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.

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) is seeking applications from emerging to mid-career Brampton artists to participate in a five-month grant writing cohort program.

Call Opens: April 1, 2025
Application Deadline: Sunday, April 13, 2025, 11:59 PM
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply and participate

Program Dates: Second Monday of each month from May to September 2025
Program Schedule:  6:15 PM to 8:00 PM
Venue:  Virtual except for the last session

During this hands-on, collaborative learning program, you will become part of a peer cohort developing grant writing skills. You will receive support throughout the process to help you write a strong grant application. Specific themes and goals will be tackled each month, teaching you along the way how to systematically complete a grant application. You will be expected to complete assignments before the first session and between sessions in order to reach the goal of completing one to two grants by the end of the program.

Who Can Apply?

This program is open to all emerging to mid-career Brampton-based professional artists who have submitted fewer than 3 grants before, or have never submitted a grant. This is a non-discipline specific program and artists 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. Potential applicants from historically disadvantaged groups are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the program manager in advance of submitting an application.

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

The applicant 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.
Artists who have never submitted a grant before or have made fewer than 3 grant application submissions in their career.
Demonstrated commitment to their artistic practice in the long term, with at least 2 years of experience of demonstrated commitment to their practice.

Program Schedule

May 12 – Introductions and Overview of Grant Writing
June 9 – Foundations of Grant Writing
July 14 – Supplementary Materials
August 11 – Key Questions
September 8 – Getting Ready to Submit
September 24 – Public peer learning event at BAO

Program Facilitator

Shaina Agbayani is a Tagalog transdisciplinary artist whose work is devoted to unraveling borders between art, life, ritual and ecology. Her work has been supported by organizations such as the Laidlaw Foundation, the Tides Foundation, the School for Social Entrepreneurs, the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

As co-founder of Greenhouse Theatre, she has curated programming merging ritual, art, land connection, and interdisciplinary creative practices across Turtle Island and in the archipelago known as the Philippines. As an author, she has been published in books such as Feel Ways, Home is the Body: 2SLGBTQIA+ FilipinX Femme, North of the 49th Parallel, and Countermap: A Poetics of Place as well as digital publications including Tilting, Re: Asian, and Briarpatch Magazine, with upcoming literary projects supported by the Ontario Arts Council.

Additional Information and Accessibility Support

Application Submission

Interested applicants are asked to complete the application form before Sunday, April 13, 2025, 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 the results by the end of April. Communication about the status of your submission will be through email.

Upcoming Calls for Artist

The Brampton Arts Organizations (BAO) is seeking artwork from Brampton-based newcomer artists, creatives, or arts collectives to have their work featured on the 24′ LED screen in Garden Square in downtown Brampton for select weeks this year.

Call Opens: April 8, 2025
Submission Deadline: April 27, 2025
Fees: FREE – zero cost to apply
Payment: $350.00 Canadian (+HST if applicable) per selected submission