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 Newcomer Artists, Creatives and Collectives in Brampton.

Call Opens: April 29, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply and participate
Payment to Artist: $371 Canadian (+HST if applicable) per accepted submission

Applications can be submitted in the following languages: English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu or Hindi.

The Brampton Arts Organizations (BAO) and Garden Square Brampton are seeking up to 25 submissions from Brampton-based newcomer artists, creatives, or arts collectives for PIXEL: Newcomer Digital Art Exhibition. The successful applicants will have their artwork showcased on the 24’ LED screen in Garden Square in downtown Brampton for select weeks from August 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

Every month, five newcomer creatives will have their work featured daily on the LED screen in Garden Square from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 7:00pm, with possible additional features on BAO and city social media channels and recreation screens. The timing may change for special programming.

What is this Program?

PIXEL: Digital Art Exhibition is a collaboration between BAO and Garden Square Brampton, whose purpose is to highlight local artists by showcasing their artworks on the LED screen in Garden Square for select months and times throughout the year. Garden Square is a public square located at the Four Corners in Downtown Brampton (intersection of Queen and Main).

For this version of PIXEL, we are seeking the work of newcomer artists, who are interested in sharing their unique perspectives and art practice with the community. We want to highlight the diversity, talent, and wide range of creative pursuits being practiced by newcomers in our city.

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)
- *Up to 3mins
Physical works (ceramics, beading, weaving, sculptures, clothing, furniture, etc.)
Poetry and spoken word performances

Artists are invited to explore their creative practice in their application. This unique opportunity is open to any genre or medium of creative expression and strives to showcase a variety of artists.

Example Presentation of Artworks

These are past examples of how artwork is formatted and presented on the Garden Square screen. For video files, a cover image will be added so as not to interfere with the formatting of the work.

Example of a past PIXEL graphic featuring a horizontal layout

Example of a past PIXEL graphic featuring a vertical layout

Who Can Apply?

This program is for Brampton-based newcomer artists. BAO defines a ‘newcomer’ as an immigrant or refugee who has lived in Canada for less than seven years.

Additionally, the applicant must live in Brampton or have had a Brampton address within the past six months of the date of application.

Application Process and Requirements

To apply, you must submit ONLY 1 artwork before the deadline of 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 18th.

The artwork must be new or recent original work in any medium or genre. Abstract and non-representational works are welcomed and encouraged. Public service announcements or advertising materials will not be considered.

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

Artwork Specifications for Submission:

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 works 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.

The artwork should be both suitable and relevant for presentation on an urban screen as it is located within 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.

Reserved Rights of the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO)

The individual and/or guardian will retain all right, 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 and/or guardian 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 and/or guardian 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.

Selection Process and Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by selection committee according to the following criteria:

The artwork’s suitability to the exhibition theme and presentation method.
The committee will prioritize applicants who self-identify as belonging to one (or more) of the following groups or intersecting marginalized identities: Indigenous, Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities, Persons Living with Mental Illness, and 2SLGBTQIA+.

We strongly encourage applications from the previously mentioned groups and will strive to accommodate applicants with a disability during our process per the Ontario Human Rights Code guidelines and other applicable legislation. If you wish to self-identify, please do so via your submission.

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) reserves the right to select and retain the artist(s) deemed most appropriate for the project at its sole discretion. BAO may request clarification or request additional information, as deemed necessary to evaluate the submissions.

Selection Committee

The selection committee will consist of the following

Brampton Arts Organization Staff
Professional Artist / Curator
Local Artist

Payment

If your artwork is selected, BAO will pay you a one-time payment of $371 (+HST if applicable) Canadian dollars to:

Have your artwork featured on the LED screen in Garden Square Brampton for a period of up to one month.
Feature your artwork on BAO’s website and across the social media of BAO, Garden Square Brampton, the city.
Promote your participation in the exhibition on social media with the @baobrampton and @gardensquarebrampton Instagram accounts and #PixelDigitalArtExhibition

NOTE: 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 this project.

Accepted participants will receive payment 30 days after BAO has received your invoice.

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 Amanda Foulds at amanda@bramptonartsorg.ca. We ask that you request this assistance at least one week before the submission deadline of May 18th.

If you would like to discuss your application with a BAO staff member in-person, please visit us during Open Studio+ on April 30th between 12:00 pm and 5 pm or reach out to us via email at amanda@bramptonartsorg.ca. Please note, we are only able to provide application assistance in English.

Application Submission

Interested applicants are asked to complete the application form by Sunday, May 18, 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. Applicants are welcome to submit their written responses in English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu or Hindi.

Apply Here

Or you can submit a video application (no longer than 5 minutes in length) that answers the following questions:

Artist Statement (maximum 150-200 words) – Tell us about the themes in your work, the medium/materials you use, and what inspires you to create.
Biography (max 150-200 words) – Tell us about your experience as an artist/creative, how you are involved in the arts, and your artistic goals.
Title of your artwork
Description of your artwork

Send your video submission to amanda@bramptonartsorg.ca along with the one piece of art you are applying with.

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.

Upcoming Calls for Artist

Call Opens: June 3, 2025
Application Deadline: June 22, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply

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

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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