Explore and Create — Artist-Driven Organizations

For nonprofit arts organizations led by artists, sustaining creative momentum while covering the real costs of development and presentation can be a constant challenge. Explore and Create — Artist-Driven Organizations is designed to provide meaningful financial stability so organizations can focus on artistic vision rather than short-term survival. Delivered by the Canada Council for the Arts and available to organizations across Canada, this funding stream supports the full creative cycle, from early research and experimentation through creation, production, and sharing work with audiences.

Unlike project-by-project microgrants, this program offers funding that is tied to an organization’s recent financial capacity, providing a substantial contribution that can support multiple activities over time. It is particularly relevant for artist-run centres, collectives, and other nonprofit organizations that prioritize artistic leadership and are actively developing and presenting contemporary work. The funding is non-repayable and flexible enough to accommodate different artistic disciplines, making it easier to plan ambitious creative programs, support artists fairly, and reach new communities.

Explore and Create — Artist-Driven Organizations is offered on a regular basis and is intended for organizations meeting certain requirements related to artistic mandate and operations. For organizations looking to understand how funding levels are determined and whether their structure and activities align with the program, reviewing the full details can help clarify next steps and potential fit.