Research guides: Visual & Performing Arts Resources @ UTSC: Canadian Arts Organizations

Canadian Arts Organizations

Use these links to explore Canadian Arts Organizations at the Federal, Provinicial or Municipal level.

These associations often offer membership for specific benefits, and also organize conferences that are relevant to your fields.

Federal Associations

Federal Associations and Organizations

The following is a list of federal arts associations and organizations.

Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national, arm’s-length arts funding agency.
Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal
Since 1995, CAPPRT has been fully committed to fulfilling its objective: to contribute to Canada's cultural community by encouraging constructive professional relations between artists and producers in the federal jurisdiction. While working toward this objective, CAPPRT has been a model small agency and a contributor to the administrative tribunal and small agency communities.
Canadian Conference for the Arts
The Canadian Conference of the Arts is a not-for-profit, non-partisan member-based organization that represents the interests of over 400,000 artists, cultural professionals from all disciplines of the nation’s vast arts, culture and heritage community.
Canadian Heritage
Canadian Heritage is responsible for national policies and programs that promote Canadian content, foster cultural participation, active citizenship and participation in Canada's civic life, and strengthen connections among Canadians.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) allows Canadian museums to connect with each other and their audiences through the use of digital technologies.
Canadian Independent Music Association
CIMA (formerly CIRPA) is the trade organization representing the independent sector of the Canadian music and sound recording industry and the collective voice of independent music in English-speaking Canada.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
The CRTC has the job of regulating and supervising the broadcasting and telecommunications systems in Canada. The CRTC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Cultural Human Resources Council
The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) brings together cultural workers and employers to address training, career development and other human resource issues

National Film Board of Canada

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is responsible for protecting language rights and promoting English and French in Canadian society. Reporting directly to Parliament, the Office of the Commissioner has a mandate to ensure that federal institutions comply with the Official Languages Act.
Public Lending Right Program
The Canada Council for the Arts distributes annual payments to Canadian authors through the Public Lending Right (PLR) program as compensation for the free public access to their books in Canadian public libraries.
Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) is a not-for-profit organization that represents the Canadian performing rights of millions of Canadian and international music creators and publishers. SOCAN is proud to play a leading role in supporting the long-term success of its more than 100,000 Canadian members, as well as the Canadian music industry.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is the federal agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences.
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada is a team of some 200 enthusiasts of Canadian cinema. Dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, Telefilm, through its various funding and promotion programs, supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world.
Women's Art Association
The Women's Art Association of Canada assists students with scholarships to schools in various fields of the Arts, such as the National Ballet School, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, the Ontario College of Art and Design, Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advance Learning and George Brown The City College.

Provincial Arts Associations and Organizations

Provincial Associations and Organizations

A list of provincial associations and organizations.

Artscape
Since 1986, Artscape has developed a reputation as Canada's leading practitioner in multi-tenant space development for the arts and culture sector, successfully transforming a portfolio of underutilized buildings across Toronto into dynamic community assets.
Artist Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario
A professional provincial arts service organization that fosters the network and supports the growth and development of artist directed organizations engaged in contemporary cultural practice.
Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists - Ontario Chapter
CADA-ON is a non-profit organization that empowers and educates its membership of dance professionals towards the use of best practices within an evolving sector.
CARFAC Ontario
CARFAC Ontario is the association of professional visual and media artists. Founded in 1968, CARFAC (Canadian Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens) has worked for 40 years on the legal and economic issues facing visual artists.
Community Arts Ontario
A provincial service organization comprised of cultural centres, community arts groups, municipalities, artists and public supporters. CAO cultivates and connects the arts, artists and people across Ontario from urban, rural and remote communities, and provides network, exchange, and professional development opportunities for community arts practitioners.
Cultural Careers Council
The mission of the Cultural Careers Council is to support the people who work in the cultural sector through life-long career
development and business skills training.
Dance Ontario
DANCE ONTARIO is key to Ontario's dance milieu and central to the diverse sector's communications and networking, providing management training, advice and industry information. We interact with the general public on a daily basis promoting members' services and events.
Interactive Ontario
Interactive Ontario (IO) is a not-for-profit industry trade organization committed to the growth of the Ontario interactive digital content industry. To this end IO is an industry advocate within Ontario and nationally as a founding member of the Canadian Interactive Alliance /Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC).
Ontario Association of Art Galleries
This association encourage co-operation between member galleries and museums and cooperation with the Ontario Arts Council and similar agencies. It also assists in the development of visual art centres in the province of Ontario, promotes high standards of excellence and uniform methods in the care and presentation of art, and
serves as an advisory body in matters of professional interest in the province of Ontario.
Ontario Arts Council
The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is guided by the far-seeing mandate it was given in 1963 – to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. OAC offers more than fifty funding programs for Ontario-based artists and arts organizations, with funds from the Ontario government.
Ontario Crafts Council
As a dynamic, member-based, not-for-profit arts service organization, the OCC exists to grow recognition and appreciation of craft and craftspeople by building a strong, talented, distinct craft community.

Municipal Arts Organizations

Arts Etobicoke
Established in 1973 to provide a united voice for the local arts community, we are recognized as one of Canada's finest community arts councils. We are proud to support established and aspiring artists of all ages and backgrounds with a broad variety of activities and services, including arts education, advocacy, community space and much more.
Arts Hamilton
The Hamilton Arts Council exists to strengthen the role of the arts and culture in the City of Hamilton by making the arts accessible and relevant to the entire community.
Guelph Arts Council
A dynamic web portal dedicated to connecting local arts and heritage organizations and individual artists with their audience(s), with each other, and with resources that will aid them in the creation, presentation and preservation of art and heritage. The site serves the CIty of Guelph and the County of Wellington in Ontario, Canada.
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is an artist-run charitable organization dedicated to facilitating excellence in the moving image through media arts education and production resources.
Markham Arts Council
The mission of the Markham Arts Council is to serve and enhance our community’s well being by providing arts and cultural education and awareness while supporting the work and development of visual, literary and performing artists.
Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
TAPA's mission is to nurture an environment in which theatre, dance and opera may flourish and play a leadership role in the vitality of the City of Toronto.
Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Arts Council is run by a volunteer board, volunteer committees and a small complement of professional staff. An advisory panel of distinguished artists and managers further assist with this work.
York Region Arts Council
YorkScene.com is your Number 1 source for all there is to see and do in York Region and the region’s nine municipalities – Town of Georgina, Town of East Gwillimbury, Town of Newmarket, Town of Aurora, Town of Richmond Hill, King Township, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, City of Vaughan and City of Markham.

Visual & Performing Arts Resources @ UTSC

Canadian Arts Organizations

Federal Associations

Federal Associations and Organizations

Provincial Arts Associations and Organizations

Provincial Associations and Organizations

Municipal Arts Organizations

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