The Professional Artists Travel Fund (PATF) is available to Individual Professional Artists, Collaborations of Individual Professional Artists, and Professional Arts Groups. This program supports travel costs for artists or groups that have been invited to take part in unexpected activities that will enhance their careers. Â
Such activities include:Â
- The presentation of the artists’ work in a new location. Â
- A regional, national, or international audition.Â
- The celebration of the artists’ work through an award or nomination. Â
This program is open to all artistic disciplines served by ArtsNL, including dance, film, multidiscipline, music, theatre, visual arts, and writing.
Eligible activities include:Â
- An invitation to attend a major performance of the artists’ work.Â
- A significant exhibition of the artists’ work.Â
- Receiving, or being nominated for, an official regional, national, or international honour or award.Â
- Unexpected opportunities to work under an artist/teacher, or to access specialized equipment not available in Newfoundland and Labrador.Â
- An invitation to act as a resource person at a conference, gathering, symposium, seminar, or other event.Â
- An invitation to participate in regional, national, or international auditions.Â
Ineligible activities include:Â
- Travel that could have been predicted.Â
- Travel that is part of an ongoing project.Â
- Travel that could have been applied for under the Professional Project Grants Program (PPGP).Â
- Activities that occur on a regular basis for which acceptance is not competitive (e.g., annual conferences; festivals; summer schools).Â
- Auditions related to the entrance of a post-secondary education program.Â
Due to the sharp increase in travel costs, the previous PATF funding caps have been temporarily relaxed to assist qualifying artists with offsetting those costs.
Program Funding:
- An annual total of $100,000 is available to award annually in PATF.Â
Applications do not necessarily guarantee funding.
Guideline Changes:
- PATF is open year-round, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and processed as received. Â
- Individuals and groups may apply based on the true cost of their eligible expenses (the previous funding caps have been temporarily relaxed). Â
- Due to high demand on the PATF, full funding requests may not be awarded. PATF requests exceeding $4000 will be reviewed internally.Â
How to Apply:
Applicants must register on the ArtsNL Online Application System before completing an online application form. Registration is reviewed by ArtsNL staff to confirm eligibility. Registrants will be notified via email when their registration is approved. This process typically takes up to two business days to complete. Additional information may be requested to confirm eligibility. Registration will not be approved until the requested documentation has been submitted and reviewed.Â
All applications for ArtsNL funding must be submitted through the ArtsNL Online Application System. Applicants requiring support to use the Online Application System are encouraged to contact ArtsNL staff to familiarize themselves with the online system, or to arrange Accessibility Support. Video tutorials giving an overview of the online system, and how to complete an application for each program are available on the ArtsNL YouTube channel.
Program Contact:
For questions, or to arrange a meeting regarding an application, contact:
Katrina Rice
Senior Program Officer
Phone: (709) 726-2212 ext. 2
Toll-free in NL only: 1 (866) 726-2212 ext. 2
katrina@artsnl.ca
or
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 the Professional Artists’ Travel Fund?
Definition of a professional artist: A person shall be considered to be a professional artist if that person satisfies 4 of the following criteria, including at least one of the criteria referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c):
(a) the person receives or has received compensation which can be included in professional or business income;
(b) the person has a record of income or loss relevant to the history of his or her work and appropriate to the span of his or her artistic career;
(c) the person has received public or peer recognition by publicly disseminated critical reviews or appraisals or by similar means;
(d) the person has presented his or her work to the public by means of exhibitions, publications, screenings, performances, readings, or by other means appropriate to the nature of his or her work;
(e) the person is represented by a dealer, publisher, agent or similar professional representative appropriate to the nature of his or her work;
(f) the person devotes a reasonable proportion of his or her professional time to promoting or marketing his or her work;
(g) the person
(i) has received professional training in an educational institution from a practitioner recognized in his or her profession, or
(ii) is self-taught within the established practices of the person’s cultural traditions;
(h)Â the person has membership in a professional association, appropriate to his or her artistic activity,
(i) whose membership is or categories of membership are limited under standards of the association, or
(ii) which is a trade union or equivalent appropriate to his or her artistic activity; and
(i) the person holds copyright in his or her own work and has received royalty or residual payment based on that copyright.
Definition of a professional arts group: A group of individual 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 ArtsNL’s definition of a professional artist
- 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
Residency and age requirements:
Professional individual artist:
- Must be a current resident of Newfoundland and Labrador for a minimum of 12 consecutive months at the time of application
- Must be at least 18 years of age or have post-secondary standing
Professional arts groups:
Must have been active in Newfoundland and Labrador for a minimum of one year at the time of application
- Must have actively engaged in professional arts activities within the last year
- Must have at least half its members residing in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Must have at least half its members who are at least 18 years of age, or have post-secondary standing
Full-time students and arts organizations (or their representatives) are not eligible.
How are applications assessed?
Applications are assessed by a peer assessment committee made up of two ArtsNL Council members. Applicants are normally informed of decisions within 15 business days of submitting a complete application.
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.
- Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until funds are depleted in a given grant cycle.
- Applicants are encouraged to book a meeting (by telephone, video conference, or in person) with program staff to discuss their travel opportunity before submitting an application to the PATF.
- Retroactive applications cannot be considered. You must be informed by ArtsNL staff that your application is submitted and will be sent for peer assessment before you make any bookings or incur any travel costs related to your project. Any costs incurred between the confirmed submission of an application and confirmation of its eligibility by ArtsNL staff are at the applicant’s own risk. Not every application will be funded.
- Within two business days of applying, you will receive confirmation by email that your application is complete and will be sent for peer assessment, or if your application requires more information. Please call ArtsNL if you do not receive confirmation within that time.
- Full-time students and arts organizations (or their representatives) are not eligible for funding through the PATF.
- It is recommended that applications be submitted at least four weeks prior to departure if possible.
- PATF grants cover travel costs ONLY. One travel grant can be awarded to an applicant in a 12-month period.
- Complete PATF applications must include:
i. A statement of where you will travel, the reason for the travel, the date you were invited to the event, and planned travel dates
ii. A detailed description of the event/activity you are travelling to attend and how it is significant to your career development (max 2,000 words)
iii. A letter of invitation from the host of the event/activity
iv. A complete budget of all revenues and expenses
v. An up-to-date résumé of key participants that confirms a professional arts practice and lists the province of residency for each individual
For Groups ONLY: (In addition to the above)
vi. Financial statement for the group’s last completed fiscal year that includes a listing of revenues, expenses, annual surplus or deficit, and accumulated surplus or deficit
- Group applicants whose financial statement shows an accumulated surplus or deficit of greater than 25% of the group’s total expenses in its last fiscal year must submit a deficit or surplus reduction plan to be approved by ArtsNL staff.
- Applicants may include support materials with their application. These should relate to the event/activity for which you are seeking travel 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.
- ArtsNL funding will only support travel based on the most economical route possible (i.e., the cheaper overall travel cost for driving versus flying).
Travel costs can only be considered for individuals who are 18 years of age or older. - ArtsNL Travel Rates:
i. Current provincial mileage rate is embedded in the application budget form.
ii. Per diem for travel within Newfoundland and Labrador: Maximum $49/day ($9.80 breakfast; $14.70 lunch; $24.50 dinner)
iii. Per diem for travel outside Newfoundland and Labrador: Maximum $55/day ($11.00 breakfast; $16.50 lunch; $27.50 dinner)
- Final reports owed on all past ArtsNL grants must be submitted before ArtsNL will release funding for a new project.