Assistance to Media Arts Distribution Organizations
Deadline
1 November
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
The Canada Council for the Arts offers operating assistance to Canadian non-profit, artist-run media arts distribution organizations. Organizations must demonstrate a serious commitment to the distribution needs and interests of Canadian artists producing independent film, video, new media and audio artworks, by making their work accessible to the public and providing them with a financial return from the sale, rental and licensing of their work.
The Canada Council’s priority is to support the distribution of independent work by Canadian media artists that is innovative in the themes and subjects it addresses, the point of view it expresses, and the aesthetic strategies it employs.
The Canada Council considers independent productions to be those over which the director/artist maintains complete creative and editorial control, and retains ownership of masters, printing elements and/or other original production materials.
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding, organizations must have been in operation for at least one year, be directed by a board of practising media artists, have an established administrative structure and be legally constituted as a Canadian, non-profit organization.
Organizations must demonstrate a clear and ongoing commitment to the distribution of Canadian independent film, video, new media or audio productions by artists as one of their principal activities. At least 50 percent of an organization’s active distribution collection must be Canadian independent film, video, new media or audio productions by artists.
Organizations must demonstrate sound financial management as well as accountability to the artists whose work they distribute. Failure to pay amounts due to artists will normally result in loss of eligibility for grants for distribution.
Organizations must have a published acquisitions policy. They must obtain and honour written agreements with the artists whose work they distribute, setting out the specific distribution rights granted by the artists to the organization, and the terms and conditions under which such rights are granted.
Organizations that carry out activities other than distribution, or that are associated with any commercial enterprise, must prove through their financial records and incorporation documents that no support received under this program is used to assist such other activities or enterprises.
All Canada Council programs are accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Grant Amount
The grant level approved by the Canada Council is normally maintained for three years. Assistance contributes to the direct costs of:
- distribution activities and services (including acquisition)
- promotional activities and services
- administration.
Assessment of Applications
All applications for operating assistance are reviewed for eligibility by Media Arts Section Officers. A peer assessment committee then makes a comparative analysis of all eligible applications. On the basis of the committee’s recommendations, the Media Arts Section prepares grant recommendations which it presents to the Canada Council for the Arts Board.
The committee’s recommendations are for a three-year period.
The peer assessment committee reserves the right to recommend grants for organizations not receiving operating assistance at present; to recommend an increase or decrease in existing grant levels for organizations currently receiving operating assistance; or to recommend that assistance to organizations be phased out.
The committee is made up of independent distribution specialists and media artists. Members are also selected to provide fair gender, both official languages, regional and cultural representation. Other factors that determine the composition of the committee are the experience and expertise of the individuals, their critical abilities, and their standing in the independent film, video, audio or new media arts communities in Canada.
Distribution organizations are invited to submit names of peers to serve on peer assessment committees. All names submitted are subject to review by the Canada Council for the Arts Media Arts Advisory Committee.
Applicants will be notified of the results, by letter, within four months of the deadline. Results are not released over the telephone or by email.
Other Programs of Support
The Media Arts Section provides support for short-term distribution projects through the Dissemination Project Grants program. Please contact Michèle Stanley at one of the telephone numbers indicated below for more information on this program.
Through the New Audience and Market Development Office, travel grants are offered to programmers, curators and distributors to increase dissemination opportunities for Canadian artworks in Canada and abroad. Please contact the Market Development Coordinator, ext. 4118, for more information.
Application Form and Guidelines
Assistance to Media Arts Distribution Organizations (Application Guidelines and Form in PDF Acrobat format)
Common Financial Form for Operating Grants to Organizations (financial pages in Excel format)
Further Information
Michèle Stanley
Media Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 5251
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired Callers: 613-565-5194
Fax: 613-566-4409
September 2007