Music Project Program

Overview of the Music Project Program program:

The Toronto Arts Council’s Music Projects program provides support for a wide range of music-related activities including creation, composition, production, performance, dissemination, and professional development. The program is designed to encourage both emerging and established music creators and organizations working in all genres—classical, jazz, hip hop, world, experimental, and beyond. This funding can be used for performances, recordings, festivals, educational initiatives, artist collaborations, and audience development projects. The grant is offered annually and is not intended for recurring operational costs. Instead, it focuses on specific time-limited projects that have clear outcomes. Applicants may include individual artists, ad hoc collectives, or organizations. Projects must be based in Toronto, benefit the Toronto public, and occur within a set time frame. The program supports equity and inclusion, giving special attention to projects from underrepresented groups including Indigenous, Black, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIAP, Deaf persons, and persons with disabilities. The jury that reviews applications includes practicing music professionals and reflects the diversity of Toronto’s music community. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate artistic merit, feasibility, and community impact in their proposals. This funding stream is not open to for-profit corporations or educational institutions applying on behalf of student projects, and it does not support fundraising events or award ceremonies.

Benefits of the Music Project Program program:

• Up to $15,000 in financial support for music projects.
• Open to a wide range of genres and project types (e.g., performance, recording, education).
• Juried review process by industry peers.
• Prioritizes equity-seeking communities including Indigenous, Black, persons of colour, 2SLGBTQIAP, and persons with disabilities.
• Encourages experimentation, community outreach, and audience engagement.
• Supports professional development and innovation in music creation.

Eligibility criteria of the Music Project Program program:

• Applicants must be Toronto residents or organizations based in Toronto.
• Individual applicants must be professional artists.
• Collectives must be made up of at least 50% Toronto residents.
• Organizations must be non-profit and based in Toronto.
• Projects must have a clear timeline and public benefit in Toronto.
• Applicants must not have received funding from this program for the same project in the past.
• Only one application per applicant (individual or group) per deadline.
• For organizations: must have a board of directors and a history of music programming.
• Not eligible: for-profit companies, student projects submitted by schools, or projects that are solely fundraising events.