artistic projects that require long-term planning.
- Access to professional and consulting services for a determined period.
- Support for coordinating and producing a set of related long-term projects.
Ineligible
In addition to items presented in the General list of ineligible projects This link will open in a new window , certain restrictions apply:
- Projects eligible for other program components.
- Projects that could have been presented as part of another component of the program, according to the application calendar.
- Research-creation projects. These are eligible in the Creation component.
- Projects for creating works, even large-scale ones. These are eligible in the Creation and Public Presentation component.
- Publishing and republishing projects, including correction and revision.
- Projects carried out by or with a company or partnership in which the artist applicant is a shareholder or partner; projects carried out by or with a non-profit organization in which the artist applicant is an employee.
N.B.: A project that is rejected in this component may not be presented, in whole or in part, in a new application in this or another component of the program.
Expenses
Eligible
You can apply for financial aid from the CALQ for the following expenses:
- Candidate’s remuneration.
- Fees for participating artists and partners, excluding the applicant.
- Research expenses.
- Development expenses, such as renting a studio or workshop, purchasing supplies and renting equipment.
- Production expenses for the works.
- Presentation expenses for the works.
- Promotional expenses related to the project.
- Travel and living expenses directly related to the project: maximum of $200 per day per participant in Canada and outside Canada.
- Visa fees.
- Professional or contractual fees, such as for consultants, technicians or other specialists contributing expertise to the project.
- Administration expenses (maximum of 10% of the total cost).
The purchase of specialized equipment is eligible only if it is necessary for the project and cannot be rented or for which the purchase price is lower than the rental cost. Supporting documentation must be provided.
Eligible expenses will be considered from the project start date.
Ineligible
Expenses already covered by support from public or private organizations or other sources of financing.
Maximum amount
$100,000 per year.
Support can be granted over several years.
Financial support is available for artists with disabilities with a view to ensuring access to CALQ's services. Please complete the relevant section of your official form if you would like to submit an application.
Presentation of the application
Registration
At anytime
You can submit your application at any time before the start of your project to make it eligible.
The date for online submission or by WeTransfer is proof of the submission date for the application.
The CALQ will email you an acknowledgement of receipt. Registering for Mon Dossier CALQ enables you to track the processing of your application in your online file.
Important
The CALQ will not be accepting applications by mail. Mon dossier CALQ This link will open in a new window is the favoured channel for transmitting an application and for finding out the status of your file.
If this transmission mode is not available for the present program or if you cannot use it, the CALQ will receive the application file by WeTransfer. Instructions for sending are provided on the Application form – detail project.
Content of the application file
The required file contents are detailed on the application form. Letters of recommendation are not submitted to the jury.
You must complete every parts of the form.
Application form - Part 1 - Project description (Word) (47 KB)
Application form - Part 1 - Personal information (Word) (43 KB)
Application form - Budget and Schedule - Part 2 (Excel) (31 KB)
Applicants must promptly notify the Conseil of a change of address so that mail can be sent to the new address.
Evaluation of applications
Evaluation criteria
Two sets of criteria will be considered in evaluating your application. The first set concerns the nature of the project and its artistic interest and will be reflected by a score. The second relates to how you will manage the project and will be reflected by two ratings from the following: Excellent – Very good – Satisfactory – With reservations – Weak.
1. Artistic evaluation of the project: 100%
Quality of artistic work (40%)
- Quality of past work of the candidate and the main participating artists.
Interest and relevance of the project (60%)
- Articulation of the project and interest of the overall activities plan.
- Impact on the evolution of the candidate’s work and career.
- Quality and suitability of the partners, if any.
- Contribution to the artistic discipline.
- If applicable, scope of the planned presentation according to the nature of the project.
2. Administrative evaluation of the project
To receive financial aid, you must have a rating of at least “Satisfactory” for each of the two administrative evaluation criteria.
Artist remuneration
- Appropriateness of the remuneration for the applicant and artists involved in the project.
Project management
- Quality of the planning and realism of the schedule.
- Feasibility of the budget.
- Diversity and size of revenue sources.
- Ability of the applicant to carry out the project.
- Significance of the contribution of the partner, if any.
Evaluation process
Applications are considered first by CALQ’s program managers based on eligibility conditions and the general objectives of the program.
Eligible applications are evaluated by juries, whose members are recognized for their skill in the disciplines in question. When necessary, the CALQ may choose to call upon assessors.
The jury evaluates the merit of the application based on the evaluation criteria indicated in the program. After their evaluation is complete, members make recommendations to the board of directors, which ratifies them. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
The CALQ bases its funding decisions on peer assessment, seeking balance between generations, genders, ethnocultural groups and regions of Québec to reflect the diversity of the population and the range of artistic practices. The selection takes into account both the relative value of projects and the credits available.
The CALQ makes available the name of members of the selection committee three months after the end of their mandate.
Ethics
Board members, employees and members of juries and committees of the CALQ are subject to Codes of ethics and professional conduct This link will open in a new window. All must act in good faith in performing their duties and refrain from taking part in any discussion concerning a grant application that risks creating a conflict of interest. Confidential or privileged information transmitted to them may not be used for personal reasons.
Decision
The CALQ will inform you of the decision regarding your application around four months after the date it is submitted.
If you register for Mon Dossier CALQThis link will open in a new window, you will receive an email informing you to check your online file for the decision.
If your application is accepted, with the confirmation letter you will receive a document that outlines terms and conditions for the use of the grant.
If your application is declined and you have not registered for Mon Dossier CALQ, the CALQ will communicate its decision in writing.
After receiving results, you may receive, upon request, the general ratings for your project made by the selection committee for each of the evaluation criteria.
The CALQ wishes to reiterate that its decisions are final and without appeal. No form of verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation towards its team after a decision is rendered, nor at any point in the application process, is tolerated.
Additional information
Guide for grant recipient
As a CALQ grant recipient, you must comply with the standards and terms of the allocation of grants described in the Guide for grant recipients This link will open in a new window, which presents:
- The terms for the payment of the grant.
- The requirement for artists to declare the amount of the grant, pursuant to tax laws in effect.
- The obligation for the artist to produce a report on the use of a grant once the project is complete.
- Visibility standards governing the mention of the CALQ’s contribution in promotional material associated with the grant.
Reference documents
- Frequently Asked Questions This link will open in a new window
- Code of ethics and professional conduct governing jury and committee members and assessors hired by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (65 KB)
- Glossary This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information This link will open in a new window
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, film, the recording arts, literature, arts and crafts and the performing arts This link will open in a new window
- Policy governing juries, committees and assessors (365 KB)