
Financial Aid for Prospective Participants
Financial aid is available for participants to attend many of The Banff Centre’s programs. The amount of financial aid varies for each program, averaging about 70 per cent of tuition costs across all the programs. Subsidized program fees, rather than financial aid in the form of scholarships, applies to Workshops or Self-directed Residencies. Details on the amount of financial aid available for specific programs is available on the “Program Fees” section of the webpage for each program.
Any applicant who applies for Banff Centre financial aid for a program that offers it, will receive financial aid if they are accepted into the program. Applying for financial aid from The Banff Centre is as simple as checking the financial aid checkbox on the application form for the program you wish to attend and completing the request for financial assistance form, if applicable. (If this form is required as part of the application process for a particular program, a link to the form will be included on the “How to Apply” section of the program webpage.) Artists are encouraged to seek funding from other sources, to help offset travel and other costs and to ensure The Banff Centre’s scholarship fund can be used to assist artists most in need of support to attend our programs. Artists are accepted to programs at The Banff Centre based on creative ability and potential rather than the ability to pay. Last year, The Banff Centre provided artists participating in our programs with $3.6 million in scholarships and financial aid.
Internal and Banff Centre-related funding
- The Banff Centre Scholarship Fund
- The Benediktson Fellowship for Icelandic Artists
- The Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Endowment fund for Dutch Musicians
- The Paul D. Fleck Fellowships
- The Raul Urtasun - Frances Harley Scholarship for Young Emerging Artists from Argentina
- International artist agencies funding
External funding
Internal and Banff Centre-related funding
The Banff Centre Scholarship Fund
Thanks to generous donations by individuals and corporations, and to Banff Centre revenues, financial assistance is available for qualified participants to attend Banff Centre programs. Funding is only applicable to the residency fee and on-campus accommodation and meals. There are no cash awards.
The Benediktson Fellowship for Icelandic Artists
Through the generous support of the Benediktson family and the Government of Iceland, these fellowships are available to Icelandic artists to attend The Banff Centre visual arts or literary arts programs. The fellowships may also support these artists to pursue independent residencies so they can advance current projects or create new work. The Fellowships are awarded through The Banff Centre Arts Programming Office.
The Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Endowment fund for Dutch Musicians
Through the generous support of Irene M. Bakker, The Banff Centre has financial assistance available to program participants from The Netherlands who attend The Banff Centre's music or opera programs. Please make your eligibility for this scholarship known to the Registrar's Office when you submit your regular program application.
Paul D. Fleck Fellowships
The Banff Centre grants Paul D. Fleck Fellowships to artists whose unique achievements and innovation distinguish them in the arts community. The Fellowships recognize the achievement of these gifted artists by providing them the opportunity to create new work using the unique resources of The Banff Centre to develop and refine their projects. The Paul D. Fleck Scholarship Trust was named in honour of this former president of The Banff Centre (1982-1992).
The Raul Urtasun - Frances Harley Scholarship for Young Emerging Artists from Argentina
Through the generous support of Raul Urtasun and Frances Harley, The Banff Centre is accepting applications for the Raul Urtasun - Frances Harley Scholarship for Young Emerging Artists from Argentina. Please make your eligibility for this scholarship known to the Registrar's Office when you submit your regular program application.
Need more information about Banff Centre funding? Contact us.
International artist agencies funding
The Banff Centre has formal agreements with six cultural agencies, including the Australia Council for the Arts, the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Columbia, FONCA (Fond Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes de Mexico), and An Chomhairle Ealaíon (Republic of Ireland).
If you live within these represented regions, we encourage you to contact these agencies and inquire about financial aid.
External Funding
For your convenience, we have begun to compile a list of opportunities which can help you fund your experience at The Banff Centre. You may also wish to contact your provincial or municipal arts council for more information.
Have a source to add? Send us an email and let us know.
Canada
General
- Alberta Creative Development Initiative
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Individual project grants
- Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)
- Edmonton Arts Council Travel and project grants
- Ontario Arts Council National and international residencies
- Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Professional project grants
- Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage Grants to individuals
- Nunavut Department of Culture, Language, Elders, and Youth Culture
- Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts Grants to Artists
- Saskatchewan Arts Board Project and travel grants
- Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture Advanced artist award
Aboriginal Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Aboriginal Traditional arts project grant
- Canada Council for the Arts Aboriginal arts grant programs
- First Peoples’ Heritage, Language & Cultural Council Aboriginal arts development awards
- Manitoba Arts Council Travel/professional development grant for aboriginal artists
- Ontario Arts Council Aboriginal arts projects grant
- Saskatchewan Arts Board Indigenous Pathways Initiative
- Saskatchewan Arts Board Travel grant program
Film & Media
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts New media project grants
- BC Arts Council Project assistance for media artists
- Canada Council for the Arts Media arts grant programs
- Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec Grant program for media artists
- Ontario Arts Council Grants for emerging, mid-career, and professional media artists
- Edmonton Arts Council Travel and project grants
- Toronto Arts Council Project funding for Media Artists
- Bravo!FACT Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent Grants for the production of short films and videos
Literary Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Literary Arts project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council Project assistance for creative writers
- Canada Council for the Arts Writing and publishing grant programs
- Manitoba Arts Council Literary Arts writers’ grants
- Ontario Arts CouncilSubventions pour les projets de création littéraire francophones
- Ontario Arts Council Word of Mouth program for literary and storytelling artists
- Ontario Arts Council Writers’ Work in Progress program
- Toronto Arts Council Writers Grants for Individual Artists (fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, and oral traditions)
Music
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Music project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council Banff Centre production residencies, music commissioning awards
- Canada Council for the Arts Music grant programs
- Manitoba Arts Council Performing arts grants
- Ontario Arts Council Music commissioning grants
- Toronto Arts Council Project Funding
Theatre Arts
Dance
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Dance project grant
- Canada Council for the Arts Dance grant programs
- British Columbia Arts Council Dance grant programs
- Edmonton Arts Council Travel and project grants
- Ontario Arts Council Dance initiatives
- Toronto Arts Council Dance project grants
Theatre
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Theatre project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council Project assistance for theatre professionals
- Canada Council for the Arts Theatre grant programs
- Manitoba Arts Council Performing arts grants
- Ontario Arts Council Subventions pour les projets franco-ontariens
- Ontario Arts Council Theatre project grants
- Toronto Arts Council project and playwrights grants
Visual Arts
- Alberta Foundation for the Arts Visual arts project grant
- British Columbia Arts Council Project assistance for visual artists
- Canada Council for the Arts Visual arts grant programs
- Ontario Arts Council Grants for emerging, mid-career, and established visual artists, and for visual and media arts projects
- Toronto Arts Council Visual Artist project funding
For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
International
United States
- Academy of American Poets
- A Room of Her Own Foundation
- Artist Trust
- Arts Writers Grant Program
- Creative Capital Grants
- Humboldt Area Foundation
- Kansas City Artists Coalition
- Lindbergh Foundation
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
- Pollock Krasner Foundation
Worldwide
- Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation
- Arts Council of Finland
- Arts Council of New Zealand
- European Association for Jewish Culture
- European Cultural Foundation
- FRAME Finnish Fund for Art Exchange
- Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
- Sanskriti Foundation
- The Japan Foundation
- Wales Arts International
Additional funding resources