Performing Arts
Workshop presentation of Svāhā!, choreographed by Nova Bhattacharya and produced by Nova Dance. Photo: Dahlia Katz
Strategic Experimentation Fund
Overview
How to Apply
Encouraging experimentation to deepen the value organizations bring to communities
Metcalf recognizes the remarkable work underway in the sector despite the overwhelming disruptions it has faced over the last few years. As performing arts organizations strive to remain not only sustainable but vital, they are facing pressure to invent new strategies that go beyond business as usual. The Strategic Experimentation Fund (SEF) supports these transformational efforts that rely less on past experience or external expertise and more on iterative experimentation — and the learning that comes with it — as organizations search for meaningful ways to increase the value they bring to their communities.
Today, dramatic shifts in the operating environment have placed radical new demands on arts organizations. Factors such as generational and demographic shifts, as well as the need for new forms of resource development and re-imagined business models, have asked the sector to re-examine the status quo in all its forms. To work within this rapidly changing environment, each organization must find its own unique balance between stability and innovation. For those who are ready, SEF encourages applicants to carve out time and space to consider their value proposition, follow their hunches, and learn about promising directions before committing core operational resources.
About
The Strategic Experimentation Fund (SEF) encourages Toronto performing arts organizations to test new approaches to deepen the value they bring to their communities.
SEF encourages strategic approaches to an organization’s development, capacity building, and problem solving — in all aspects of operations including artistic, administrative, and audience-building functions, among others. We expect that applicants will focus on their specific organizational needs rather than on the broader sector.
Phase 1 Experimentation (this application): Applicants will determine their unique challenge, outline their hunch(es), propose some initial responses, and then design iterative experiments to test their hypothesis. Applicants will also outline their data gathering activities and the sense-making process they will use to help them gauge the potency and promise of their initial hunches. This first phase of activity can begin once successful grantees are notified in early October 2026 and will likely take 6–10 months to execute.
Phase 1 applicants can request up to $40,000. Successful projects will be funded at the amount requested, but the grant may be reduced in cases where expenses are deemed ineligible.
Phase 2 Amplification (future applications): Once organizations have undertaken Phase 1, they have three options to consider: opt out of the initiative; undertake another cycle of Phase 1 activity; or move into an amplification process to bring the promise of the strategy closer to core operations.
Eligibility
Applicants to SEF must:
- be professional theatre, dance, music, or opera organizations, or those working between and among these disciplines (including creation/production companies, festivals, professional training institutions, and service organizations);
- maintain a professional staff (organizations of all sizes are encouraged to apply; the minimum staff capacity is two FTE);
- be based in the City of Toronto (organizations located in the GTA may be considered if they have a significant presence in the City of Toronto);
- have a minimum of three years of organizational/production history; and
- have a current, valid charitable registration from the Canada Revenue Agency.
Please note: organizations who are currently participating in SEF 2024 are not eligible to apply.
Deadlines
For 2026, the application deadline is July 21, 2:00pm ET.
Application Guidelines
Drop-In Q&A Sessions
We are offering three online office hour drop-in sessions to answer your clarifying questions on the following dates:
- Tuesday, May 12 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- Tuesday, May 19 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Wednesday, June 10 from 10:00 – 11:00 am
These are drop-in sessions on a first-come first-served basis with 20 spots available per meeting. Please review the guidelines thoroughly prior to the meeting. You can register for the sessions here.
