Media Artists Creation Projects

Purpose

• Emerging Artist: You have completed at least one independent media work and are not currently enrolled in a formal media arts education program.
• Mid-Career & Established Artist: You have completed at least two previous media works independently. Mid-Career artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 5 years. Established artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 15 years.

Deadline dates

• The application form will be available in Nova about two months before the deadline.
• You will find out whether you got a grant about four and a half months after each deadline.

Grant amount(s)

• $125,000 for Emerging applications
• $300,000 for Mid-Career & Established applications

Recent changes

• The restriction stating that artists could not apply to both Visual Artists Creation Projects and Media Artists Creation Projects within the same year has been removed. Artists must receive confirmation of not being awarded a grant from one program before submitting an application to the other program.

Eligible applicants

• Directors/principal media artists who: 
  • reside in Ontario
  • have completed the requisite number of independent works for their applicant type (emerging, mid-career or established – see Definitions)
  • are taking their own initiative and making their own decisions about the work to be created
  • work with or without a producer
  • hold copyright over the proposed work
    • Contracts with producers or other funders must not require that the artist give up such control, even if they are arranged after confirmation of OAC support.

Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.

Important: Applicants must meet program and OAC eligibility criteria at the time of application and for the duration of your project.

Ineligible applicants

• producers
• individuals who have only contributed to media art projects that were directed or led by someone else (for example, screenwriters)
• secondary and undergraduate students (see note below for graduate students)
• artists who have been awarded a grant in the Visual Artists Creation Projects program in the same year
• artists who have applied to Visual Artists Creation Projects program in the same year and are still waiting for their results

Important:

• Collaborators (for example, co-director) named in one application cannot be the applicant or collaborator on another application submitted to this program at the same deadline.
• Applicants who have previously received a Media Artists grant in the Mid-Career & Established category cannot apply in the Emerging category.

Notes:

• If you have not completed the requisite number of independent media art works but are a professional artist in another discipline (for example, dance, theatre, music), your media arts project may be eligible in another project grant program. See the full list of programs here.
• If you are a graduate student, you may only apply to the Mid-Career & Established category. You must provide a letter from the department head stating your proposed project is not a part of your academic program.

What this program funds

• Production and post-production costs, including artist and personnel fees, related travel expenses, insurance, promotional materials, prototyping, rights for visuals and sound/music, facility and equipment rentals, purchase of small-scale equipment, software, electronics and similar materials required to carry out the project
• You may apply for:
  • animation
  • audio or video art
  • dance film/video (for the choreography only, also see the Dance Projects program)
  • documentary
  • drama/comedy
  • experimental
  • media art installation
  • new media
  • media-based performance projects
  • web-based art projects
  • video or electronic games
  • virtual reality projects

This program also supports:

• childcare and other dependant care fees enabling you to take part in the project (this does not include regular, ongoing expenses)

Notes:

• Applicants to this program who identify as Deaf or as having a disability may apply for supplementary funds for their project-related accessibility expenses through Accessibility Fund: Project Support.
• Applicants may apply for up to 100 per cent of the project costs but are encouraged to seek revenue from a variety of sources, where possible.

What this program does not fund

• research, development and screenwriting
• a series or group of works (including web series and podcasts)
• commissioned projects and projects contracted for, or produced by a government agency, not-for-profit or private company
• promotional projects or public service announcements
• educational or instructional projects
• producer-driven projects or “calling-card” films
• student projects, including those done through a training centre or program (for example, Banff Centre, National Screen Institute, Canadian Film Centre)
• television projects, (including journalistic or reporting-style documentary projects, police dramas, movies of the week, news reports, and bravoFact and bravoFactual projects)
• pilots (for television, web series or podcasts)
• music and music albums
• music videos
• fashion videos
• e-books
• commercial video or electronic games
• National Film Board of Canada co-productions (except the Filmmakers Assistance Program)
• documentation of existing artworks, and new versions of works that have already been exhibited
• transfers from one format to another (for example, language versioning or subtitling)
• projects with budgets exceeding $125,000 in the Emerging category, or $300,000 in the Mid-Career & Established category
• projects for which you have sought or will be seeking support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada or the National Research Council
• projects for which you will be seeking tax credits
• websites
• major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment

Activity timing

The activity for which you are requesting funding:

• cannot start before you receive your grant results
• must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant cheque

Important

• You cannot apply to this deadline if you have not completed the activity for a previously awarded grant in this program and submitted a satisfactory final report.
• The OAC grant cheque will only be released when all sources of revenue are confirmed. If the funds are not confirmed within one year of your grant notification, the grant will be forfeited.

Final report requirements

If you receive a grant, you must complete the project and submit a final report in Nova. See Terms and Conditions – receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations.

In your final report, you will need to provide:

• a description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any minor or approved changes to what had been outlined in the application
• a final budget
  • If the budget you submit shows a surplus of more than $250 (revenues as compared to expenses), you may be required to repay the surplus amount to OAC.
• documentation and/or an explanation of how you acknowledged or will acknowledge OAC support for your project
  • This should include samples of OAC logo recognition on any promotional or other materials produced in conjunction with the project, such as publications, brochures, posters, invitations, websites, or videos/films.
  • This could also include a description of verbal acknowledgement at public events or the intention to include OAC acknowledgement in associated future activities/materials
• video file of or link to the completed work

To apply

Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. You will be able to do this approximately two months before the deadline.

Before applying, be sure to:

• read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for basic eligibility requirements and other restrictions
• create or update your profile in Nova

Your application will include:

• basic information about the project
• your answers to application questions
• a project budget and a detailed budget
• audiovisual artistic examples:
  • Emerging: one example
  • Mid-Career: two examples
  • Established: two examples
• support documents:
  • résumé/bio, script, storyboards, installation schematic, design documents, visual and sound treatment, and letters of agreement, as appropriate for your project
  • if you are a graduate student, you must include a letter from your school’s department head confirming that your project is not part of your academic program

Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.

For information on how assessors rate applications see the Guide to OAC Assessment and the Evaluation Rubric – Activity Projects.

For details on creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.

Program-specific definitions

Independent media art: Work that you initiated as the director/principal media artist. You have complete creative and editorial control and hold copyright. Student, commissioned, and commercial works are not considered independent.

Emerging: You have completed at least one independent media work.

Mid-Career: You have completed at least two independent media works. You have been practicing for at least five years.

Established: You have completed at least five independent media works. You have been practicing for at least 15 years.