Assistance to Media Arts Production Organizations
Deadline
15 October 2006
If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Your completed application and all support material must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.
The Canada Council will not accept applications postmarked after the deadline, incomplete applications, or those submitted by fax or email.
Program Description
Assistance to Media Arts Production Organizations offers operating assistance to Canadian non-profit, artist-run media arts organizations. The level of operating assistance approved by the Canada Council for the Arts covers one or two years. Organizations that receive annual or multi-year assistance may also obtain equipment acquisition assistance.
The program involves three levels of assistance:
Level 1 – Start-up assistance
Level 2 – Annual operating assistance
Level 3 – Multi-year operating assistance
(Please note that this level is not available for 2006-2007.)
The funded organizations provide ongoing support for Canadian media artists' creation and production of independent film, video, new media and/or audio artworks by:
- supplying access to production and post-production services, facilities and equipment;
- offering production/co-production, artist-in-residence, commissioning and/or production funding/support programs, as well as professional development opportunities (such as workshops);
- providing other services, facilities or activities that advance Canadian artists' creation and production of independent media artworks.
The Canada Council’s priority is to support organizations that foster the production of independent work that is innovative in the themes and subjects it addresses, the point of view it expresses, or the aesthetic strategies it employs.
The Canada Council defines independent productions as those over which directors/artists maintain complete creative and editorial control.
In 2000, the Department of Canadian Heritage gave the Council $860,000 to allow it to ensure increased support for organizations that offer young artists a chance to develop their skills in the production of feature-length films.
All Canada Council programs are accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Eligibility
Level 1 – Start-Up Assistance
Start-up assistance is intended for media arts production organizations that have just been incorporated or are in their early phases, as well as for organizations that are not yet eligible for annual operating assistance, or are eligible but have not yet received annual assistance. These organizations may apply for start-up assistance to cover basic administrative costs or project related expenses. Applications will be assessed on the basis of the assessment criteria and priorities of this program, and the extent to which the organization’s planned activities correspond to the production needs of the groups they serve. Organizations may apply for a maximum of two start-up grants.
Level 2 – Annual Operating Assistance
To be eligible for annual operating assistance, applicants must:
- have been in operation for at least two years as a legally incorporated Canadian, non-profit media arts organization;
- have a board of directors, the majority of whose members are practising media artists;
- have a principal mandate to provide ongoing support to the creation and production of independent media artworks by Canadian artists;
- be able to show a body of independent media artworks that Canadian artists have completed with their assistance over the past year;
- have an established administrative structure, including by-laws, policies and clearly defined responsibilities for staff and board members;
- demonstrate sound financial management;
- have received at least one start-up assistance grant (or, before 2002, a grant under the Grants to Media Arts Production Organizations: Development Project Grants program).
Organizations may not apply to this program to duplicate operating or ongoing assistance they receive from any other Canada Council program.
Level 3 – Multi-Year Operating Assistance
To be eligible for multi-year operating assistance, applicants must:
- have been in operation for at least two years as a legally incorporated Canadian, non-profit media arts organization;
- have a board of directors, the majority of whose members are practising media artists;
- have a principal mandate to provide ongoing support to the creation and production of independent media artworks by Canadian artists;
- be able to show a body of independent media artworks that Canadian artists have completed with their assistance over the past two years;
- have an established administrative structure, including by-laws, policies and clearly defined responsibilities for staff and board members;
- demonstrate sound financial management;
- have received at least one annual or multi-year operating grant.
Organizations may not apply to this program to duplicate operating or ongoing assistance they receive from any other Canada Council program.
Equipment Acquisition Assistance
Only organizations eligible to apply for annual or multi-year operating assistance (Levels 2 and 3) from this program may apply for equipment acquisition assistance.
Grant Amount
Level 1 – Start-Up Assistance
Organizations may apply for up to $20,000 to cover basic administrative costs or activities-related expenses. Under exceptional circumstances, they may use up to 25 percent of their grant to purchase equipment needed for their activities. In that case, the application must include plans for giving the equipment to an established non-profit artist-run media arts organization, if the applicant organization ceases its activities.
No grants are awarded retroactively.
Level 2 – Annual Operating Assistance and
Level 3 – Multi-Year Operating Assistance
There are no minimum or maximum grants that may be requested for Levels 2 and 3. Given the budgetary restrictions on the program, operating assistance grants generally are not more than $100,000. Applicants may receive less than the full amount requested.
Operating assistance helps pay the costs of administration; access for members to equipment, facilities and technical services; production and co-production programs; production funding programs; artist-in-residence programs; commissioning programs; professional development activities and training workshops; and newsletters.
Equipment acquisition assistance helps pay the costs of acquiring media arts production and post-production equipment.
Assessment of Applications
The Media Arts Section Officer responsible for the program reviews all applications to determine their eligibility.
The Media Arts Section establishes a committee of peer assessors who are independent media artists or other experts in the field, recognized for their expertise and knowledge of different media arts practices. Assessors are selected in an effort to ensure fair representation of gender, regional and cultural diversity, Aboriginal peoples, genres and both official languages.
Applicants will be informed of the results, in writing, approximately six months after the deadline. Results are not released over the telephone.
Further Information
This program summary provides an overview of the Assistance to Media Arts Production Organizations program. For further information or to obtain an application form, please contact Josette Bélanger, Media Arts Section Officer.
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5252
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
Media Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Fax: (613) 566-4409
October 2004