The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.
Join Our Team
The Canada Council offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits and the chance to work in a dynamic team passionate about the arts in our sustainable new headquarters in Performance Court, just steps from Parliament Hill.
Governance
The Canada Council, a federal Crown corporation, is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and is governed by an 11-member Board. The Board consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair and nine other members from across Canada. Along with the Director and CEO, they are appointed by the Governor in Council for fixed terms. The Board meets at least three times a year and is responsible for the organization’s policies, programs, budgets and grant decisions.
Pierre Lassonde, C.M., O.Q.
Photo: Laura Arsie Photography
Public Accountability
Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Simon Brault, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It submits regular reports to several other government departments in line with schedules and regulations set by legislation and the departments.
Those reports include action plans or updates on meeting the requirements of:
- the Official Languages Act
- the Canadian Multiculturalism Act
- the Employment Equity Act
- the Access to Information and Privacy Act
An Annual Public Meeting is held early in each calendar year, usually in our Ottawa offices. Members of the public and the arts community are invited to participate in person, or via our livestream and social media channels.
Canadian Commission for UNESCO
The Council operates the Canadian Commission for the UNESCO (CCUNESCO). The Commission oversees UNESCO activities in Canada, serving as an independent forum for consultation and reflection on the opportunities to build a peaceful, equitable and a sustainable future. It is managed by a 17-member executive committee composed of representatives of government departments, academics and other experts in education, culture and world heritage. It helps governments, organizations and individual Canadians share information and makes recommendations to the federal government on UNESCO programs and budgets.
Art Bank
The Canada Council Art Bank interior
Photo: Martin Lipman
The Canada Council Art Bank offers Canadians unique public access to contemporary Canadian visual art through its three programs – art rental, loans to museums and outreach projects. The collection includes more than 17,000 works by over 3,000 Canadian artists, including those from Indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds. The collection is accessible to all through its website artbank.ca.
Âjagemô
The 3,000-square-foot Âjagemô exhibition hall at the Canada Council offices is a display and performance space for contemporary Canadian art. Taking its name from an Algonquin word for “crossroads,” Âjagemô gives Canadians an opportunity to see works from the Art Bank collection and to experience other art events.
Âjagemô exhibition hall
Photo: Brandon Clarida