ACP
programs

The Artistic Creation Program of the Music Nova Scotia Investment Program offers a $1,500.00 investment toward the creation and marketing of musical and audio-visual artistic creations, including but not limited to recordings, performance videos, & music videos. Your application should set out what you intend to create and, if applicable, your marketing plan. 

The Artistic Creation Program is only available to applicants of racialized communities: People of Mi’kmaq descent and other Indigenous Peoples; people of African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and mixed racial heritage descent who have been historically disadvantaged as a group and may experience discrimination based on colour, culture and race.

The Artistic Creation Program LEVEL I is only available to applicants who have never received funding in other Music Nova Scotia Investment Programs. 

Deadlines:
March 15
September 15

Who Can Apply? 

The Artistic Creation Program is only available to applicants who have never received funding in other Music Nova Scotia Investment Programs. For clarity, if you have been funded by Music Nova Scotia in any other program, you are ineligible to apply for the Artistic Creation Program – Please, refer to ACP Level II.

Artists are eligible to receive funding two (2) times in the lifetime of the Artistic Creation Program.

Artists who have received funding one (1) time previously in the Artistic Creation Program are eligible to apply again in the program, provided they have not received funding in other Music Nova Scotia programs.

Applicants under 18 years of age must submit a signed Legal Guardian Consent Form with the application.

There can be only one Application per Artist submitted per deadline.

Level of Investment – $1,500.00 maximum per Applicant per Deadline
Percentage of Investment – 100% of total budget to max investment

With your application, you must submit:
A short summary of who you are as an artist, your project, your audience/potential audience, and how you plan to spend the money. 
A Guardian Consent Form if under the age of 18.

All documents referenced in the guidelines can be found here:

Supporting Documents:
Investment Program Policies & Definitions
Applicant Rating Criteria
Cost Summary Form
Donated Services Form
Guardian Consent Form
Deal Memo for Hired Musicians and Crew

The Artistic Creation Program II of the Music Nova Scotia Investment Program offers a $3,000.00 investment toward one year of artist development activities including sound recording, touring & showcasing, video production, marketing and promotion. These activities must be detailed in an Artistic Creation Program II Plan, which will be submitted to Music Nova Scotia as a required element of the application.

The Artistic Creation Program II is only available to applicants of racialized communities: People of Mi’kmaq descent and other Indigenous Peoples; people of African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and mixed racial heritage descent who have been historically disadvantaged as a group and may experience discrimination based on colour, culture and race.

Deadlines:
June 15
December 15

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible for the Artistic Creation Program II, you must meet one of the following criteria:

You have received two ACP I grants
You have received funding in a non-ACP Music Nova Scotia program
You qualify for Artist II in Music Nova Scotia’s programs

Other parties such as artist managers, producers and music publishers may fill out the Application on behalf of an Artist; however, the Artist must be the named Applicant.

Applicants under 18 years of age must submit a signed Legal Guardian Consent Form with the application.

There can be only one Application per Artist submitted per deadline.

Level of Investment – $3,000
Percentage of Investment – 100% 

With your application, you must submit:

An assessment track with lyrics if applicable

An Artistic Creation Program II plan. Your plan will be written into the body of the online application form. This Plan should set out all of your intended artist development activities in the upcoming year, such as recording, touring, marketing, video production, and showcasing. It should be as detailed as possible. For every activity, you must outline where, when, why and how you intend to make your plan happen successfully. Please differentiate between activities and events that are confirmed, and those that might happen.

A Guardian Consent Form if under the age of 18.

All documents referenced in the guidelines can be found here:

Supporting Documents:
Investment Program Policies & Definitions
Applicant Rating Criteria
Cost Summary Form
Donated Services Form
Guardian Consent Form
Deal Memo for Hired Musicians and Crew

The Industry Builders Mentorship component of the Music Nova Scotia Investment Program supports developmental employment relationships between Developing and Export-Ready Artists/Companies/Entrepreneurs (Mentee) and mentors in which a more experienced music industry professional (Mentor) shares information, skills or knowledge and standards or best practices that will advance the applicant’s career, enhance their education and build their networks.

The Industry Builders Mentorship program is only available to applicants of racialized communities: People of Mi’kmaq descent and other Indigenous Peoples; people of African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and mixed racial heritage descent who have been historically disadvantaged as a group and may experience discrimination based on colour, culture and race.

Deadlines:
June 15
December 15

Who Can Apply?

Any artist or business that has not previously received funding in the Music Nova Scotia Mentorship Program

It is mandatory that all applicants to the Industry Builders Mentorship stream contact the Program Manager in advance to discuss their mentorship project to ensure you and your proposed activity are eligible.

Applications submitted to the Industry Builders Mentorship stream without prior consultation with the Program Manager will not be accepted.

Level of Investment – $15,000
Percentage of Investment – 100%

With your application, you must submit:
A complete and detailed Mentorship Plan

All documents referenced in the guidelines can be found here:

Supporting Documents:
Investment Program Policies & Definitions
Applicant Rating Criteria
Private Vehicle Log
Per Diem Declaration Template
Mentorship Cost Summary Template