$60k SBCCI Fund: Capital Projects

It's OK* Community Arts acquiring professional audio equipment for live venue & recording studio.

$10k TAC: Black Arts Project

Music Performance & Recording development program for artists, producers, and instrumentalists w/ The Dirty B-Sides, The Recipee Band, and Junia-T & Friends. The debut of educational programming for It's OK* Studios.

$10k ArtsNS: Creative Community Impact Award

For contributions by the African Nova Scotian Music Association in the province for new engagement with youth programming, advocating for Black artists for 25 years, and celebrating Black excellence.

This award helped jumpstart visibility of the first Executive Director hired by the organization with additional resources.

$14k MusiCounts: Community Music

ANSMA acquiring equipment for a professional studio setup with production tools for creation and workshop facilitation.

$10k City of Halifax: Operating Budget

Any purposes towards general operating.

$14.5k City of Halifax: Project Assistance

Creation of an R&B Choir led by ANSMA in collaboration with community partners.

$15k Cultural Human Resources Council: YCW

Salary subsidy for graduates of post-secondary education as an elevated program to the SWP (Summer Work Position) that ANSMA regularly hires summer student interns from.

The YCW (Young Canada Works) positions are a resource to encourage new hires from equity-deserving backgrounds.

*funding was not used

$10k ArtsNS: Grants to Organizations

Facilitating The PRESS, a performance intensive program designed by RDM Live for ANSMA. It was adapted to include a winner based on guest facilitators' experience.

The winner, F$rgo, was called the Black Vibes Surprise, earning the closing set at Black Vibes ANSMA's showcase at ECMAs (May 2023). After putting on an epic, 3-dimensional, show-stopping performance, he earned the opening slot at the headline show for the legendary Earthgang & Toronto's hip-hop royalty Sydanie at Halifax's Hopscotch festival.

$3k+ FACTOR: Sponsorship

Retroactive funding to support all ANSMA members & Black musicians who attended Nova Scotia Music Association for professional development or had showcase performances.

This work included creating a spreadsheet with complex formulas to share the funding equitably. Those who needed it most prioritized responding quickly and submitted receipts.

The board held back to award each Black musician who attended, regardless of participation. This would have resulted in a minuscule sum for each. The new executive director agreed with our equations designed equitably due to lack of options for accommodations in Cape Breton, NS.

We contacted directly via email and social media DM as well as posting on Facebook, IG grid, and stories. With this due diligence, artists were treated like professionals and those who responded within 90 days received reimbursements for travel and accommodations with proofs of purchase.

$5k FACTOR: Sponsorship

Introduction of The PRESS performance intensive workshops and developing the 5 pillars of live show performances.

$5k FACTOR: Sponsorship

The introduction of The JUICE branding came with this important series gathering different generations of young Black & POC artists to discuss their experiences in the industry and, more specifically, in Atlantic Canada.

This project was administered by Halifax-based charitable arts organization Youth Art Connection as a rebrand launch for pre-professional arts programming originally run in Toronto by The BAR Institute.

$1.5k VIBEArts: Platform A Seed Grant

PARENTS was a program we created for parents who are active musicians with young children ages 2-6 to explore innovative pedagogical methods.

With co-learning and split group elements, there were amazing findings to follow this program one day.

$4.5k+ ArtReach: Pilot

SUMMER SCHOOL introduced a high school aged summer program garnering participants from across the GTA.

$2k TakingITGlobal: Fellowship

This fellowship had guest visitors educating us on specialized topics. This included a top Canadian charity lawyer, venture capitalist, a chartered accountant, and more.

Funding was put towards federal incorporation, copyrights, trademarks, and web development courses.

$2k TakingITGlobal: Fellowship

This was an exploration and planning for approaching a concept album with a major VR component. It was being made in partnership with a graduate from OCAD who was a then student at MIT.

The release was to coincide with a VR tour experience with interactive music videos shot in 360 with AR components added in post. The VR engine would host the videos. This would follow with a live music tour preparing for a home show done as live 360 with a surrounding band, 360 visuals, and the audience in the middle.

$1k Children's Peace Theatre: Skwaabeywis Seed

This was our first successful grant. It was an intensive hip-hop music workshop for live band development.