Professional Development | BC Arts Council (BCAC)

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
• Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in B.C. for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to submitting an application.
• Be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in a similar discipline.
• Be committed to working full-time at your practice when financially possible.
• Demonstrate professional status by submitting a CV or resume that indicates the following:
  • Details about the appropriate and relevant training you have completed in your discipline that has prepared you to work in your field of practice. Training may be through post secondary institutions, traditional knowledge transfer, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner.
  • Have a minimum two years of being paid to do your work in your field following basic training.
  • Meet discipline-specific criteria outlined below:
    • Performing Artists: A demonstrated body of previous professional work for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual or Craft Artists: At least two professionally curated shows or exhibitions for which you have received professional fees.
    • Visual Arts Critics or Curators: Have curated two or more exhibitions or published two or more works of critical writing for which you have received professional fees.
    • Media Artists: Have directed/created or held creative control on at least one project subsequent to basic training for which you have been paid professional fees. This may include student works which have been professionally exhibited or screened.
    • Creative Writers: At least one book professionally published.
    • Arts Administration, Publishing, Producer, Artistic Support Staff: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts or cultural administration or artistic support at an arts organization, or at a professional book or periodical publisher.
    • D/deaf, Disability and Mad Arts: A demonstrated body of work in or across any artistic practice for which you have received professional fees.
    • Community-Engaged Arts Practice: Facilitated two participatory arts projects in a community setting or learning environment.
    • Multi- and Interdisciplinary Practice: A demonstrated body of professional public work that integrates multiple fields of practice, and for which you have received professional fees.
    • Museum or Indigenous Culture Centre Professionals: Two or more years of full- or part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in a museum or Indigenous Cultural Centre.
    • Production and Technical Personnel: Two or more years of full- or regular part-time paid employment (permanent or contract) in arts and cultural production or as a technician in an arts and cultural institution, organization, or venue.
• For Indigenous Artists: Have received at least one grant through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council‘s Indigenous Arts Program and have submitted any outstanding final reports for that grant.