UPDATED September 15, 2022

The League of Canadian Poets provides funding to poets participating in events all across Canada, thanks to the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.

You’ll find the latest updates for all funding opportunities on this page.

Subscribe here to receive funding updates via e-mail!

 

FUNDING STREAMS

The League administers a variety of funding streams to support as many poets as possible, all across Canada. If you are unsure of which funding stream to select on your application form, your best guess will do: applications are processed manually by a staff member who will contact you if clarification is needed.

• Full members of the League are eligible for all general event funding streams
  • Please continue reading this page to find out more about application windows and timelines
• Ontario members of the League are eligible for our Poets in the Schools program, for visits (virtual or in-class) to Ontario schools
  • Find out more about Poets in the Schools, including links to programs outside of Ontario, here

OPEN funding streams

• None

CLOSED funding streams:

• Poets in the Schools visits
• In-person and digital events anywhere in Canada, for Full members only
• Associate members of the League and non-members have limited availability to two funding streams:
  • NOW CLOSED: Special in-person event funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, for local events that feature at least one (1) full member of the League
  • NOW CLOSED: National Poetry Month events
• Established reading series and festivals may apply to reserve a block of funding for Full members of the League without having confirmed the poets in advance. Applications to this stream are now closed, but we are delighted to be providing limited funding for League member honorariums at the following series and festivals (please contact the hosts for further information):
  • Antler River Poetry (formerly Poetry London)
  • The Art Bar Poetry Series
  • Eve of Poetry Reading Series
  • In/Verse Poetry Reading Series
  • The Living Room Series at knife|fork|book
  • LA3 Raza Open Mic
  • milk magazine reading series
  • Experience Art Fest 2022
  • Oh!Sound Poet Laureate Reading Series
  • Planet Earth Poetry
  • Queer Spaces in Montreal and Toronto
  • Riverbed Reading Series
  • Salt Spring Library’s Poetry Open Mic
  • Northumberland Festival of the Arts
  • Metaphorically Speaking

 

APPLICATION FORMS

If you are unsure which application form to submit, please contact admin@poets.ca.

WAITLIST ONLY | Events before March 31, 2023 (Full members only)

• You may submit an application to the waitlist for events taking place before March 31, 2023
  • Waitlisted applications will be processed in December 2022
  • Waitlisted applications are not guaranteed to be approved
  • If a waitlisted application is approved, payment will take place retroactively, like in January 2023
• Submit a waitlist application here

CLOSED THROUGH TO MARCH 2023 | Poets in the Schools. Applications for events in April – June 2023 will open in February 2023.

CLOSED THROUGH TO MARCH 2023 | In-person and digital events anywhere in Canada, for Full members only. Applications for events taking place April 1, 2023 – September 1, 2023 will open in January 2023

CLOSED UNTIL NPM 2023 | National Poetry Month event funding, for members and non-member anywhere in Canada. Applications for National Poetry Month 2023 events will open in January 2023.

CLOSED THROUGH TO MARCH 2023 | Reading Series and Festival reservations; reservations for events from April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024 will be open January – April 2023.

PROGRAM CLOSED; FULLY DISBURSED| In-person event funding for locally based events (Members and non-members)

ELIGIBILITY

Applications must be submitted during an open application window, or at least three weeks in advance of an event (if there is no specified application window).

• Poets may submit the application for funding for an event they are participating in, even if it is organized by a host. The host will have to verify the event with staff by submitting a report after the event
• Virtual events must be organized by a Canadian host, whether an individual or organization
• In-person events must be taking place in Canada

Please note that we cannot fund the following:

• Events that are not open to the public (eg. closed University/College events, closed membership events); with the exception of Poets in the Schools events in Ontario public schools
• Applications submitted by publishers
• Events that do not feature a live poetry reading
  • If you are planning a workshop, check out our workshop & consultation fund
• Non-live events (eg. prerecorded readings or events); please contact admin@poets.ca if non-live events are the only format available to you and you are seeking funding

HONORARIUM DETAILS

• Solo feature: $250
• Group event with reading longer than 15 minutes: $250
• Group event with reading up to 15 minutes: $125
• Class visits 1-3 hours: $250
• Class visits 3+ hours: $500

Honoraria are paid directly to the poet following the event. Contact admin@poets.ca if you have misplaced your confirmation e-mail and the links required to submit a payment request.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT

A minimal travel reimbursement may be available to poets participating in live, in-person events. A member of the League staff will contact you if travel reimbursement is requested in your application.

No more than $300 in travel reimbursement per event will be available.

HOST DATABASE

All applications must be connected with a host from our database, although the host does not need to be the person who submits the application.

View the database here.

Add a host here.

LIMITS

Please read this section carefully to understand host and poet funding limits. All limits are between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. With questions, contact admin@poets.ca.

Full members of the League

• Full members are eligible to receive up to $1,000 in honoraria from general event funding between April 1 and March 31; this includes National Poetry Month funding and funding disbursed via the Reading Series and Festivals reserve fund
• Full members are eligible to receive up to an additional $1,250 (5 events) for events funded through the new in-person event fund, for events taking place between January 1 and June 30, 2022
• Ontario Full members are eligible to receive up to an additional $2,000 for Poets in the Schools visits

Associate members of the League

• Associate members are eligible to receive up to $250 from the National Poetry Month funding stream
• Associate members are eligible to receive up to an additional $1,250 (5 events) for events funded through the new in-person event fund, for events taking place between January 1 and June 30, 2022
• Ontario Associate members may be eligible to receive funding through Poets in the Schools; contact admin@poets.ca with questions

Non-member poets

• Non-member poets are eligible to receive up to $125 from the National Poetry Month funding stream
• Non-member poets are eligible to receive up to an additional $1,250 (5 events) for events funded through the new in-person event fund, for events taking place between January 1 and June 30, 2022
  • Non-members participating in this funding stream will also receive free Associate membership until March 31, 2023

Host limits

Host limits are in place to ensure LCP funding is distributed equitably. Although applications may be submitted by a poet, host limits still apply. Limits are for events between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

• Series and festivals: up to $3,000 per year, across all funding streams
• Individual event organizers: up to $2,000
  • EXCEPTION: No host may receive more than $1,250 for events during National Poetry Month (April)
• Schools: up to $2,000 per year