Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program

Through the Canadian Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program, the Government of Canada assumes the financial risk for loss and damage to objects and appurtenances on loan for eligible travelling exhibitions in Canadian museums, art galleries or other cultural institutions. Indemnification through the Program may significantly reduce the cost to institutions for the purchase of commercial insurance.

Indemnification for eligible travelling exhibitions is approved by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, in accordance with the Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Act. The Act creates the framework for the Program and sets maximum liability limits. The amount of contingent liability available to the Minister under the Program is $3 billion CAD at any given time with a maximum of $600 million CAD per travelling exhibition.

The Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Regulations set out the basic assessment criteria for an application, the deductible amounts and the maximum period of coverage. The Regulations also set out requirements related to condition reporting and the indemnification claims procedure. The legislative framework ensures high standards and minimizes risk for host institutions, lenders and the Government of Canada.

The Program has 2 objectives:

• to increase access to Canadian and world heritage through the exchange of artefacts and exhibitions in Canada
• to help reduce the financial cost of insurance and allow Canadian art galleries, museums, archives and libraries to present high-quality exhibitions on themes and with contents of national or global significance

Who can apply

Institutions that plan to organize or host either of the 2 following types of exhibitions are eligible for indemnification under the Program:

Domestic exhibitions: Exhibitions that are organized by a Canadian institution and shown at venues in at least 2 provinces within Canada

International exhibitions: Exhibitions where the total fair market value of objects borrowed from sources outside Canada exceeds that of the total fair market value of objects borrowed from inside Canada and have at least 1 Canadian venue

Eligibility is also determined by the value of individual travelling exhibitions. The total fair market value of all objects and appurtenances in an exhibition must be at least $500,000 CAD.

To determine whether your exhibition project is eligible for indemnification or to find out what factors you should consider before applying, please review the Eligibility and application details and complete the self-assessment tool.

Application deadlines

The Program accepts applications for indemnity twice per year:

• October 1 for exhibitions requiring indemnification as early as the following January 1
• April 1 for exhibitions requiring indemnification as early as the following July 1

How to apply

To apply to the Program, applicants are required to:

• ensure the Program has approved their facilities within the last 5 years and if not, to submit a Facilities evaluation form to the Program at least 9 months prior to the application deadline (see section on Facility eligibility for additional information)
• send the Program a letter of intent 6 to 12 months prior to an application deadline that includes the following:
  • the proposed title and brief description of the exhibition
  • exhibition itinerary
  • dates for indemnity request
  • the approximate number of lenders and objects to be covered by indemnity
  • the amount of indemnity to be requested
• download the application form and submit the completed copy, along with any required appendices, to the Program electronically through a secure channel

Please review the Eligibility and application details prior to submission.

Contact us

Canada Travelling Exhibitions Indemnification Program
Heritage Policy and Programs Branch
Department of Canadian Heritage
25 Eddy St
Gatineau QC  J8X 4B5

Email

dgpindemnisation-dghbindemnification@pch.gc.ca

Telephone

1-866-811-0055 (toll-free)

TTY

1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)

Agents are available to answer your questions, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm (ET).