Federal arts grants are provided by a number of agencies; the most notable of these is the Canada Council for the Arts. Grants from this agency target professional Canadian artists and art organizations focused on dance, inter-arts, media arts, music, theater, visual arts, writing and publishing. The agency defines a “professional artist” as “someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by her or his peers, and who has a history of public presentation or publication." According to the agency, the most common types of grants support creation and production, professional development, residency and travel. Other federal funding agencies for the arts include the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Canadian Heritage’s Arts Policy Branch.
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts provides grants to individuals and organizations in eight different areas: cultural relations, dance, film, video, literary arts, music, theater, visual arts and new media. Grants are geared toward promoting the development of Albertan artists, traditional artists and art administrators by providing funding for specific projects. Applications and guidelines are available online. Ontario Arts Council grants help Ontario artists: they provide funding for projects in arts education, community and multi-disciplinary arts, crafts, dance, franco-Ontarian arts, music, Northern arts, theater, touring and visual arts. Visual arts grants are divided into grants for “emerging,” “mid-career” and “established” artists; the values of awards range from $5,000 to $15,000. Similarly-targeted grant programs are administered by the Art Councils of British Columbia, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the New Brunswick Arts Board, Nova Scotia’s Film Development Corporation, Saskatchewan's Arts Board and Quebec’s Société de Developpement des Entreprises Culturelles.
Commercial grants and awards available to Canadian artists include the Canada Film Center’s Telus Innovation Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund. The Telus Fund supports Canadian media artists and companies engaging in “new forms of high-quality, original Canadian content that explore new ways of approaching entertainment and storytelling.” It provides grants of up to $100,000 to cover the production costs of film, television, new media or cross-platform projects. The Shaw Rocket Fund supports the Canadian children's television industry; usually, it provides $250,000 for a 13-episode television series, made-for-television movie or feature film. Grants of lesser value can be applied for by presenting an idea that is in line with the fund's objectives.