For Artists

Artists in Schools grants fund arts and cultural projects for Manitoba students, Kindergarten to grade 12, delivered by professional artists.

About the grant

Artists can participate in multiple Artists in Schools projects in a given year; however, each project must be at a different school.

Grant amounts

  • Up to $7,500 for projects involving one artist
  • Up to $15,000 for projects involving two or more artists

Schools are also encouraged to make a financial contribution to the project of up to 20% of the total project costs.

Note: While the project is a collaboration between artists and teachers, the grant will be paid directly to the artist to cover artist and collaborator fees, materials, equipment, and travel.

Deadlines to apply

  • June 5 – for projects occurring any time during the upcoming school year, September through June
  • October 5 – for projects occurring during the second half of the school year, January through June

Eligibility

The program is open to:

How to apply

1. Create a profile in Manipogo

To be eligible for an Artists in Schools grant, artists need to have or create a profile in Manipogo, the Manitoba Art Council’s online application system.

2. Find a teacher to work with

You can do this many different ways:

  1. Speak with parents of school-age children. Let them know you’re interested in bringing an arts project to their child’s school; they may be able to put you in contact with interested teachers.
  2. Call or email schools in your area. The reception desk may be able to put you in contact with a teacher or principle.
  3. Create an Artist Listing. We promote this resource to teachers looking to engage with artists. You can upload details about yourself, your arts practice, and the kinds of programming you would like to do with students.
Sign Up for the Artist Listing

Note: The school you work with must be listed in either the First Nations Operated School Directory, a funded independent school, or must be a Manitoba public school.

3. Submit an application

Start planning your project with your teacher partner well before the application deadline.

Once you and your teacher have a plan in place, you must write and submit a grant application in Manipogo.

The application will include:

  • a project description
  • project costs
  • a timeline
  • details of any collaborators
  • samples of your previous work
  • your teacher partner’s contact information
  • a completed School Commitment Form

You will also need to send your teacher a School Commitment Form to be signed by the Principal. The form indicates that all artists and collaborators listed in the application have been approved by the school to work with students. The form is mandatory and must be submitted with the application. You can either do this automatically through Manipogo, or e-mail your teacher partner a PDF version of the form.

We encourage you to speak with a MAC program consultant before submitting your application. The consultant can answer questions, review your application, and help identify any gaps or areas that may need more attention.

4. Wait for the results

You and your partnering teacher will be notified as to whether your application was successful or not at the following times:

  • June 5 deadline: mid-August
  • October 5 deadline: mid-December

Artists in Schools grants are competitive, which means we may not be able to fund all submitted applications. Funding decisions are based on an external peer review panel of educators and artists. Each application is assessed on impact on the students, teachers and school community, and feasibility.

5. Complete your project

Work with your teacher and school partner to deliver the best-possible arts or cultural project!

6. Submit a final report

18 months after you are awarded, you must submit a final report to MAC, including an overview of how successful your project was, your final budget, and a short questionnaire. If you have an overdue final report, you won’t be able to submit another application.

Resources

For assistance, call 204-945-2237 or (toll-free) 1-866-994-ARTS (2787) or email helpdesk@artscouncil.mb.ca

MAC’s Online Application System
Join the Artist Listing

For assistance, call 204-945-2237 or (toll-free) 1-866-994-ARTS (2787)