Ancrage opens CAM's neighbourhood collaboration fund, with a 2 September deadline.

The Conseil des arts de Montréal has opened Ancrage, its fund for artist collectives and non-profit organizations building projects rooted in a specific Montreal neighbourhood. Applications close 2 September 2026, at 5pm.

The programme targets research, creation or production projects that grow out of a close relationship with a neighbourhood, built through partnerships with community organizations, local venues or businesses. CAM prioritizes areas of the island where artistic activity is currently thin.

There is no fixed grant amount. Funding can cover up to 90% of a project's costs, and applicants need a letter confirming their neighbourhood partnership before they apply.

Eligible applicants are professional artist collectives and non-profit arts organizations working anywhere on the Island of Montreal, not tied to a single borough or discipline.

For a circus company without a resident venue, this is one of the more direct routes into a neighbourhood: partner with a local organization first, then build the project around that relationship rather than the other way around.