Funding, Events & Opportunities: Indigenous Languages, Arts, Culture, Heritage and More

IZWTAG (Indigenous Zero Waste Technical Advisory Group) is proud to be able to share the following funding, events and opportunities with you! The Government of British Columbia has opened program intake to multiple initiatives that assist in supporting Indigenous Environment, Labour and Education, Language, Arts, Culture and Heritage. We hope to illuminate an opportunity for you, in a compiled list below:

Funding – Environment

• United for BC Wildfire Recovery Fund – Ongoing relief efforts, long term recovery, resiliency, and preparedness for future events in British Columbia and impacted regions, including consequential events related to the fires.
• Climate Disaster Response Fund – A one-time grant opportunity that will provide limited resources to heritage-focused organizations with resources damaged by recent climate and natural disasters in British Columbia.
• Indigenous Food Security & Sovereignty Grant – Closes December 1, 2023. This grant provides non-repayable funding contributions to First Nation communities, Indigenous organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs in British Columbia that want to participate in and receive financial supports to develop, expand, or strengthen their Indigenous food systems and innovation to enhance sustainability and growth of the Indigenous agriculture and food sovereignty.
• First Nations Well Being Fund – Closes December 31, 2023. This program offers funding to First Nations and Tribal Councils to support projects related to community well being and poverty reduction. Areas of particular focus for funding will include, but are not limited to, food security, social and cultural supports, employment, education and training, families, children and youth, mental health, and transportation.
• Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities – No Deadline. The Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative will provide $103.8 million over 5 years to assist First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and partners, both on and off-reserve, to implement Indigenous-designed projects to improve community safety and well-being.

Funding – Labour and Education

• Indigenous Skills Training and Education program (ISTE) – Through community-based programming, Indigenous peoples and communities have increased access to culturally-relevant skills training and post-secondary education, leading to labour market participation, employment, further education and training, community revitalization, and socioeconomic well-being. Please contact PSFS staff by email (psfs.indigenousprograms@gov.bc.ca) to obtain more information on criteria and how to apply.
• Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program – Closes October 30, 2032. This program supports rural economic development projects that promote economic capacity building, economic diversification, resilience, clean economy opportunities, and infrastructure development.

Funding – Language

• Interim Applications for time-limited funding under Sections 8 and 9 of the Indigenous Languages Act – To support First Nations efforts in addressing the priorities they have identified to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen First Nations languages.
• Mentor-Apprentice Program. First Peoples’ Cultural Council – Closes October 23, 2023. The Mentor-Apprentice Program (MAP) is a one-on-one language immersion program that helps people to become fluent speakers by bringing their language into their daily lives at home and on the land.
• Endangered Languages Documentation Programme – Closes October 31, 2023. Provides grants for the documentation of endangered languages globally. ELDP especially welcomes applications from documenters from language communities, local scholars and students from the country where the language is spoken/signed, as well as collaborative and interdisciplinary projects.

Funding – Arts

• BC Arts Council Grant Programs – The BC Arts Council has MANY programs with intakes throughout the year. Please visit their website for more information.
• Individual Arts Awards: Visual Arts – Closes December 1, 2023. This program assists professional visual artists, contemporary and traditional craft artists, and independent critics and curators with the creation of specific projects. Awards are available to support the creation of new works. Awards are up to $15,000.
• Canada Council for the Arts Funding – Creating, Knowing, Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
• Music Industry Initiatives – Closes March 1, 2024. Successful projects will build the capacity of BC’s music industry through training, knowledge transfer, and the creation of new business opportunities. Canadian companies, not-for-profit organizations, individuals, and collectives are able to apply.
• Rogers Indigenous Film Fund Program – Closes October 19, 2023. Gives companies and creators financing assistance for early development work of a new project, or ‘next phase’ early development work of an existing project.
• Domestic Industry Initiatives Program – Closes October 30, 2023. Creative BC provides professional expertise and business support to strengthen BC’s motion picture, interactive digital media and publishing sectors.
• Podcasting Program – Closes November 1, 2023. This funding program through the Indigenous Screen Office looks to support the development and creation of engaging and compelling podcasts by Indigenous screen-based and audio storytellers.
• Digital Museums Canada – Closes December 1, 2023. Digital Project Stream provides up to $250,000 for organizations seeking to develop an online project from the ground up, in collaboration with a web development agency of their choice. Online projects should be centred around telling a story, exploring a collection, or sharing the history, culture and/or traditions of a community.
• Legacy Fund- Building Communities through Arts and Heritage – Applications accepted on continuous basis. This Department of Canadian Heritage Program provides funding for community-initiated capital projects, intended for community use. Supports community-initiated capital projects that: commemorate a significant local historical event or pay tribute to a significant local historical personality; mark a 100th anniversary or greater, in increments of 25 years (e.g., 125th, 150th); involve the restoration, renovation, or transformation of existing buildings or exterior spaces with local community significance that are intended for community use; encourage arts and heritage activities in the local community that are intended for and accessible to the general public.
• Canada Cultural Spaces Fund – No deadline, on-going. The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF) supports the improvement of physical conditions for arts, heritage, culture and creative innovation. The Fund supports renovation and construction projects, the acquisition of specialized equipment and feasibility studies related to cultural spaces.
• National Creation Fund – No Deadline. The National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund invests up to $3 million a year in the development of 15 to 20 compelling and ambitious new Canadian works in theatre, dance, music and inter-disciplinary performing arts.

Funding – Culture and Heritage

• Declaration Act Engagement Fund – Provides multi-year (4 year) non-repayable funding contributions to First Nations to support their capacity to engage with the Province of BC. on the implementation of the Declaration Act Action Plan and alignment of Provincial laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples both of which must be done in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples in BC.
• Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund – Closes November 17, 2023. This program offers support to Indigenous-led organizations leading projects at the community level. Eligible projects will Be Indigenous-led.
• Community Gaming Grants: Human and Social Services – Closes November 30, 2023. Organizations within this sector deliver programs that improve the quality of life in a community by supporting the wellbeing of children, youth, families and/or seniors; by addressing equality issues (e.g., gender, LGBTQ2S+, race, etc.); by addressing the unmet needs of under-served groups; or, by providing public outreach and education regarding important social issues.
• Movable Cultural Property Grants – No Deadline. Movable Cultural Property Grants help designated organizations acquire cultural property of outstanding significance and national importance to Canada, as outlined in the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.

Upcoming Events

• Indigenous Artist Gathering – October 28 – 29, 2023 – Prince Rupert.
• Métis Early Years Conference – November 3 – 4, 2023. Victoria.
• Emergency Response and Salvage for Cultural Institutions – November 16 -17, 2023.
• Annual FNESC Education Conference – November 30 – December 2, 2023. Vancouver

Job Opportunities

At the First Peoples’ Cultural Council

• Senior Security Analyst
• Senior Development Operations Engineer
• Program Navigator
• Executive Assistant
• Senior Communications and Engagement Officer
• Revitalization Planning Coach
• Language Program Manager, Strategy Specific
• Request for Qualifications: Graphic Designer
• Request for Qualifications: BC First Nations Arts Vitality Research Project

At the Métis Nation of British Columbia

• Program Assistant- Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Language
• Cultural Coordinator (2 positions)
• Child Care Coordinator