Indigenous Arts Individual Project Funding Expert Panel comments

September 3, 2024 deadline
General Expert Panel comments

Comments made by the panel during the assessment of applications are outlined below. Please note that these comments provide a summary of the panel's assessment and do not necessarily relate to every application submitted to this deadline. The panel does not provide individual comments.

Project description

  • The panel read through many proposals and appreciated those where the applicants took the time to lay out their project description in sections and in a concise and precise manner.
  • The panel appreciated when applicants provided specifics about how they were going to complete their project, including the steps needed to complete their goals, with timelines.
  • The panel wished to extend their appreciation for all the work that applicants did, and to encourage them to continue pursuing their artform regardless of the granting decisions.
  • The panel appreciated when applicants provided specifics about how they were going to complete their project, including the steps needed to complete their goals, with timelines.
  • The panel prioritized projects where artistic impact on and artistic development for the applicant were clearly identified. Projects where the completed art was going to be exhibited, shared, or discussed in arts-based spaces before being sold were prioritized.
  • Applications were strengthened when applicants shared details of their community connections and/or cultural background, and included the names of those participating in their project, including Elders, knowledge-keepers, or other artists.
  • The panel prioritized projects where a clear connection to Indigenous culture was made explicit. If the project itself was not cultural in nature, the panel appreciated when applicants described their own connection to Indigenous culture.
  • While the panel appreciated that some applicants may be trying to remain humble, they found it more helpful when applicants were able to succinctly showcase or describe their accomplishments to date, including past projects, potential accolades, publicity, and the motivation behind why they create the type of work they do, especially as it pertains to the type of work this project would involve.
  • Panelists appreciated projects that were accountable to Indigenous community and culture, with indications of permissions being given, where relevant, for the work and teachings to be created and shared with others.
  • In some cases, the panelists may not have been experts in the particular artistic discipline that the applicants were applying for, as the Indigenous Arts grant supports several artistic disciplines. Panelists appreciated when applicants ensured enough information was given to help understand the art form, and what its impacts might be.
  • The panelists appreciated when applicants explained what they intended to do with their work once projects were completed. They especially appreciated when applicants described how the finished project would impact their own artistic development in the long term.
  • When projects involved travel, panelists appreciated specificity on which locations would be traveled to, why they were chosen, and how the project would impact the Indigenous communities in those regions.

Budget

  • The panel prioritized projects which showed that Elders, knowledge holders, community and other artists would be adequately consulted and compensated for their knowledge, time and/or work.
  • The panel appreciated when budgets had enough detail to communicate the information needed to evaluate the potential of a project. If the budget was too vague, it made it more difficult for the panel to gauge the ability to do the project.
  • The panel appreciated when details were provided for how applicants came to their calculations for each one of their expense line items. Providing quotes where possible was helpful (e.g., web screenshots, email confirmations, etc.).
  • The panel appreciated when subsistence was broken out into the distinct eligible expense types (food, housing, childcare, dependent care and/or local transportation), as opposed to recording subsistence as one large expense.

Support material

  • The panel found it was very important for applicants to include support materials that demonstrated what the completed art was going to look like. Photographs of past work, drafts for anticipated work, or vision boards were appreciated.
  • The panel preferred when applicants included attachments to previous work within the application itself (or as support material emailed in), as opposed to providing a link to a portfolio on an external website.
  • For emerging artists, letters of support or identified mentors were especially important as they gave the panel confidence in the artists’ abilities to complete their projects.
  • For projects with residencies or collaborations, the panel found it was important to include letters of support from those groups confirming that the residency or collaboration was already set up and ready to take place.
  • The panel appreciated when applicants provided an artistic statement or information that contextualized their practice. The panel wanted to understand how the proposed projects fit within the artists’ ongoing work/larger practice.
  • For artists applying with a writing project, writing samples were important as they allowed the panel to assess writing ability. It was especially important that writing samples be relevant to the proposed project.
  • It was appreciated when artists provided PDFs of their attachments versus using Microsoft Word, as then formatting is not lost. Consolidating documents into one PDF, where possible, was appreciated.