The Canada Council for the Arts promotes Canada's two official languages, English and French.
It also employs positive measures to support the artistic vitality of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs): groups of people whose maternal or chosen official language is not the majority language in their province or territory – in other words, Anglophones in Quebec and Francophones outside of Quebec.
Funding Initiatives
Market Access Strategy for Official Language Communities
The Market Access Strategy for Official Language Minority Community Artists (Market Access Strategy) aims to increase access of professional artists and arts organizations from OLMCs to a diversity of markets and publics. It provides support to Canadian professional artists, groups and arts organizations whose maternal or chosen official language is the minority language in their province or territory. Grants fund a wide range of activities that: Expand national and international market access to high quality market-ready OLMC arts; Contribute to the development of new national and international markets for OLMC arts; and Strengthen the ability of OLMC artists, groups and/or arts organizations to succeed outside their local markets.
Official Languages Fund
The Official Languages Fund is designed to counter the isolation experienced by OLMC artists and to assist the development of individuals and arts organizations working in OLMCs. This fund provides support to successful or highly recommended applications to Canada Council’s regular granting programs.
Values
The Canada Council believes in the distinct contribution that Canada’s two official languages and its OLMC artists and arts organizations make to the diversity and richness of the arts in Canada.
It also recognizes the important role the arts can play in promoting linguistic duality and the vitality of OLMCs.
The Canada Council works to ensure its activities make tangible, ongoing contributions to both linguistic duality and the development of OLMC artists and arts organizations. It also strives to be a leader as a bilingual institution.
Review on Official Languages 2023-24
The following document aims to take stock of the status of official languages in our institution.
Review on Official Languages 2023-24 [PDF]
The Canada Council’s approach to Official Languages
More information about the Canada Council’s approach to Official Languages can be found in the Official Languages Policy and in the Official Languages Action Plan 2017-2021.
For more information
Please contact the relevant program officer from the list below
Explore and Create
Supporting Artistic Practice / Strategic Innovation Fund
Marie-France Hurtubise
Canada Council for the Arts
marie-france.hurtubise@canadacouncil.ca
1-800-263-5588, ext. 4257
Engage and Sustain
1-800-263-5588, ext. 4086
Creating, Knowing and Sharing
The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
Arts Across Canada / Arts Abroad
Accessibility
If you are Deaf, hard of hearing, or a TTY user, please use your preferred MRS (Message Relay Service) or IP service to contact the Canada Council.
The Canada Council for the Arts can also receive calls from a video relay service (VRS). For more information, visit the VRS Canada website.