Organizer Information
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is a public arts funding organization supporting professional artists and arts organizations across Toronto. Its grant programs provide financial support for artistic creation, production, presentation, and professional development across a wide range of disciplines. The Media Artists Program: Creation is part of TAC’s Discipline grant category and is specifically designed to support independent media artists developing new work or completing works in progress.
Title & Description
Media Artists Program: Creation — Toronto Arts Council
Media Artists Program: Creation provides grants to professional media artists for the creation, production, or completion of new and in-progress works. Funding can support direct production costs, materials, subsistence, and production or post-production expenses.
The program covers a broad definition of media arts, including independent film and video, audio, digital art, video and electronic games, virtual and augmented reality, and new media artworks. Projects may also include installation or performance works that incorporate computers, communications technologies, or other digital technologies as part of their creative expression.
The maximum grant available is CAD 15,000. Projects must still be in development or production when results are announced; TAC does not provide retroactive funding for work already completed.
Categories
- Media Art
- Film
- Video
- Audio
- Digital Art
- New Media
- Video Games
- Electronic Games
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Technology-based Installation
- Technology-based Performance
Eligibility
The program is open to professional individual artists who:
- Are Canadian citizens, Permanent Residents, have a pending Permanent Resident application, or are Protected Persons.
- Have been residents of the City of Toronto for at least one year before the application deadline.
- Have created at least one media artwork.
- Have a professional independent artistic practice, demonstrated through specialized training or equivalent experience, peer recognition, and a history of public presentation, publication, or production.
- Retain full copyright, financial, and creative control over the proposed work.
Equivalent professional experience may be considered for artists from equity-seeking communities facing systemic barriers. Applicants are encouraged to discuss eligibility with the Program Manager in advance.
Collaborative proposals are permitted, but one applicant must be designated as the principal applicant. For film or video projects, only the director is eligible to apply; producers cannot apply as co-applicants.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grant of up to CAD 15,000
- Support for creation and production
- Support for post-production
- Funding for materials and direct production costs
- Subsistence support related to the creation of the work
- An additional TAC Accessibility Grant of up to CAD 5,000 may be available to eligible Deaf artists and artists with disabilities for accessibility-related project costs.
- Eligible applicants may also access up to CAD 500 per calendar year for application support services.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 15 October 2026
- Results: Approximately three months after submission
- First result notifications: By the end of December 2026
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Additional Details
The program does not fund completed projects, projects with total budgets above CAD 350,000, travel or exhibition-only projects, capital purchases above CAD 750, commissioned/instructional/promotional projects, marketing and promotion, commercial or educational television pilots, scriptwriting or screenplays, or music videos.
Applicants cannot simultaneously apply to another TAC Discipline grant. A Media Artists Program: Creation application also cannot be used to seek TAC funding for the same project through another program. Professional artists pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies cannot apply for work connected to their academic program.
Applicants should review the full guidelines before applying and contact Peter Kingstone, Program Manager, Visual & Media Arts, if they need clarification regarding eligibility or accessibility support.