May's Arts Opportunities
- Spencer van Vloten
- Apr 24
- 5 min read
Updated: May 4
Whether you're an emerging artist, writer, or creative professional, there are a wide range of funding opportunities, prizes, and professional development programs available to support your work.
This curated list brings together grants, competitions, and resources across disciplines—from visual arts and writing to music, theatre, and film. Explore the options below to find opportunities that can help you develop your practice, gain recognition, and take the next step in your creative career.
Supports established B.C.-based performing artists, playwrights, producers, and arts and culture practitioners in the development, production, performance, or creation of new or unique performing arts.
The BC Rehab Individual Grant is intended for individual funding requests from persons with physical disabilities. Recreation therapy programs which include art are among the eligible funding requests.
Assists BC theatre artists and arts workers with expenses related to unique opportunities that will advance their professional development, such as workshops/classes, mentorships or apprenticeships, residencies with theatre companies, or tuition costs to pursue professional training.
The Bridport Prize promotes emerging writers through categories in poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and novels, offering a £20,000+ prize fund, publication in an anthology, and industry recognition.
The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at the University of British Columbia seeks to commission an emerging or experienced Musqueam artist to design a temporary banner to be installed on the gallery’s exterior.
The CBC Poetry Prize winner receives $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and their work will be published on CBC Books.
Opportunities for local artists including calls for public art, available studio space, juried shows and exhibitions, and more.
An expanded list of writing contests, across a range of formats
Funds and supports art projects that are proposed, managed, and led by people with lived/living experience of mental illness and/or substance use issues.
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant supports emerging figurative artists, providing financial resources to artists globally who work in painting, drawing, sculpture, or printmaking. It supports artists in their early careers who focus on representational art, offering $17,000 CAD for the first grant and $20,000 CAD for subsequent grants, up to three times.
This annual writing competition is open to students registered in an undergraduate or master’s program at a Canadian university. It aims to promote the work of emerging art critics by providing them with editorial support and a first publishing experience in Esse magazine.
The Factor Artist Development program offers 75% of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $5,000 towards a year of artist development activities including sound recording, touring, showcasing, video content production, and marketing. This program is intended to provide support towards the professionalization and integration of early career artists into the music industry.
The short forms contest is open to writers around the world. Accepting flash fiction and nonfiction, your hybrid forms and experimental work. 300 words or under.
The Hopper Prize was established to increase recognition of the work of visual artists, offering prizes of up to $4,500 USD. Applications are welcomed from artists of all ages and experience levels working in any and all disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, video, documentary, performing, experimental, conceptual, and installation practices.
Provides hundreds of poets each year with honorarium payments and travel reimbursement for poetry readings.
An annual competition that spotlights ten outstanding new voices in fiction and creative nonfiction. Selected by guest judge Ramona Ausubel, winners receive a $700 prize, publication in a nationally distributed anthology, and industry exposure—offering a significant platform for emerging writers to share bold, original work.
Supports an emerging artist to attend a recognized institution that offers material-based courses. The tuition will be paid directly to the institution and the remainder of the funds will be issued to the artist to be used for supplies.
Supports local artists by providing five recipients with $1,000 in driving credits each to ease transportation costs.
Music BC’s Business Travel Grant provides assistance to for-profit B.C.-based music companies and individuals undertaking travel activities in support of the growth and development of their business and/or B.C.-based artist clients.
The $25,000 Nancy Flight Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing is awarded annually to an editor whose work has made an outstanding contribution to a full-length book of literary nonfiction published during the award cycle.
Focus on bringing non-traditional artists to the forefront. These are artists who identify as outsider, self-taught, and living with a disability.
Recognizes individuals who have helped increase understanding of Canadian history through popular media, including but not limited to publications, film, radio, television, theatre, or digital media platforms.
Supports reconciliation activities, events, and initiatives in communities that contribute to cultural revitalization, elevate Indigenous culture, languages, and traditions, increase understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, or other grassroots initiatives that move reconciliation forward.
A contest for screenwriters of all genres, who are ready to gain representation with an agent or manager, sell their screenplay, and get hired on writing assignments.
STORYHIVE Three-Part Docuseries Edition is offering new and emerging filmmakers $20,000 in production funding to produce a locally reflective three-part documentary series. In addition to the funding, selected projects will also receive mentorship from the National Screen Institute and distribution on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and the STORYHIVE YouTube channel.
The Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival invites artists and performers from varying disciplines, backgrounds, and levels of experience to apply to be a part of the 2026 festival. They are currently accepting applications from visual artists and performing artists.
The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture maintains a listing of job postings for arts-related positions
Grants are provided to assist individuals, corporations, performers, ensembles, and presenters to commission SOCAN members to create new works in the genre of concert / classical music.
To find more community resources, click here! Also feel free to email me at spencer@bcdisability.com
-Spencer van Vloten
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