The Grant Program
The Downtown Eastside Small Arts Grants program is intended to help you as an emerging artist working and living in Downtown Eastside advance your art practice. Grants may range from $500 – $1,000. A grant is money we give you to help make art – don’t need to pay the money back. You’ll need to check you live and / or work in the designated area, and then apply online. In your application you will provide some information about your experience in making art, your connection to the Downtown Eastside, and your idea for a project. For more information, visit our Grants page.
Note: Applications will be accepted and processed in a rolling basis until funds run out. You will hear about the status of your application within 6-8 weeks from the day of submission.
Eligibility: Who Can Apply?
The Small Arts Grants are for individuals or groups of artists living and/or creating art in the DTES which includes areas of Gastown, Victory Square, Chinatown, Strathcona, the industrial area, and the Oppenheimer and Thornton Parks as shown on the map. Preference will be given to residents of the DTES.
The boundaries are the rail yards and port lands to the north, Malkin Street to the south, Richards Street to the west and Clark Drive to the east.
What Types of Projects are Eligible?
The Community Advisory Committee is looking for a wide variety of artistic media including music, theatre, writing, photography, pottery, textiles, jewelry making, carving, painting, animation, dance, mixed-media, performance, video and others. Emerging artists who don’t have access to major funding are encouraged to apply.
- Grants are for art projects that begin after the grant decision is made (January) and end by June.
- Grants may not be used for retro-funding (e.g. if the event date is in February, we won’t be able to fund).
- Your artwork must follow acceptable community standards. DTES Small Arts Grants do not support works that are deemed to be cultural appropriation or that exploit an individual’s vulnerability. For example, when photographing, ask yourself: “Would I like to be photographed or videotaped in this situation?”
What Can I Use the Grant Money For?
You can use the grant for expenses that are needed for your art project. This includes products such as art supplies or hiring professional services like a copy editor for your book.
You can also use it to take classes or workshops related to your creative practice, or provide honorariums to anyone who contributes skills or knowledge to your art project.
Note that grants are not intended to pay for food, rent, or studio rent. Artists cannot pay themselves a fee.
Individual Grants vs. Group Project Grants
- Individual grants range from $500 to $1,000, and are designed to support a single artist to develop their skills.
- Group project grants range from $1,000 to $4,000, for groups of between two and four people, and are designed to support a group of artists to collaborate in making and showcasing art.
Visit our Group Project Grants page to decide if it is a fit for you.
How to Apply
You can apply online here.
You can also use a paper application DTES Small Arts Grants application form [PDF]. Find more instructions below.
If you have any questions or are looking for assistance with your application, please email: dtesartsgrants@gmail.com.
Apply Online
If you have any questions, or are looking for assistance with your application, please email: dtesartsgrants@gmail.com.
Click the “Apply now’ button below to login to our online application system. You will need to register for an account, and can begin your application immediately. You can also save an application in progress, and return to complete it later.
Watch the video below for instructions on how to complete the application.
Video Chapter Navigation
-
00:00 Introduction
- 01:42 Creating a new account
- 03:46 Logging into the system
- 04:54 I forgot my password
- 06:01 Choosing your application.
- 06:50 Creating a new application for a project
- 13:35 The Artist and the Downtown Eastside (part 1)
- 19:13 The Artist and the Downtown Eastside (part 2)
- 24:00 Your Project: What it is and how you’ll do it (part 1)
- 26:06 Your Project: What it is and how you’ll do it (part 2)
- 36:50 Your Project: What it is and how you’ll do it (part 3)
- 44:52 About the artist
- 50:31 Support materials
- 59:03 Review
- 01:00:25 Previewing your completed application
- 01:01:34 Submitting your completed application
- 01:02:59 Troubleshooting the 2021/2022 DTES SAG Application Form
- 01:04:14 Terms and conditions: Individual Application
- 01:09:19 Terms and conditions: Group Application
Apply with a Paper Application
You can download and print these documents, or pick up a paper application from the Carnegie Centre.
For any questions, please contact the Program Coordinator at: dtesartsgrants@gmail.com.
If you are submitting a paper application:
- Be sure to label every sample artwork with your name and the title of the work.
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Keep a photocopy of your application for your own records.
You can submit a paper application:
- In person: Third Floor Programming office at the Carnegie Centre, OR
- By mail: DTES Small Arts Grants Program, Carnegie Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T7
What Happens After You Apply?
Applications will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis until funds run out. We adjudicate the grants in rounds, and you will hear about the status of your application two weeks after the closing date of the round you have applied in.