Brantford Beats & Eats Application Form

The City of Brantford is currently accepting submissions for the first annual Brantford Beats and Eats festival, happening on Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown Brantford. The event will feature art, live music, performances, art installations, a vendor market, and more. Submissions for artists, performers, and vendors are now open and will close on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.

This application is open to all Canadian residents. Applicants from Brantford, the County of Brant, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Six Nations of the Grand River will be given priority (based on ability to meet the quality and standard required for this call).

All applicants must be available for set up/tear down windows based on their assigned areas and performance/application location. Food truck vendors are invited to apply through this online form.

Those interested can apply to this call through three different channels:

Artists and Performers

The City of Brantford is currently seeking performance artists of all mediums. This includes visual, music, dance, comedy, audio/visual, immersive, performance artists, roaming performers/buskers, and any other creative art form. Artists will be programmed into one of three stations: either a stage, a performance area, or roving, and located in downtown Brantford or Mohawk Park.

Mixed media pieces, interactive and audience engagement works, and hands-on activities promoting an artistic experience are all welcome.

  • Artists are invited to submit a proposal outlining their ideas/performance description and involvement in this year's event. The City of Brantford will select artists at the price points of $250, $500, $750, and $1,000.
  • All participants are pending the approval of the City of Brantford.

Application Requirements:

Artists are invited to respond to this Artist Call by completing the online submission form and submitting a single PDF document. Artists will be asked to apply for one of the following groups (note: these are examples, but are not limited to these categories):

  • Performing Artists: will be performing 1.5 hour sets on one of two stages at the festival (i.e.: singers, bands, dance groups, other performances, etc.)
  • Roving and Busking Artists: will be assigned an area or are free to roam within the festival to interact with and engage guests (i.e.: buskers, interactive art, performance art, etc.)
  • Stationary Creative Programming: will engage with the public but are required to have a stationary set up (i.e.: plein air artists, muralists, chalk art, dancers, etc.)

In the application form, artists will be asked to provide the following information in the City’s online form:

  • Contact Information: Main artist contact information, website (if applicable), social media links (if applicable)
  • Artist Pay: Please select a pay bracket and provide a short budget description of the fund’s justification. You may select a fixed the fixed rate or indicate your exact price within the selected ranges. [clickable box with four pay options and fillable range within price point options]
  • Artist performance genre
  • Artist Concept Statement: A short-written explanation of the proposed performance/act/show suitable for public presentation (350 words maximum) submitted in a PDF format, including:
  • Artist Bio and Portfolio: A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to ten (10) (minimum 5) examples of past work. With corresponding legend that identifies (all that are applicable to your medium) title, date, medium, location and commissioning agent. This can also be links to direct examples of audio/visual examples.
Sculpture Competition 

The City of Brantford is seeking sculptor artists to participate in the first annual sculpture competition during Brantford Beats and Eats.

For one day during the summer, sculptures will be installed along Colborne St. E. for the public to engage with and vote on. Five entries will be selected through a juried process for installation. Each successful artist will be given an honourium of $1,000.00 which covers the cost and time of installation and teardown.

This call is open to all artists within Canada. Sculptures must be original works suitable for outdoor installation. Artworks may be offered for sale. Artists are responsible for the base. On the day of the event, the public will vote on their favorite sculpture with the winning piece being selected for display at City Hall for a period of time after the festival. The winning artist will be given an additional $1,000.00 to cover the cost of a re-install in City Hall and removal.

All installations must be strong, stable, and secure, weighted down and/or attached to an existing structure or post.

Application Requirements:

Artists are invited to respond to this Artist Call by completing the online submission form and submitting a single PDF document. This PDF document should be labelled with the name of the artist and project (Name_Summer_Sculpture_Competition).

In the application form, artists will be asked to provide the following information in the City’s online form:

  • Contact Information: Main artist contact information, website (if applicable), social media links (if applicable)
  • Artist Concept Statement: A short-written explanation of the proposed installation suitable for public presentation (350 words maximum) submitted in a PDF format, including:
    • The name/title of the proposed artwork.
    • Multiple photos of the artwork from different angles.
    • Dimension, medium, weight, and any other pertinent information about installation.
    • A description of the Artist’s approach to the goals and themes of the piece.
    • A sculpture label to accompany the piece if selected for public display.
  • Artist Bio and Portfolio: A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to ten (minimum 5) examples of past work. With corresponding legend that identifies title, date, medium, location and commissioning agent (if applicable).
Vendors and Artist Market

The City of Brantford team is also seeking interested artist/artisan/guilds/collectives vendors and representatives from tourism-oriented Brantford businesses to participate in the festival through an artisan and vendor market. Vendors interested in displaying and selling wares are encouraged to apply.

  • Vendors are responsible for having someone stationed at their display and are required to handle all sales independently.
  • Applications may also include hands-on or interactive activities.
  • Vendors selected to display and sell their work will be charged a small fee of $40.
  • Display spaces are outside. Vendors may be responsible for their own table and chairs as the City has a limited amount to share. Vendors will be responsible for bringing their own tent or sun covering.

Submission Guidelines and Selection Procedure:

Applicants must be part of the creative market or tourism industry and selling art or merchandise of some kind. In the application form, artists will be asked to provide the following information in the City’s online form:

  • Contact Information: contact information, website (if applicable), social media links (if applicable)
  • Items for sale: A short explanation of what you will be selling.
  • Artist Bio and Portfolio (only applicable to Artist Market vendors): A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to ten (10) (minimum 5) examples of past work. With corresponding legend that identifies (all that are applicable to medium) title, date, medium, location and commissioning agent (if applicable).  

Apply now