Publication and Critical Documentation
Assistance in developing critical works promoting the advancement and sharing of knowledge about art.
Introduction
Structured around nine components, the program offers financial support for a wide range of activities in all disciplines.
You can submit your application by accessing Mon Dossier CALQThis link will open in a new window and filling out the online form.
To find out more about the grant program, please visit the dedicated page on the CALQ website at:
Publication and Critical Documentation, at a glance
By supporting the production and critical documentation, the CALQ seeks to promote the advancement of knowledge in different artistic practices and to contribute to the development of disciplines. It also seeks to make the public aware of the work of Québec artists and curators and to promote their visibility.
For your project to be eligible, your application must be submitted at least four weeks before the start of the project and be accompanied by documents confirming the commitment of your main partners taking part in the project.
Maximum amount: $20,000
Submit an application
Access Mon Dossier CALQThis link will open in a new window and complete the grant application online.
Before submitting an application, please read the program carefully. If you have questions or would like clarifications after reading it, you may contact the person responsible for the program by email or phone 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 must submit your application at least four weeks before the project start date for the project to be eligible.
Eligible projects and expenses
Projects
Eligible
- Production of works to document and present the work of an artist or artist collective: monograph, electronic publication or other critical documentation of the work of the artist or their artistic development.
- Production of exhibition catalogues or other activities of the sort.
An artist’s project must be done in cooperation with a specialist, an independent curator or a qualified, experienced organization from within or outside Québec.
Print publications must also be produced and available to the public in electronic version.
Projects must be mainly about living artists and contribute to the exposure of Québec artists.
Any electronic publication project, and its print version, if any, must include:
- a promotion plan
- a distribution plan
- production specifications
- a copy of tenders – programmer(s), printer(s), graphic artist(s), translator(s), etc.
- excerpts from the author’s previously published texts.
Ineligible
In addition to items presented in the General list of ineligible projects This link will open in a new window , certain restrictions apply:
- Project produced by or with a corporation or a partnership of which the applying artist is a shareholder or partner; project produced by or with a non-profit organization of which the applying artist is an employee.
- Creating and updating a website.
- Producing a portfolio.
- Project solely for self-publication of the author’s writing.
- Promotional publications.
- Projects not primarily about living Québec artists.
- Projects in connection with national or international events.
- Essays on arts and literature, comics and graphic novels. These are eligible for the Creation component.
Expenses
Eligible
You can request financial aid from the CALQ for the following expenses:
- Candidate's remuneration.
- Fees for participating artists and collaborators, excluding the applicant.
- Research expenses.
- Payment of copyright and resale rights.
- Graphic design expenses for print or electronic publications.
- Promotional materials, advertising and distribution expenses.
- Certain professional or contractual fees, such as for consultants or any other specialist contributing expertise to the project.
- Translation, editing and proofreading expenses.
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 aid granted by public or private organizations or by other sources of financing.
Maximum amount
$20,000
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
Apply anytime
An application must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the project start date to be deemed eligible.
The date of submission online or by WeTransfer is deemed to be the date of receipt of the application.
The CALQ sends an email acknowledgement of receipt. Applicants registered for Mon Dossier CALQ can track the progress of their grant application file’s processing directly in their online file.
Apply online
Mon dossier CALQContents of the application file
The required file contents are detailed on the application form. Letters of recommendation are not submitted to the jury.
Subject to the provisions of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, the CALQ respects the confidentiality of the documents and information in its possession and of those sent to it.
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%)
- Benefits for the applicant and participating artists.
- Impact on the advancement of knowledge in the arts.
- Interest of the author’s approach.
- Suitability and involvement of the partners.
- Quality of the promotion strategies and the distribution plan.
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
- Realism of the budget forecast.
- Quality of the planning and realism of the schedule.
- Diversity and size of revenue sources.
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
Paper forms
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.
Guide for grant recipients
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)