First nations and Inuit arts

Recognition is the result of close collaboration between the CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) and the First Nations and Inuit arts community, which began in 2016. The program was developed in a spirit of dialogue, listening, and respect, through broad consultations involving First Nations and Inuit arts and cultural communities. The experiences and knowledge of the circumstances these communities face informed and enriched reflections throughout the process.

The Recognition program aims to promote, recognize, and celebrate First Nations and Inuit arts. It also seeks to support the revitalization, transmission, and development of traditional knowledge, languages, and First Nations and Inuit artistic practices. Through this program, the CALQ seeks to facilitate the launch and professionalization of First Nations and Inuit artists’ careers by supporting their first professional experiences and offering mentorship and professional guidance.

The Recognition program has five streams: two for organizations and three for artists. Open to customary, traditional, and contemporary artistic practices, the program supports activities related to creation, reappropriation, transmission, mentorship, support, circulation, and dissemination, both in Québec and elsewhere.

Through this program, the CALQ can also support initiatives led by First Nations and Inuit arts organizations, along with the development of their organizational capacity and consolidation. The CALQ can also support emerging First Nations and Inuit artists, in particular through the Impetus stream.

The Microgrant stream supports projects that require a maximum of $3000 in funding and has a simplified application process and a quick response time. It can be used to cover travel expenses, the purchase of materials, or other costs associated with developing a project.

The Revitalization, creation and transmission stream supports larger-scale projects at different stages of artistic practice, with funding of up to $50,000.

If you are unsure which of these two streams is right for you, contact us to find out which is the best fit for your project.

No.

You can’t submit the same project simultaneously to more than one CALQ program, including to more than one stream of the Recognition program.

Artists
Professional artists, writers, and independent curators who are Inuit or members of one of Canada’s First Nations.

Organizations
Legally constituted not-for-profit organizations with their head office in Québec, whose boards of directors are composed primarily of members of Canada’s Inuit or First Nations communities who are Canadian citizens and ordinarily reside in Québec, and that provide professional arts services or present professional artistic activities.

Yes.

Documentation confirming your Indigenous status will be required when you first apply. This may be a photocopy of both sides of a status card (Certificate of Indian Status) issued by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), or a beneficiary card issued by Makivvik (Nunavik), the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (Inuvialuit), Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (Nunavut), or the Nunatsiavut Government (Labrador).

Yes.

The Recognition program supports all forms of First Nations and Inuit art, whether customary, traditional, or contemporary.

No.

The Recognition program is exclusively for members of Inuit and First Nations communities from Canada who reside in Québec. However, the CALQ offers other programs that you may be eligible for.

Yes. 

You can apply to the program that best meets your needs. However, you can’t submit the same project to two programs at the same time. You may, however, alternate between the Recognition program and other CALQ programs.

No.

The Impetus stream is for First Nations and Inuit artists who have never received a CALQ grant. It is designed to help launch their careers by giving them their first grant.

Yes.

First Nations and Inuit artists and organizations may also apply to other CALQ programs.

Yes. 

Part of the application may be submitted orally, in audio or video format.

Artists
Yes, you can draft your application in English. 

Organizations
As a general rule, applications must be written in French. However, certain First Nations or Inuit organizations or organizations exempt from the requirements of the Charter of the French Language This link will open in a new window may submit their applications in English, in accordance with the CALQ’s Language Policy.

If you have questions about whether you are eligible for this exemption, please contact the CALQ or consult the CALQ Language Policy This link will open in a new window (in French).

Grant applications to the CALQ may be submitted at any time, but no later than four weeks before the project begins.

Yes.

The CALQ provides support to artists with disabilities to help them prepare an application or covers certain additional costs associated with carrying out a project funded through its programs, including Recognition.

If you have questions about whether certain expenses are eligible or about the terms and conditions of this support, please contact the program officer responsible for the program to which you are applying. You can also consult the support measures for artists with disabilities webpage.

Applications are assessed by peers, a principle that is central to the CALQ’s approach.

For this program, the concept of peer extends beyond artistic disciplines or practices. All applications submitted to the Recognition program are assessed by committees composed primarily of recognized First Nations and Inuit artists, Elders, creators, arts professionals, and cultural managers. These committees reflect both the First Nations and Inuit arts communities and the diversity of Indigenous nations.

In a spirit of recognition and development, the CALQ seeks to support Québec’s First Nations and Inuit arts community in its efforts toward cultural reappropriation, rebuilding, and growth.

The CALQ therefore encourages all artists and arts organizations, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, to adopt an approach that respects artistic expression, cultural protocols, and the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Collaborative processes that foster meaningful exchange should be at the heart of any artistic project that addresses or incorporates distinctive elements of Indigenous cultures.

A grant can cover an artist’s remuneration during the project, the purchase of materials, the rental of studios, venues, or equipment, registration and internship fees, travel and accommodation expenses (lodging and daily allowances), as well as promotional, development, pre-production, production, or remounting costs.

Eligible expenses vary depending on the stream and are considered as of the project start date. Please consult the program pages for the terms and conditions that apply to your situation.

If you have questions about the eligibility of specific expenses related to your project, please don’t hesitate to contact the person responsible for the Recognition program.

The same values of excellence, equity, and accessibility guide the CALQ in its decisions. The Recognition program is no exception.

There is no dedicated budget for this program. The CALQ allocates the funding it receives each year from the Government of Québec based on peer assessment and identified needs, in accordance with its values of equity.

Yes.

If you have received a CALQ grant, regardless of the program or stream, you must submit a grant use report within three months of completing your project. The report must be submitted to and approved by the CALQ before you can submit a new funding application.