Scholarship Eligibility

Please read this information carefully to see if you're eligible to apply for a Talent Trust scholarship. 

• The Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarship program funds pre-professional artists. A pre-professional artist is one who is not yet established as a professional artist in his or her discipline and is enrolled in a study program privately or at an institution. Our program is intended for applicants whose primary goal is to become a professional artist.
• You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in order to apply. We are required to issue a T4A form for income tax purposes for all scholarships, bursaries, and special awards to individuals, so you must be able to report income to the CRA. If you do not have a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) you can apply for an Individual Tax Number (ITN). Please contact the CRA for more information about the ITN process.
• An eligible applicant is anyone who has lived in Nova Scotia for at least two years prior to the date of application and has filed taxes in Nova Scotia in 2023, including any Nova Scotian who is currently studying outside the province. This means that a potential applicant (or their parents) must file their income taxes in the province of Nova Scotia.
• Individuals who are already established in professional careers in areas outside of the arts who wish to embark upon a professional career in the arts, or those who have established careers in one artistic discipline and wish to move to another (e.g. transition from visual arts to literary arts) are also eligible to apply to the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, provided they can submit examples of their work demonstrating serious potential in their chosen discipline.
• Young Applicants: Unless they are enrolling in full-time professional training institutions, applicants who are not yet in high school will only be supported when they are undertaking programs outside their regular school instruction, such as summer instructional camps or private study.

You are NOT eligible if:

• You (or for young students: your parents) file income tax in a province other than Nova Scotia.
• You have received a grant from the Province of Nova Scotia in the past (through Arts Nova Scotia Grants to Individuals program).
• You have received a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.
• You are eligible to apply for financial support in another Canadian province (and hence file income tax in that province).
• You intend to take art teacher training or creative arts therapy training (we don’t support those programs of study).
• You have completed formative study and have begun to work as established or professional artists should apply to the Grants to Individuals program offered by Arts Nova Scotia.

The Talent Trust is an open and encouraging organization that invites applications from all pre-professional artists. We support the artistic endeavours of all Nova Scotians from all areas of the province and all walks of life. In particular, we welcome applications from individuals who may be making their first attempt to gain funding for their work. Even if you feel uncertain, please give us a try.

Every application we receive is treated with respect and careful consideration. The Scholarship Selection Committee's decisions are final. We encourage that you ask for feedback. The Talent Trust embraces the principles of transparency and equality. 

If you need assistance with any part of your application form or have questions, please get in touch with us at scholarship@nstalenttrust.ns.ca.

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