Spring grant application intake opens (Jan 24) - deadline March 6, 2024
You're welcome to download & use my* CASC application worksheets (*I endeavour to ensure my worksheets are complete & accurate, but always refer to the funder portal to ensure final application version/content):
Note: all applications must be submitted via the City of Vancouver online portal, with a verified account - see instructions here: https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/vanapply-online-grant-application-system.aspx
The City of Vancouver’s Communities and Artists Shifting Culture (CASC) program has recently opened (Jan 24) for its spring grant intake - with a final application deadline of March 6th. The spring intake for the CASC program supports project that will take place from July to December 2024. (The fall CASC intake supports projects timed for Jan-June).
Program Goals: This program aims to leverage the collective community efforts of Vancouver’s arts and culture sector to:
Centre the voices of underrepresented, marginalized, and racialized artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations to research, develop, create and present their work.
Provide meaningful opportunities where artists and cultural workers have the freedom, agency, and safe spaces to share their stories.
Support co-creative projects between communities and artists or cultural workers that build and strengthen connections across and between diverse communities.
Expand public access to culturally relevant and diverse work, programs and services to broaden understanding of Vancouver’s cultural history and creative stories.
Amplify cultural life throughout Vancouver neighbourhoods, communities and public spaces.
Create a more equitable, collaborative, vibrant and sustainable arts and culture sector.
Communities and Artists Shifting Culture (CASC) supports a wide range of short-term, one-time, or limited series arts, cultural, and creative projects, including (but not limited to):
Community-engaged art and culture projects
Led by or involving artists, cultural workers, Elders, knowledge-keepers, that engage or collaborate with communities through:
Collaborative creative initiatives that address local interest or concerns
Neighbourhood-based projects that offer opportunities to participate in cultural life or produce creative work
Festivals, celebrations, and parades
Free public cultural festivals and celebrations
Ticketed or free arts festivals in any creative discipline
Large-scale parades with a strong arts or cultural focus that can demonstrate the ability to attract a city-wide audience of over 10,000
Artistic creation or production
Research, development, or staging of a single production or series of related curated or produced arts and cultural events, exhibitions, performances, residencies, publications, or programs
Key Things To Know:
Grant amounts range from $2,500 to $15,000. Total combined cash contributions from all City sources (including this grant, other City programs, and Park Board contributions) can be up to 75% of the cash budget, to a maximum of $15,000 (not including in-kind goods and services).
Projects much be based in Vancouver or led by the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), or səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples and held on their traditional lands.
Supports project an arts or culture focus, in any artistic discipline (examples: Indigenous arts and culture, community-engaged arts, dance, literary, media, music, theatre, visual arts, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, cultural heritage).
Supports any phase of a project, from research and development through to presentation & in all forms (examples: exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, video, film, media, radio, audio recordings, virtual, online-based creative initiatives, or community-engaged art or cultural projects led by professional artists, cultural workers, Elders, knowledge-keepers)'.
Eligible applicants do not have to be based in Vancouver, but must “Have an active presence in and deliver programs and services within Vancouver, or if led by either the xʷməθkʷəy ̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, held in their traditional homelands.”
New applicants: Contact a cultural planner to discuss the eligibility of your project and obtain access to the application form (before Feb 21, 2024):
Marnie Rice, cultural planner; marnie.rice@vancouver.ca ( for organizations with names starting with A to M)
Joyce Rosario, cultural planner; joyce.rosario@vancouver.ca (for organizations with names starting with N to Z)
Applicant Eligibility:
To apply to this program, the applicant must:
Be a non-profit society, a community service co-op legally registered and in good standing with BC Registries and Services, a First Nations Band Council on whose unceded traditional homelands Vancouver sits, or a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
NOTE: Groups and individuals from equity-deserving communities that are not incorporated as registered non-profits, co-ops, or charities may submit an application via a sponsor organization that is a registered non-profit society, co-op, charity or First Nations Band council. The sponsor organization must have a mandate to serve the same equity-deserving community(ies) as the group or individual.
NOTE: Organizations that are currently receiving City of Vancouver Cultural Operating funding (COFA, COFI, Cultural Equity or Cultural Indigenous Grants) are not eligible to apply unless they are a sponsor organization of an individual artist or non-registered collective and fulfill the mandate criteria noted above.
The project must be outside of the activities supported through the sponsor organization’s core operating grant. Have an active presence in and deliver programs and services within Vancouver, or if led by either the xʷməθkʷəy ̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, held in their traditional homelands.
See online guidelines for a full list of eligibility and application requirements.
NOTE: this information is also published in a sharable form on my Substack.