The Arts Equity Funding Initiative, administered by Arts Nova Scotia, offers financial support to emerging and established professional artists who belong to designated equity‑deserving communities and reside in Nova Scotia. Applicants may request funding for four categories: Create (up to $15,000), Present (up to $12,000), Professional Development (up to $12,000), and Special Travel (up to $1,000). The program covers living expenses, artist fees, mentorship, production costs, travel, promotion, venue and equipment rental, and additional accessibility supports. Eligible applicants include individual professional artists, ad‑hoc groups of three or more artists (majority Nova Scotia residents), professional arts organizations, and non‑profit organizations employing artists. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants and have lived in Nova Scotia for at least 12 months. The next application deadline is August 15 2026, with a secondary deadline on February 15 2027. Applications are submitted via an online form and accompanying documents (project description, CV, financial template, support material, etc.). The program is free to apply, and funding decisions are made by peer‑assessment committees representing equity‑deserving assessors. Successful applicants receive a T4A slip for tax purposes. The initiative also provides supplemental accessibility funding up to $2,500 or 25 % of the project budget for artists with disabilities or mental‑illness needs.