BC Arts Council: Pivot for Individuals Funding

Funding is available up to $12,000. The program has two grant categories:

Category 1: Adaptation and Transition

Funding is available to support projects that allow individuals to make bold pivots or transitions in their artistic practice in response to the changes in the arts and culture sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed to support professional artists and cultural practitioners, applicants may apply to adapt an existing work or body of work or undertake research and establish new approaches to their work. Applicants are encouraged to find innovative solutions to current changes and systemic barriers in order to contribute practical knowledge or tools to their field of practice.

Category 2: Professional Development

Assistance is available for professional development opportunities or specific learning activities that will sustain or advance the careers of artists, cultural practitioners, and arts administrators. This category assists those applicants who demonstrate a high degree of critical self-reflection and can link activities to the next stage of their professional development. Applicants are encouraged to address current sector changes caused by COVID-19, but projects are not required to have the same level of pivot or specific transition as Category 1.

This program is part of the BC Arts Council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the funding has been temporarily redirected from the suspended Professional Development program. Pivot for Individuals has more funding and is able to support a wider range of activities than the Professional Development program.

Who Can Apply

To be eligible to apply to this program, you must:

Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident and have been a resident of British Columbia for at least 12 months immediately prior to the application deadline, and ordinarily reside in B.C. For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency

Be a professional artist, cultural practitioner or arts administrator. Field of practices may include, but are not limited to: literary, visual arts, curatorial, contemporary applied arts, media arts, dance, music, theatre, Deaf, Disability and Mad arts, community-engaged arts practice, multi- and interdisciplinary arts, museum studies, conservation, and arts and cultural administration.

Meet the following criteria:

• Be recognized by other practitioners working in similar fields of practice; AND
• Have completed basic training in your field of practice (not necessarily in academic institutions); AND
• Have an ongoing practice of two or more years subsequent to basic training and received payment for the work (when appropriate); AND
• Be committed to working full-time at your practice when financially possible;

OR

• Have received at least one grant through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council Indigenous Arts Program and have submitted a final report for that grant.

For more detailed information on eligibility criteria please review the program guidelines.

How to Apply

Apply on BC Arts Council's website.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines

Preview Online Application

Application Assistance

Artists who identify as Deaf and/or living with disabilities and require accommodation or assistance to develop and submit an application to this program should contact the program officer or email bcartscouncil@gov.bc.ca for more information.

Receiving application assistance does not influence in any way the assessment of the application.