Info Sessions on BC Arts Council Grants for Youth & Early Arts Career Initiatives

Earlier this month, two new BC Arts Council programs were announced, focused on supporting the development of artists and arts administrators across the province and on supporting opportunities for youth engagement in the arts. 

These new programs, the Early Career Development Program and the Youth Engagement Pilot Program, have upcoming deadlines in January.

The BC Arts Council will host information sessions at two locations in Vancouver on Friday, December 20, 2013. These sessions will provide an overview of the programs and will include a Q&A period. More complex questions and discussion may be deferred to the appropriate program officers outside of these sessions.

Information sessions:

Friday, December 20, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The Dance Centre
Level 6, 677 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Canadian Music Centre
837 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1B7 

Registration for the information sessions is not required, however space is limited and seating is first-come, first-served. 

For more information on the Early Career Development Program and Youth Engagement Pilot Program, see below.

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The BC Arts Council’s Early Career Development Program will help bridge the gap for emerging artists and practitioners, supporting their ability to work as artists and cultural workers, while building their body of work, portfolio, professional exposure and/or career experience through residency, internship and mentorship opportunities. This program is accessible to both individual artists and organizations.  Individuals can apply for the residencies or mentorship components.

The program will support the career development of B.C.-based early career and emerging practitioners through three components:

Component I: Internships
Component II: Residencies
Component III: Mentorships

For the purposes of this program, early career and emerging artists and arts practitioners are defined as artists and practitioners who either:

• Are under the age of 30; or
• Have less than five years professional experience since the completion of basic training in their discipline.

This pilot program is being launched through the BC Creative Futures strategy. Announced last January, BC Creative Futures supports opportunities for youth in communities throughout British Columbia to engage in the arts and creative thinking and encourages young people to pursue creative careers. 

Application deadline for the Early Career Development Program: January 20, 2014. 

For more information, including program guidelines, application forms and FAQs, please visit the BC Arts Council website at: http://www.bcartscouncil.ca/guidelines/artists/youth/early_career_development.html

If you have any clarifying questions please feel free to contact either of the Council’s Arts Development Officers:

Sheryl Jones (Studio Arts)
sheryl.jones@gov.bc.ca  
T 250.356.1722 or

Lori Dunn (Performing Arts)
lori.dunn@gov.bc.ca  
T 250.387.1538

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The BC Arts Council’s Youth Engagement Pilot Program provides support to eligible organizations taking innovative and inspiring approaches to engaging British Columbia’s young people with professional artists and arts experiences, as participants in the artistic process or as the primary audiences for works of art. Funding assistance through this program will support exemplary approaches to youth engagement and the development of programming at various stages of implementation, including both new projects and the enhancement or expansion of existing programming initiatives.

The Youth Engagement Pilot Program builds on existing expertise in the creative sector by supporting programs delivered by organizations that demonstrate success in artistic achievement, community engagement and organizational capacity.

The program is a component of Creative Youth Initiatives, a suite of programs developed and delivered by the BC Arts Council and its long-standing partners, the BC Touring Council and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. Please visit the BC Touring Council and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council websites for more information on the new program initiatives from these partners. 

This pilot program is being launched through the BC Creative Futures strategy. Announced last January, BC Creative Futures supports opportunities for youth in communities throughout British Columbia to engage in the arts and creative thinking and encourages young people to pursue creative careers. 

Application deadline for Youth Engagement Pilot Program: January 8, 2014  

For more information, including program guidelines, application forms and FAQs, please visit the BC Arts Council website at: http://www.bcartscouncil.ca/guidelines/artists/youth/youth_engagement.html

If you have any questions about the Youth Engagement Pilot Program, please contact the BC Arts Council at 250.356.1718 or BCArtsCouncil@gov.bc.ca.