The Fund is a catalyst for Canadian artists to take their projects to a new level. Our investments provide the additional time and resources that bold, ambitious projects need to be successful on the national and international stage.
To be considered for an investment, your project must:
We do not invest small amounts of money in a large number of projects. Instead, we invest up to $3 million a year in up to 20 projects. Our investments can range from many tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We invest both in new work, and in promising productions that need additional development after their first runs to produce stronger, fully-realized work that will be remounted and toured.
We find compelling and ambitious projects for investment in two ways: by actively seeking great projects across the country; and by inviting proposals from artists and arts organizations.
Our curatorial team consists of the Fund’s Artistic Producer and Managing Director, and members of the NAC artistic leadership teams from Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, the NAC Orchestra and NAC Presents.
We aren’t the only investor in a project – we provide support above and beyond funding from arts councils, producing partners, private donors and others.
Our investments do not support touring and presentation costs. We support the development opportunities that are rarely available to artists in this country, opportunities that risk and innovation demand – longer creation timelines, additional workshops or work-in-progress showings, residencies, integrating new technology, and working with the best creative teams, including collaborations with international artists.
An investment does not guarantee the project will be presented at the NAC. Some projects may be produced or co-produced by the NAC, but the majority are initiated and produced by artists and arts organizations across the country.
We provide artists with the resources they need to bring their work to a new level. In addition to our investment, we offer access to other NAC resources, such as production expertise and connections to national and international networks.
We invest in projects with the potential for significant growth and impact beyond the premiere. While the majority of projects will not have commercial aspirations, some will. For those that do go on to commercial success, we will be looking for a reasonable return on our investment, which will be used to support future Canadian creations.
We receive proposals throughout the year, and our curatorial team reviews them on an on-going basis.
Please review the details of our submission process carefully before preparing your proposal.