Creative Community Impact Award

The purpose of the Creative Community Impact Award is to promote arts and culture in Nova Scotian communities by recognizing excellence and initiative in bringing arts and culture into community life.

The award recognizes a demonstrated history of community engagement with art and culture by an organization or program. It also provides a financial investment intended to enhance future arts and culture activities and to encourage further engagement.

The purpose of the Creative Community Impact Award is to promote arts and culture in Nova Scotian communities by recognizing excellence and initiative in bringing arts and culture into community life. 

The award recognizes a demonstrated history of community engagement with art and culture by an organization or program. It also provides a financial investment intended to enhance future arts and culture activities and to encourage further engagement. 
 

Applicants:

• must be a Nova Scotia-based non-profit arts and culture organization or an arts and culture program within a non-profit organization that has been operating for four years or more; a municipality; or a Nova Scotian Mi’kmaq Band Council.
• must have proven a history of community engagement with arts and culture
• may only receive this award once
• may nominate themselves

The following must be included in all nominations:

• A completed application form
• A brief overview of the organization, community or program (1-page max.)
• A nominator’s statement, which answers the following questions:
  • How does the organization/program engage community through arts and culture? (1-page max.)
  • Describe and define the community (communities) that the organization/program serves? (1-page max.)
  • How does the organization/program support positive social impact in their community? Please provide examples.  (1-page max.)
• Two letters of support
• Supporting documentation

Supporting Documentation Technical Requirements

Nominators may include documentation that shows the suitability of the nominee for the award. Supporting documentation must adhere to the following:

Applications will be assessed by a panel comprised of artists and cultural workers and reflective of Nova Scotia’s cultural diversity.

Applications will be assessed based on the following factors:

• Openness and accessibility.
• Excellence and innovation.
• Social benefit.
• Commitment to their community and contribution to its well-being.

If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is moved until the next business day. 

Send your nomination to artsnssubmissions@novascotia.ca according to the instructions below. You can watch our YouTube tutorial Submitting Your Application Over Email for more detailed instructions.

Before Sending Your Email

• Include your name on all files
• Number your files in the order they should be opened (application forms have a list of required documents in order)
• Ensure your page limits and file sizes are in line with the program guidelines
• Upload large audio and video files to a streaming service such as YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud

When Submitting

• Address your email to artsnssubmissions@novascotia.ca
• Send one nomination per email 
• Subject line should be: "[Name of Award] Nomination for [Nominee Name]”
• Keep attachments under 25MB
• Do not attach large audio or video files; include a streaming link in the body of the email
• Do not send cloud-based attachments (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
• Do not duplicate your application; do not send an additional hard copy

Only submissions will be accepted to this email address. Please direct all questions to the program officer. 

If you are unable to submit by email please contact the program officer.

All applications sent to ArtsNS submissions should receive an auto-reply confirmation. If you do not receive confirmation within one week, please contact a program officer. You must contact the program officer within two weeks of the deadline for us to consider your application. Applications will only be considered if there is proof of email being sent by the deadline. 

Extensions may be granted during exceptional circumstances beyond your control.

Examples of acceptable reasons include:
•    Personal health or family crisis.
•    Birth or death of a family member.

If you are experiencing exceptional circumstances and intend to submit an application, you must email the program officer to request an extension before 9am on the day of the deadline.

If you do not email a program officer before that time you will be ineligible for that deadline. The email must state the reason(s) you cannot meet the a deadline and when the application will be submitted.

Please Note: We are unable to grant extensions beyond one week after the stated program deadline.

We also understand that circumstances cannot always be governed by policy. Requests made after 9:00am on the day of the deadline, or which do not fall under the acceptable reasons, may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Program deadlines are posted on our website and we aim to share program information and deadlines broadly. Program officers are available throughout application processes to provide support and answer questions. We encourage you to reach out for application support well in advance of the deadline to schedule an appointment.

Unacceptable reasons may include:
•    Lack of awareness of the program deadline.
•    Poor planning or time management.
•    Overlap with grant deadlines for other funders.

Staff will review the request for extension. If the reason for the extension is acceptable, a deadline extension will be granted in writing. 

Applications have both mandatory and optional components. If mandatory components are missing from your application, it can be deemed ineligible.  Please review all application materials to ensure they are complete and in the correct format. It is your responsibility to make sure application forms and materials are sent by the deadline. We cannot accept additional materials after the deadline. Program officers are not responsible for following up with applicants if materials are missing. In some circumstances where it is determined that there was a simple error with the attached materials, it is possible that a program officer will ask you to re-send a document.

Due to the large number of applications in the Grants to Individuals program, program officers cannot follow up with you if materials are missing.

For the Application Period

We will work one-on-one with potential applicants who experience barriers to develop accommodations that suit their abilities and situations. Contact the program officer as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible. We recommend at least one month before the deadline.

For the Project Period

Access Support is a supplement to a project grant that funds individual applicants who self-identify as Deaf, having disabilities or living with mental illness, as well as groups and organizations who want to increase the accessibility to their presentation/ production for audience and/or participants. This supplementary grant provides a contribution towards costs for specific services and supports required to carry out a project funded by Arts NS.

Full details available on the Access Support program page.