If you have never heard about Alberta Culture Days, it all began in 2008 as a one-day event to recognize the value of Alberta’s vibrant cultural communities. This initiative of the Government of Alberta Culture and Community Services is now a three-day province-wide celebration occurring on September 28-30, in conjunction with our national Culture Days.
Alberta Culture Days events are free-of-charge and encourage community participation and access. Public events take place in a variety of facilities including, but not limited to, art galleries, museums, libraries, schools, theatres, concert halls, community centres, and outdoor gathering places.
Like last year, up to five applicants will have the chance to become Alberta Culture Days Feature Celebration Sites; which means they will be eligible to receive a maximum grant of $20,000. Additional applicants may also be selected as Host Celebration Sites, making those hosts eligible to receive a maximum of $5,000.
To help spread the word, I will be hosting a FREE webinar on April 25th regarding the available funding. Click on this link to register!
Now, I would like to pause here and officially declare that I AM NOT an employee of the Alberta Culture Days. I am simply passing this info on in good faith. If you would like to contact those who are ACTUALLY working for the Alberta Culture Days, email: albertaculturedays@gov.ab.ca
Of course, another way to receive official info is to take a look at this info sheet provided on the Culture Days website. Here you’ll also find the official application form and very handy items like a sample budget. How fantastic is that!
I would also recommend that you pay close attention to the project objectives as I’m guessing that the more you reflect these objectives, the better your chances will be to receive funding. And here they are for your perusal:
- provide free, family-friendly events;
- showcase Alberta culture, artists and/or heritage;
- involve Albertan talent;
- involve youth;
- partner with other organizations in the community; and
- include a multicultural component
2 new questions from 2012:
1) When doing the budget, is there a formula that your department recognizes for calculating in-kind dollar amount for volunteer work?
Generally, the Ministry recognizes volunteer work as an in-kind donation of $15/hour.
2) One group is being the lead on an application. They have another group who is willing to participate in the day (so offer a letter of support) but really will be doing their own thing. The 2nd group won't be tapping into the funds from the 1st group's application so can they then charge admission for THEIR event?
Yes, if the second group will not be utilizing the Alberta Culture Days funds, they are welcome to charge admission; however, the 1st group should articulate that is the case, so the jury panel is not confused.
And here is the 2011 Q&A:
1) If two organizations from one community apply for an Alberta Arts Day Grant, would they cancel each other out?
No. But you will be in direct competition with each other. It is useful to note that one of the priorities of the Alberta Arts Days (now Alberta Culture Days) this year is to encourage partnerships between organizations in each community. Any application demonstrating partnerships will be looked upon favorably. So get out there and chat with others in your community as you might have the perfect collaboration opportunity just waiting for you!
2) Is this a one-time funding opportunity?
The long-term goal for Alberta Arts Days is for community events to be self-sustainable. So it will really be up to you to make sure that your event or project is sustainable for the long haul. Be creative... look for new partnerships and embrace an entrepreneurial spirit!
3) Can I apply for liability insurance for my project?
Yes… having stated that, however, an applicant’s budget will be graded on overall merit, and if a large portion of their proposed budget is simply going towards insurance (ex. 50% of their budget), they may not score very high.
4) If I have received funding from other government agencies for my event, will this decrease my chances to receive an Alberta Arts Days grant?
No – quite the opposite! The Alberta Arts Days encourages applicants to seek out other funding for their events. They can’t foresee any conflicts to date. Now… if you are looking to possibly use Alberta Arts Days funding as match funding for OTHER grants, it might be a different story (like for Travel Alberta, for example). That is where you will need to do a little bit of research and contact those alternate funders.
5) Can I apply to be a host for a Feature Celebration site if my organization was already one last year?
Yes!
6) If I’m unsuccessful in my application to be a Feature Celebration site, can I also apply to be a Host site?
Yes, but PLEASE indicate this interest in your proposal letter.
7) If I have an event like an artist fair/sale where artists are selling their artwork, will this make us ineligible?
No, you can sell artwork at events or other merchandise like band t-shirts, for example. However, if you are charging admission for your event (like tickets to a concert), you CAN’T use Alberta Arts Days Funding towards that particular event as well.
8) Can municipalities apply?
No! See the info sheet for a list of eligible types of organizations.
9) Can my event be outside of the dates outlined by the Alberta Arts Days (September 30 – October 2, 2011)?
This would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis so I would suggest contacting the Alberta Arts Day Staff.
10) Who can I contact then with my questions about the Alberta Arts Days?
Email: albertaculturedays@gov.ab.ca
