Eligibility
The AFC Reactivation Program serves independent/gig workers in the performing arts, such as theatre, comedy and circus performers, as well as technicians, production and other live performance professionals. The program supports professionals in the live performance sector. This does not include film, TV, or fine arts/visual arts. You must demonstrate that a significant amount of your work has been in the live performance sector since 2017.
Who is eligible for the Reactivation Program?
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles:
- Assistant Director
- Casting
- Choreographer
- Costume Designer
- Director
- Dramaturg
- Fight Director
- Intimacy Director
- Lighting Designer
- Opera Director
- Playwright
- Producer
- Production Designer
- Rehearsal Director
- Set Designer
- Sound Designer
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles:
- Actor
- Busker / street performer
- Cabaret / burlesque performer
- Children’s performer
- Clown
- Comedian / stand-up comic
- Host/MC
- Magician / mentalist / hypnotist
- Motivational speaker
- Performance artist
* NOTE: The Reactivation Program does not serve these roles served by other organizations:
- Musician
- Dancer
- Drag performer
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles:
- Assistant Stage Manager
- Apprentice Stage Manager
- Event manager / coordinator
- Production coordinator
- Production manager
- Stage manager
- Tour manager
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles:
- Animal trainer / wrangler
- A/V tech
- Automation
- Carpentry
- Dialect Coach
- Education/Community Outreach
- Electrics
- Hair / wigs
- Lighting
- Makeup
- Paint
- Props
- Puppetry
- Pyrotechnics / SFX
- Rigger / flies
- Scenic artist
- Set builder
- Sound
- Stagehand / crew
- Technical director
- Transportation
- Wardrobe
- Vocal Coach
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles:
- Box office / door / ticketing
- Concessions / merch
- FOH manager / Venue manager
- Marketing / Promotions
- PR / Publicity
- Security
- Stage door crew
- Usher
The Reactivation Program serves people who work in these roles in all Canadian provinces and territories except for Quebec.
The AFC particularly welcomes and strongly encourages applications from members of equity-deserving groups. The need to facilitate access to this funding for historically under-represented communities guides every aspect of the operation of this program and its success will be measured in these terms.
Related Programs:
- If you are a music performer, drag performer, or music industry professional, you may be eligible for financial support through The Unison Benevolent Fund.
- If you are a dance performer, you may be eligible for financial support through The Canadian Dance Assembly.
- If you are a performing arts worker in Quebec, you may be eligible for financial support through La Fondation des artistes.
You are eligible to apply to the Reactivation Program if:
1. You have under $10,000 in the main bank account you use to cover your day to day expenses.
2. You do not have enough upcoming work or enough in the bank to pay for basic living expenses OR you are working now but you incurred debt or drew down savings during to the pandemic and have not completely recovered financially from an interruption in your regular income
3. You need to cover professional costs, such as equipment, insurance, certifications, and other expenses related to your work
4. You have worked professionally as an independent/gig worker in the Canadian live performance sector within the past five years, in any genre of the performing arts, and can document:
A history of substantial contributions to the Canadian live performance sector at a professional level. The Reactivation Program supports professionals in the live performance sector. This does not include film, TV, or fine arts/visual arts. You must demonstrate that a significant amount of your work has been in the live performance sector since 2017.
OR
- At least one year of earning $25,000 or more since 2017 (I.e., applicant can demonstrate earning $25K or more in one year anytime between 2017-2022)
OR
- At least three years of earning $5,000 or more since 2017 (I.e., applicant can demonstrate earning a minimum of $5K or more in three different years anytime between 2017-2022). Note that the three years of earning do not have to be consecutive.
- Workers who are permanent employees of a venue or producing company are generally not eligible.
5. You are legally permitted to work in Canada:
- The Arts Reactivation Program welcomes applicants who: hold a Canadian Citizenship; are a Permanent Resident (formerly known as “Landed Immigrant”); or are a refugee claimant, foreign worker and/or foreign student. If your application is approved, we require a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) to process the payment.
If your Social Insurance Number (SIN) begins with the number 9, you must provide a copy of your SIN card AND a copy of your Work Permit for payment processing. You can share these documents in one of the following ways:
- Option 1: You can upload a copy of your SIN Card and a copy of your Work Permit directly to your application on the Portal prior to submission
- Option 2: Email a copy of your SIN Card and a copy of your Work Permit directly to Noor (she/her), the Arts Reactivation Program Manager, at noor.e@artsreactivation.ca. (Please include your full legal name and application ID number in the email subject line).