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: March 11, 2025
Application Deadline: Rolling deadline until the funds are exhausted.
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply
Subsidy Available: Up to $1,000 Canadian (+HST if applicable) with multiple recipients chosen on a rolling basis until the program funds are exhausted.

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) and Brampton On Stage (BOS) have partnered to develop and launch the Live Music Support Program. The purpose of this program is help Brampton-based musicians access local, provincial, national and international festival and industry showcase opportunities.

We want to support you in bringing your music to different audiences and help you participate in opportunities that may have seemed out of reach.

Information Session

The purpose of the virtual information session on Tuesday, March 18th from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM is to review the requirements and application process with BAO staff. Have your questions answered and your application reviewed ahead of submitting it.

What Is This Program?

The Live Music Support Program aims to provide financial support to help Brampton-based musicians cover the expenses gathered when performing at local, provincial, national and international festivals and industry showcase opportunities.

The program wants to empower and support Brampton musicians to take on the risk of touring and performing in venues, festivals and showcases throughout the GTA and beyond. Not only will this benefit the individual musician’s career but also highlight the musical and creative talent emerging from Brampton.

Please note that the funds will be distributed on a rolling basis, as long as there are funds available in the program for this year.

What Does This Program Support?

Brampton-based musicians and bands may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 Canadian (+HST if applicable) in financial support to help cover the costs associated with their participation in music festivals and industry showcases such as travel, accommodation, festival fees, or any other relevant expense.

Who Can Apply?

This program is for Brampton-based musicians who are

Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
Have a residential address within the City of Brampton and have been living in Brampton for a minimum of 12 months prior to the date of this application.
Actively performing and engaging in the music industry
Looking to perform at music festivals and industry showcases.

Eligible Showcases and Festivals

While this list is not comprehensive, it is a starting point for interested applicants to find suitable music festivals and showcases. Festivals and showcases not listed here are also eligible for this program.

Please note that it is up to you to review the application deadlines, submission guidelines, and eligibility criteria of the festivals and showcases you are interested in performing at.

Greater Toronto Area Opportunities:

National Opportunities:

International Opportunities:

Other Showcase Resources:

What is Expected of Me?

The successful applicant or band must agree to

Sign an Artist Agreement, which will detail the terms and conditions of the funding for the program. The Agreement once signed must be sent to BAO staff prior to the festival or showcase.
Submit their Social Insurance Number for each participating artist. The individual recipient/s will receive a T4A for the funding amount.
Acknowledge the support of BAO and BOS on all written materials related to the activities for which funds are granted. The BAO and BOS logo will be provided. In lieu of the logo, the recipient may use the phrase “produced with the support of the Brampton Arts Organization and Brampton on Stage.”
Communicate to BAO all information about any public performances that results from this funding. This information should be emailed to the Program Manager.
Complete and submit a close-out report withing 30 days of the festival or showcase.
In addition to the above conditions, BAO reserves the right to place other conditions on the release of the funding (such as confirmation of venue, programming, other sources of funding, etc.).

ARTIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES AND INDEMNITY

By applying to the program, applicants agree that they will keep harmless and fully indemnify the City of Brampton and Brampton Arts Organization (BAO), its elected officials, directors, agents, employees, its successors and assigns from and against all actions, claims and demands whatsoever which may be brought against or made upon the City or BAO and against all loss, liability, judgments, costs, demands or expenses which the City or BAO may sustain, suffer or be put to resulting from or arising out of:

(a) the Applicant’s failure to exercise reasonable care, skill or diligence in the performance of Services required to be performed or rendered by the Applicant, or
(b) any breach of any representation, warranty or covenant made by the Applicant.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Applicant agrees to keep harmless and fully indemnify the City and BAO, its successors and assigns from and against all actions, claims and demands whatsoever which may be brought against or made upon the City or BAO, its elected officials, officers, directors, agents, employees its successors and assigns, for the infringement or use of any intellectual property rights including any copyright or patent arising out of the reproduction or use in any manner of any plans, designs, drawings, specifications, information, negatives, data, material, sketches, notes, documents, memoranda or computer software furnished by the Applicant in their performance of this opportunity or in relation to their services.

For the purposes of this Clause, “costs” means those costs awarded in accordance with the order of a court, board, tribunal or arbitrator or costs negotiated in the settlement of a claim or action.

Application Process and Requirements

To apply, you must prepare and submit the following information

Musician and/or band biographies
Selected festival or showcase details
Touring plans and related expenses
Additional support materials such as performance history, previous festival involvement, etc.

Selection Process and Criteria

Subsidy recipients will be selected by a selection committee. The following criteria will be used to assess applications:

20% for Musicality – Defined as musical skill, mastery of instruments or voice, and makes strong artistic choices that showcase their talent and creativity.
20% for Musician/Band Reputation and Influence – Recognized in the music industry, where they are known, respected and have contributed to their musical genre.
20% for Stage Presence/Entertainment Factor – Defined as an engaging and dynamic performance style that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
20% for Entertainment Factor, Showmanship, and Creativity – Defined as a unique, exciting, memorable, and extremely creative performance style.
20% for Connection to Brampton – Defined as a deep and meaningful connection to Brampton, whether through their upbringing or current active involvement in the Brampton music scene.

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

Selection Committee

The selection committee will consist of the following

Brampton Arts Organization Staff
Brampton On Stage Staff
Local artist

Payment

Those selected for this program will be paid a one-time payment of up to a $1000.00 Canadian dollars* (+HST if applicable. Disbursal of the funds will be outlined in the artist agreement.

*The funding includes any necessary costs or materials, and no further compensation will be made to the artist for costs associated with participating in the program.

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 to Katy Belshaw, Head of Programming, Brampton Arts Organization, katy@bramptonartsorg.ca.

Application Submission

Interested applicants are asked to complete the application form. 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 the results of their application a month after the application submission. Communication about the status of your submission will be through email.

Call for Brampton Artists, Creatives, Collectives, and Arts Administrators

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is looking for proposals for the Community Connects Series of programming by Brampton creatives, for Brampton creatives.

We are seeking proposals for programs, workshops, events, gatherings, community initiatives and other programming from local artists, creatives, curators, collectives, performers, musicians, and arts administrators from across Brampton.

Whether you have a new idea or an existing idea that you have been trying to get off the ground or are an artist facilitator with a community artmaking background, now is your opportunity to put your project forward and get funding for it!

New this year, we will be running two different application periods for the first and second half of the year. You can submit applications during both intake periods.

APPLICATION PERIOD TWO:
Call Opens: June 3, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM

For projects to take place in July, August, September, October, November, and December, 2025.

Selected projects will receive $500.00 to $750.00 (to pay for artist fee/s, materials and any venue costs) per project.

Information Session – Thursday, June 12th at noon

The purpose of the information session is to review the requirements and application process with BAO staff. Have your questions answered and your project proposal reviewed ahead of submitting your application.

What Does This Program Support?

Arts and culture program proposals led by artists and arts organizations in any topic and discipline will be considered though BAO will prioritize projects that:

Help creatives (like you) build and grow their portfolios, facilitation, and programming experience.
Create access to arts and culture for the general public and creative community.
Are free to attend or use a ‘Pay What You Can’ (PWYC) model.
Require minimal to no purchases by the participants in order to participate in the program such as paid software like Adobe Creative Suite, expensive equipment, tools or materials.
Are submitted by applicants from (or that center programming by) marginalized groups, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Nonbinary, Queer, Disabled and intersections of those identities.
Proposals must be respectful of age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, religion, disability, family status, marital status (including single status), gender identity, gender expression, sex, and sexual orientation as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Potential Program Suggestions

A couple of program ideas to get you started:

Curate and put on an art exhibition in a non-traditional venue such as a restaurant, coffee shop, laundry mat or hair salon.
Organize an artist market for the general public.
Organize a networking social for Brampton creatives.
Skill development workshops for creatives.
Skill and knowledge sharing socials.
Organize a film screening.
Organize and run an open mic for any discipline.
Plan a pop-up performance or concert in a Brampton park or venue.
Develop and run a workshop that helps grow and develop your creative career.
Plan a table reading for playwrights and actors.

Who Can Apply?

This program is open to all residents of Brampton who are 18 years of age or older. All applicants must propose programming within their creative discipline and have some experience teaching/facilitating programs.

Please note:

Submission of a social insurance number will be required for individual participating artists.
Individual recipients will receive a T4A for the funding amount.

Program Requirements

Program must take place before December 31, 2025.
Program must be delivered by the applicant.
Program must be held within the City of Brampton and be accessible by public transit.
Program must be free or Pay What You Can for participants.
Program should be held in an accessible location when possible.
Program must be a minimum of 1 hour in length.
Program can be held in-person or virtually.
The entire budget (up to $750.00) must be used to deliver the program (including your artist fee, insurance, materials, rentals and all other expenses). Review BAO’s recommended payment schedule for appropriate artist payment.
Program must follow any Region of Peel Public Health mandates as they arise.

What is Expected of Me?

If selected, you will be responsible for full delivery of the programming you proposed in your application.

This would include the following responsibilities and requirements:

Secure a venue. Potential venues for you to consider are:
Handle all the registration for the program via services like Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor or other.
- Provide BAO a copy of the registrations.
Market your project to your intended audience. You are responsible for ensuring the success of your program.
Formally recognize BAO’s support of your program by
- BAO wordmark must be used prominently in all promotional/advertising materials (both print and digital), while following BAO’s branding guidelines.
- Tag @baobrampton and your local Councillor on your marketing posts. You can find who your Councillor is here.
- You are required to acknowledge the support of BAO in all written materials related to the activities for which funds are granted by using the phrase “produced with the support of the Brampton Arts Organization.”
- At any program where there are remarks, you are required to announce that the program was produced with the support of the Brampton Arts Organization.
Program facilitation of your event (BAO will not be present for the program/s).
Recipients are required to keep BAO up to date on any public performances or events presented in the context of this project. This information should be emailed to the Programming Coordinator.
Send BAO photographs and videos of the funded project.
Complete a close out report within one month of the end of your program.
Successful applicants will be required to obtain Commercial General Liability insurance for all public programming, with an inclusive limit of not less than $5 million (CAD) per occurrence.
- The policy should name Brampton Arts Organization as additionally insured with a copy forwarded in advance to BAO of the project activities onsite. Higher inclusive limit may be required for certain projects. Please ensure you include CGL in your budget.

In addition to the conditions mentioned above, BAO reserves the right to place other conditions on the release of the funding (such as confirmation of venue, programming, other sources of funding, etc.).

Additional Accessibility Funding

Projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may apply for additional funding for their program. This accessibility funding will provide up to a maximum of $1,000 towards accessibility costs for artists incurred during the project.

Accessibility costs include but are not limited to: ASL interpretation, audio descriptions, closed captioning, communication assistants, attendant care (including helpers for Elders), support workers and equipment rentals or other supports required to meet artists’ accessibility needs).

Selection Process and Criteria

When evaluating applications for the 2025 Community Connects Series, the selection committee will use the following weighted criteria to select the highest-ranking applications.

Program Proposal (46%):

Quality and creativity of the program proposal submitted
Scope of program is feasible
Budget is reflective of what is proposed
Audience is identified and appropriate
Program does not duplicate existing experiences
Program provides valuable access to arts and culture opportunities for general public and/or Brampton creatives.

Artistic experience (36%):

Meets the qualifications of Community Connects
Some experience facilitating programs
Demonstrated understanding of the needs of Brampton creatives
Active in their artistic discipline
Program contributes to and is aligned with the applicants career

Community Engagement (18%):

A demonstrated commitment to support the creative community in Brampton and their artistic discipline.
Work experience, personal outlook, and/or lived experience that is connected to the mission and core values of BAO.

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.

Selection Committee

The selection committee will consist of the following

Brampton Arts Organization staff
Brampton artists and creatives

Payment

Those selected for this program will be paid a one-time payment of up to a $750.00 Canadian dollars* (+HST if applicable. Disbursal of the funds will be outlined in the artist agreement.)

*The funding includes any necessary costs or materials, and no further compensation will be made to the artist for costs associated with the program.

Additional Information and Accessibility Support

Application Submission

Interested applicants are asked to complete the application form by Sunday, June 22, 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 proposal status within two calendar months of the application deadline of June 22, 2025. Communication about the status of your application will be through email.

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

Upcoming Calls for Artist

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) will host its fifth Brampton Winter Artist Market this November. The market provides a unique opportunities to Brampton-based artists and creative entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their work, grow their audience, and connect with other local artists and creatives.

Call Opens: August 5, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, August 24, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply

Check back later for the details, requirements and application form.

Call Opens: August 12, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply

Check back later for the details, requirements and application form.

Call Opens: August 25, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, September 14, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply

Check back later for the details, requirements and application form.

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