How To Get Accepted For Travel Grants As A Music Creative

BEATCAVE
Nov 13
3 min read

Free virtual session that shows you exactly how to fund your next trip

Executive summary

You can stop paying out of pocket for flights and hotels. This free info session breaks down step by step how music creatives win travel grants, what funders look for, and how to submit with confidence. We will cover real examples, templates, and a reusable checklist. We will also share how artists have used grants to attend Beatcave’s CAMP in Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic.

Why travel grants matter

Travel is leverage. Show up in the right room and your network, knowledge, and opportunities compound. Grants exist to make that possible for artists with clear plans and measurable outcomes. If you can show purpose, impact, and a clean budget, you can compete.

What you will learn in the session

The main Canadian programs that regularly fund artist travel
How to write a purpose statement that lands
What to include in your itinerary, budget, and outcomes section
What proof you need before and after the trip
The submission checklist you can reuse for every application
Common mistakes that get applications tossed

Quick primer on Canadian travel funding

There are two big buckets most music creatives use:

Public arts fundersThe Canada Council for the Arts offers travel support within Canada and abroad when your trip is tied to promotion, collaboration, showcasing, or market development. Programs run year round with rolling intakes for many travel components. Some components allow significant annual support if your activities qualify.
Industry and foundation supportThe SOCAN Foundation runs a Travel Assistance Grant that helps eligible composers, writers, and publishers offset career-building travel. Read the eligibility closely, especially if you are also pursuing other SOCAN Foundation programs.

In the session, we will map which bucket fits your goal, then show you how to align your rationale, timeline, and documents so your application reads clean and credible.

What funders actually look for

Clarity of purpose: Why this trip, why now, and why you
Evidence: Confirmed meetings, invitations, showcase slots, market events
Plan and budget: Specific dates, routes, and costs that match your itinerary
Outcomes: What you expect to achieve and how you will measure it
Professionalism: Proper file naming, complete forms, on-time submission

We will provide a simple template pack so you can plug in your details: purpose statement, itinerary table, line-item budget, letters and invites, post-trip report outline.

Spotlight: RISE Edutainment

RISE Edutainment is a Toronto-based platform that empowers emerging artists through performance, learning, and leadership opportunities. Over more than a decade, RISE has hosted hundreds of events, created paid opportunities for thousands of artists, and built a community centered on safe expression and growth. Their edutainment model turns culture into career pathways and has supported artists who now move confidently across stages, festivals, and industry rooms.

Featured contributor: Elle De Lyon

Elle De Lyon is a creative producer, writer, and spoken word music artist who advanced from early RISE participant to program leadership. She has directed and produced large-scale cultural projects and supports artists with practical frameworks for planning, storytelling, and professional presentation. Her perspective connects artistry with execution, which is exactly what successful grant applications require.

How this connects to Beatcave experiences

Travel grants have helped artists attend our CAMP intensives, including past cohorts in Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic. When you pair a strong opportunity with a clear plan and deliverables, funders respond. In the session we will show how to position experiences like CAMP inside your application so it is obvious why funding your trip makes sense.

Who this is for

Producers, artists, managers, engineers, and creatives who are ready to travel for showcases, writing camps, sessions, conferences, or market development. If you can commit to prep and follow through, this session gives you the blueprint.