04/29/2026
Did you know the CKAF 2026 Emerging Festival Grant has two applicant types?
With applications due on Thursday, 7 May 2026, Grants for Emerging Festivals range from $10,000–$20,000 and are intended to support festival activities occurring between September 2026 and December 2027.
There are two applicant types for this stream:
🏢Non-profit Organizations
Non-profit organizations applying to this stream must:
- Be Incorporated as a non-profit organization or registered charity for a minimum of one year
- Be physically located and deliver programs and services within the City of Kingston
- Have a history of public programming, project delivery, and budget management
- Be governed by a Board of Directors or other body responsible for the organization
As part of your application, you will need to submit:
- Application Form (signed)
- Budget Form
- Supplementary Material (5 pieces)
- Partnership Letters (if applicable)
- Board of Directors List; and
- Year-End Financial Statements.
👥 Collectives
Collectives applying for this stream must:
- Be groups of three or more professional artists and/or community members who have come together for the purposes of artistic creation and presentation in a collective artistic endeavour.
- Not be legally incorporated
- Have a majority of members residing and/or regularly working within the City of Kingston
- Have a lead applicant that resides within the City of Kingston and be responsible for managing the grant funds, application, and reporting.
As part of your application, you will need to submit:
- Two reference letters that speak to the collective's ability to execute the festival as proposed, including their history of public programming, project delivery, and/or budget management
- Application Form (signed)
- Budget Form
- Supplementary Material (5 pieces); and
- Partnership Letters (if applicable)
Regardless of applicant type, all festivals must:
- Take place in the City of Kingston
- Have a primary focus on the arts and have a defined period of no less than one day and no longer than one month
- Offer programming that is open and accessible to the broader public, including some programming offered free of charge or discounted either for the public or a designated priority group
- Compensate artists and arts workers and demonstrate efforts to meet industry standard rates at minimum
♿ Application Support and Accommodations
The KAC is committed to Indigenization, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IIDEA) and strives to make our granting processes accessible to all. Applicants with accessibility needs are encouraged to contact KAC staff as early in the application period as possible to request accommodations. New this year, financial support of up to $500 for grant writing services for applicants who are Deaf, living with a disability, illiterate, or do not have a working proficiency in English. Alternate submission methods and additional forms of support may also be considered upon request.
🔗 Full guidelines are available here:https://artskingston.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CKAF-2026-Festival-Grant-Guidelines-–-Emerging-Festivals.pdf
For questions or to request application support, contact Shamara Peart, Grants Administrator, at [email protected] or 613-546-2787.
📸 Photo by Josh Lyon, courtesy of Skeleton Park Arts Fest
