ArtsSmarts is available to schools and school boards in the provincial K-12 education system. This program is funded through the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education’s Cultural Connections Strategy, Equinor, and ArtsNL. In Newfoundland and Labrador, ArtsSmarts is administered by ArtsNL.
Projects must incorporate artistic disciplines served by ArtsNL. These are dance (contemporary and traditional styles), film and video, new media arts (computer animation, online art creation), multidiscipline (exploring two or more art forms), music (classical, modern, and traditional), theatre (including storytelling and circus), visual arts (including traditional crafts, photography, and pottery) and creative writing. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please contact the program manager before submitting an application.
ArtsSmarts Mission:
To afford schools and their communities opportunities to enhance artistic activities directly linked to educational outcomes. The desire is to encourage students to develop their intellectual skills through active participation in the arts. In this context, the program goal is to engage young people in artistic activity to develop supporters and practitioners of the arts by nurturing creative thinkers.
ArtsSmarts Objectives:
To build local partnerships that link young people, artists or arts organizations, schools, and the broader community;
To enable schools to integrate arts activities into a variety of non-arts subject areas that align with the provincial curriculum;
To provide opportunities for young people to actively participate in the arts, thereby encouraging them to develop their intellectual and communication skills; and
To enhance appreciation of the importance of culture and the arts, thereby encouraging long-term support for artists and arts organizations.
Application deadline:
May 31 for projects in the upcoming school year (September to June). Projects must start on/after September 15. If an application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be moved to the next business day.
Completed applications must be submitted through the ArtsNL online application system by 11:59 p.m. on the application deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Note that technical support from ArtsNL will be available ONLY until 4:30 pm on application deadlines.
Program Funding:
The annual funding available can fluctuate based on sponsorships but is typically between $130,000-$150,000.
The maximum grant awarded by ArtsSmarts is $7,000, and the minimum grant to be awarded is $1,000, or the total amount requested by the applicant if less than $1,000.
How to Apply:
All applicants must register on the ArtsNL Online Application System before they can complete an online application form. The registration must be reviewed by ArtsNL staff to confirm eligibility for ArtsNL funding. Registrants will be notified via email when their registration is approved. This process typically takes up to two business days to complete. ArtsNL staff may request additional documentation or information from a registrant to confirm eligibility. If documentation has been requested, the registrant will not be approved until the requested documentation has been submitted and reviewed by ArtsNL staff.
All applications for ArtsNL funding must be submitted through the ArtsNL Online Application System. Paper applications will no longer be accepted. Applicants who may need support using the Online Application System are encouraged to contact ArtsNL staff well before an application deadline to allow time to familiarize them with the online system, or to arrange accessibility support.
Program Contact:
For questions or to arrange a meeting regarding an application, contact:
Ashley Lewis
Program Officer
Phone: (709) 726-2212 ext. 4
Toll-free in NL only: 1 (866) 726-2212 ext. 4
ashley@artsnl.ca
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who can apply to ArtsSmarts?
Only schools and school boards in the provincial K-12 system may apply. Projects must incorporate artistic disciplines served by ArtsNL. These are dance (contemporary and traditional styles), film and video, new media arts (computer animation, online art creation), multidiscipline (exploring two or more art forms), music (classical, modern, traditional), theatre (including storytelling and circus), visual arts (including traditional crafts, photography, pottery) and creative writing. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please contact the program manager before submitting an application.
What artist can participate in an ArtsSmarts project?
Only artists, groups of artists, or professional not-for-profit arts organizations are eligible to work in schools on ArtsSmarts Projects.
ArtsNL uses the definition of an artist as outlined in the Arts Council Act.
Definition of an artist:
A person shall be considered to be an artist where the person
(a) demonstrates an intention to develop the person’s arts practice for purposes other than personal enjoyment;
(b) is recognized as an artist by the person’s peers;
(c) demonstrates a history of
(i ) presenting the person’s artistic works publicly,
(ii) publishing the person’s artistic works, or
(iii) engaging in the person’s artistic practice in other public contexts; and
(d) has specialized training in the person’s artistic field.
Definition of a professional arts group:
A group of artists who work in one or more of the artistic disciplines supported by ArtsNL:
- that has the creation and/or presentation of works of art as its primary activity
- that is composed of at least two individuals
- that has all members meeting the definition of an artist under the Arts Council Act
- that charges artist fees at established national standards for the artistic discipline(s) and practice in which it operates
- that pays individual members artist fees at established national standards for the artistic discipline(s) and practice in which it operates
- that has internal oversight of the group’s finances and can produce an annual financial statement
Definition of a professional not-for-profit arts organization:
A formal organization operating in one or more of the artistic disciplines supported by ArtsNL:
- that has the creation and/or presentation of works of art as its primary activity
- that is registered or operates as a non-profit arts entity
- that has a board of directors overseeing the operations of the organization
- that has a paid artistic director, general manager, or equivalent
- that pays artist fees at established national standards for the artistic discipline(s) and practice in which it operates
- that has internal or external oversight of the organization’s finances and produces an annual financial statement
Residency, age and activity requirements:
Artist:
- Must be a current resident of Newfoundland and Labrador for a minimum of twelve consecutive months at the time of application
- Must be at least 18 years of age or hold post-secondary standing
Arts groups and not-for-profit arts organizations:
- Must have been active in Newfoundland and Labrador for a minimum of one year at the time of submitting an application
- Must have actively engaged in professional arts activities within the last year
- Must have at least half its members (for groups), or member artists and board members (for organizations) who are at least 18 years of age, or have post-secondary standing
How are applications assessed?
Applications are assessed by a multidisciplinary peer assessment committee, typically consisting of five to seven professional artists and experienced educators. At least one peer assessor will be from outside the province. ArtsNL staff do not assess applications or vote on funding decisions.
Can I apply if I owe a final report on a past grant?
A final report on all grants awarded by ArtsNL is typically required within three months of the project end date listed on the application form. A final report form is available on ArtsNL’s online application system.
When applying for new funding from ArtsNL, an applicant is permitted to have one final report owing across all ArtsNL programs. In this instance, a final report is considered owing on any past grant awarded by ArtsNL that is past the end date listed on the application or extended on approval of ArtsNL staff before the current application deadline. Applicants owing more than one final report across all ArtsNL programs will not be permitted to apply for further funding from ArtsNL.
Grant Criteria
Program Guidelines:
- Applications must be submitted using ArtsNL’s online application system. Paper copies cannot be submitted.
- Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for funding.
- Applicants are encouraged to book a meeting (by telephone, video conference, or in person) with program staff to discuss their application well before the application deadline.
- Only one application will be accepted from each applicant (i.e., school or school board) per application deadline. All specific projects (i.e., separate projects in different grades) seeking funding must be included in the single application. Up to seven specific projects may be included in a single application.
- Projects must incorporate whole classes. Projects using select groups of students (e.g., drama clubs, bands) will not be accepted.
- All projects are partnerships between a professional artist/group/organization and a classroom teacher(s). As such, teacher(s) are required to be present in the classroom and participating in the project as fully as possible at all times when the artist is working with students.
- Applicants may explore other sources of revenue. Applicants may not always be awarded the full amount requested.
- Complete ArtsSmarts applications include:
i. Overall project title.
ii. Brief summary of the overall project at the school (max. 200 words).
iii. A listing of the number of students and teachers taking part in the overall project.
iv. A listing of the grade levels taking part on the overall project.
v. Overall project start and end dates.
vi. A detailed project description and budget for each specific project (i.e., separate projects in different grades). See Detailed Description on Each Specific Project section.
vii. A detailed overall budget for the whole school project.
viii. Résumé/bio for each artist involved in the project that confirms a professional arts practice as defined above, and confirms the individual’s province of residency.
- Applicants may include support materials with their application. These should relate to the project for which you are seeking funding and must be in an acceptable format for upload to ArtsNL’s online application system. Support material must be uploaded as part of your application by or before the ArtsSmarts deadline date.
Retroactive applications cannot be considered. The project, as described in your application, cannot start before you have been notified it has been funded by ArtsNL. - Capital costs (e.g., computers; equipment; instruments; books) are not eligible for funding.
- Applicants will receive an email within three weeks of the submission of an application to confirm if the application is eligible for funding. The application will then be sent to peer assessors for review.
- ArtsNL funding will only support travel based on the most economical route possible (i.e., the cheaper overall travel cost for driving versus flying).
Any artist fees or travel costs must be for artists 18 years of age or older.
ArtsNL travel rates:
i. The current provincial mileage rate is embedded in the application budget form.
ii. Per diem for travel within Newfoundland and Labrador: Available on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s website under the Meal Rates Policy page.
- ArtsSmarts cannot support teacher salaries or travel costs for students or teachers.
- An artist, group, or arts organization can be part of no more than five applications per deadline.
- Artist fees are $81 per hour of in-class time. Research and preparation time outside the classroom are included as part of this hourly in-class rate. Artist fees for project planning/debriefing meetings with teachers are $81 per hour calculated at a minimum of two hours per project.
- Coordinator fees can be considered for schools in the first year of a whole school project only. Coordinator fees are $20 per hour to a maximum of $500 in ArtsSmarts funding. Coordinators must have an arts background and cannot be current employees of the school.
- Technical fees for a project (e.g., clay firing; mounting exhibitions) will be considered at a rate of $71 per hour.
- Final reports on all past ArtsNL grants must be submitted before ArtsNL will release funding for a new grant.