Supporting Artistic Practice (multi-year grants)

Composite Activities is the Canada Council grant for musicians, ensembles, labels and music organisations whose work no longer fits inside one project application - several things running at once, or one large and complicated thing, over a period of up to three years. Creation and production, residencies, artistic or sector research, professional development and training, management and representation services, presentation to the public, and audience or market development at home and abroad can all sit in a single request.

There is a track-record gate. You must already have held at least one composite grant, or two project grants, in the past five years from a listed set of Council opportunities. Individual artists and arts workers, groups, organisations, presenters, supporting organisations and First Nations, Inuit and Metis applicants of most kinds are eligible; organisations already receiving a core grant are not, and you cannot apply on your individual profile for work your own organisation is doing.

Funding runs to CAD 100,000 a year for up to three years, a maximum of CAD 300,000, and you can hold a project grant alongside it for different activities. Eligible costs include fees for you and the people you hire, honoraria for Elders and Knowledge Keepers, equipment up to 15% of the grant, safety costs, dependent care and accessibility costs. Buildings, facility running costs and anything another Council grant already pays for are excluded.

One application per calendar year, filed through the client portal by 11:59pm Eastern, with activities beginning after the deadline. Results usually take about five months.