Open Calls

Brampton Arts Organization’s current and upcoming artist calls, submissions, and funding opportunities for Brampton’s vibrant creative community. Stay up to date with our calls for projects, programs, exhibitions, markets and creative initiatives designed to develop and support creatives and arts & culture organizations across the city.

Current Calls for Artists

Call Opens: September 2, 2025
Application Deadline: November 30, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply

Funding Amount: up to $400.00
Application Review Process: Monthly intake and review

The Brampton Arts Organization’s (BAO) professional development fund supports activities that will grow and advance applicants’ careers and professional practices. Eligible activities include participating in a presentation or exhibition, undertaking specialized training, performing research, attending conferences, membership in professional associations and more.

Eligible Activities

You may apply for one or more of the following activities:

Market and network development
Participation in a presentation or exhibition opportunity
Mentorship
Internship
Specialized training or coaching
Workshops
Research activities related to professional development
Participation in conferences, residencies, seminars, or other significant events
Accessibility training or integration of access practices
Portfolio or demo reel development
Membership fees in professional associations such as ACTRA, WIFT, etc.

Ineligible Activities

Equipment purchases
Commercial or residential rent
Personal living expenses (e.g., groceries, childcare, personal debts)
Activities that have already taken place before funding approval

Who Can Apply?

This program is open to emerging, mid-career, and established Brampton-based professional artists and arts administrators. This is a non-discipline specific program and creatives from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

The Ontario Arts Council defines a professional artist or arts professional as someone who has developed skills through training or practice, is recognized by artists working in the same artistic tradition, has a history of public presentation or publication, seeks payment for their work and actively practices their art.

We recognize that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from historically disadvantaged groups such as Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, 2SLGBTQIAP, and newcomer and refugee artists) that some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and contexts.

Priority will be given to applicants from historically disadvantaged groups, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Nonbinary, Queer, Disabled and intersections of those identities.

Eligibility Criteria:

Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
Applicants must have a residential address within the City of Brampton and must have been located in Brampton for a minimum of 12 months prior to the date of application.

What To Include In Your Application

Detailed budget breakdown for the funds you are applying to receive
Links to the activity you are applying to receive funds for such as workshops, training, conferences, memberships, etc.
Communicate the direct connection between your practice and the activity you are applying to receive funds for

Additional Information and Accessibility Support

If you have any questions about this call or require any assistance, accommodations or additional support in completing this application, please reach out at least one week prior to the application deadline to Katy Belshaw, Head of Programming, Brampton Arts Organization at katy@bramptonartsorg.ca.

Application Submission

Interested applicants are asked to complete the application form before Sunday, November 30th, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

Please note that only applications submitted through the formal submission process will be accepted, unless otherwise previously arranged due to accessibility needs.

Apply Here

Notification

Applicants will be notified of their application status within two calendar months of submission. Communication about the status of your application will be through email.

Please note that only applications submitted through the formal application process will be accepted, unless otherwise previously arranged due to accessibility needs.

Call Opens: November 18, 2025
Application Deadline: December 12, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply
Payment: $250.00 Canadian (+HST if applicable) per selected film

We welcome submissions from all Brampton filmmakers, producers, crew, actors, and screenwriters. We want to showcase the depth and range of screen-based work being created in Brampton. Submit your finished or in-progress work.

Consideration will be given to Peel-based submissions but Brampton-based submissions will be prioritized.

Film Submission

Interested applicants are asked to submit their work before December 12th at 11:59 p.m.

Please note that only applications submitted through the formal submission process will be accepted, unless otherwise previously arranged due to accessibility needs.

Apply Here

Call Opens: November 25, 2025
Application Deadline: January 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply
Payment: $386.00 Canadian per accepted submission

The Brampton Arts Organizations (BAO) and Garden Square Brampton are seeking artworks of up to 25 Brampton-based 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, creatives, or arts collectives to have their work featured on the 24′ LED screen in Garden Square in Downtown Brampton for select weeks from March 16, 2026 to July 31, 2026.

Every month, the selected 2SLGBTQIA+ creatives will have their work featured daily from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Garden Square, with potential additional features across BAO and City of Brampton channels. Timing subject to change.

We are seeking to celebrate and showcase the diversity, talent and wide range of creative practices of Brampton’s 2SLQBTQIA+ artists, creatives and performers.

Submissions can include but are not limited to:

Still images (digital art, photography, illustrations, paintings); or
Moving images (theatre, video art, digital art, short animations, dance music videos) that are up to 3 minutes long
Physical artworks (ceramics, beading, weaving, sculptures, clothing, furniture, etc.)
Poetry and spoken word performances

This unique opportunity is open to any genre or medium of creative expression and strives to showcase a wide variety of viewpoints and creative practices of Brampton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ creative community.

NOTE: Garden Square is a public square located at the Four Corners in Downtown Brampton (intersection of Queen and Main). As a public space, screen content including exhibition artwork will be seen by a diverse audience including families and small children and the selection panel will at its discretion determine if the submitted material is not suitable for a multi-generational public audience.

Artwork Requirements

Submitted artwork should be suitable and relevant for presentation on an urban screen in a highly visible public space that is accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Artwork with explicit use of alcohol, smoking, illegal drugs, horror, offensive language, nudity, explicit sexual activity and/or violence will not be considered.

Artwork can be new or recent original work in any medium or genre. Abstract and non-representational works are welcomed and encouraged. AI work will not be considered.

If selected, you will have the opportunity to have your work professionally photographed for display on the screen.

You can only submit one artwork for consideration and may apply only once.

Final artwork specifications:

Resolution – Minimum 300 dpi in full size
Image Dimensions – for 16×9 format, 1920px x 1080px resolution or greater, will also accept 1080 x 1920, for 1×1 format, 1200 x 1200
File Type – Artwork to be sent in a .tiff, .ai, .psd, or .jpg format.
Video – to be sent in high resolution MP4 format and a maximum of 3 minutes in length. Audio is allowed and encouraged.
- If your piece is selected, you will be required to provide a captioned version.
PSAs or advertising materials will not be considered.

Example Presentation Template

All branding elements for PIXEL: Digital Art Exhibition will be created BAO’s graphic designers. These are past examples of how artwork may appear on screen. For video files, a cover image will be added to not interfere with the formatting of the work.

Example of a past PIXEL graphic featuring a vertical layout

Reserved Rights of the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO)

The individual will retain all rights, title, and interest, including moral rights, to the submitted work. The individual and/or guardian will provide BAO a broad irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free, and otherwise cost-free license to use, publish, reproduce, adapt, exhibit, copy, and create derivative works for the submitted works, including the right to modify the size of the work submitted with respect to this opportunity.

The individual understands that BAO will keep any documents of any type, including images, submitted by the person in accordance with its record-keeping obligations as required by applicable statutes, regulations, and by-laws. The individual and/or guardian represents and warrants that they are the exclusive owner of the rights conveyed to BAO and that the individual and/or guardian has full power and authority to license the submitted work.

The individual warrants and represents that the submitted work is original to the creator and does not violate any intellectual property rights of any other person or entity contrary to the Copyright Act or otherwise provided at law.

Payment

Individuals selected for this opportunity will be paid a one-time payment of $386.00 Canadian Dollars (plus HST if applicable).

The payment is expected to cover any necessary costs or materials, and no further compensation will be made to the artist for costs associated with participating in the project.

Additional Information and Accessibility Support

Applicants who require additional resources, assistance or time to apply are asked to request this assistance at least one week in advance of the submission deadline. To do so, or for additional information, please contact amanda@bramptonartsorg.ca.

Submission

Applicants are asked to complete the submission form before Sunday, January 4, 2026 at 11:59 pm.

Apply Here

Or you can record a video submission (no longer than 5 minutes in length) answering the questions in the form linked above. Send your video submission to amanda@bramptonartsorg.ca with the artwork you are applying with.

Please note that only applications submitted through the formal submission process will be accepted, unless otherwise previously arranged due to accessibility needs.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of their application status within two calendar months of submission. Communication about the status of your application will be through email.

Please note that only applications submitted through the formal application process will be accepted, unless otherwise previously arranged due to accessibility needs.

Upcoming Calls for Artists

Call Opens: January 6, 2026
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply