Individual Arts Grants: Media Artists in Canada

Projects and works must be independent of commercial industries for film, video, and gaming.

Focus Areas

• Moving images (film and video practices, including narrative, experimental, expanded cinema, and installation-based works);
• Audio/sound art (including sound sculptures and installations, sound walks, or other use of sound and listening as the foundation of artistic expression, generally for presentation in gallery spaces); or
• New media and digital arts (including interactive installation, immersive and interactive environments, web-based art, or other information and communications technologies used for artistic expression).

Funding Information

• Maximum request amount is $25,000.
• You may request subsistence of up to $750 per week, to a maximum of $15,000.

Eligible Expenses

• Costs of materials and/or supplies directly related to the project.
• Purchase of equipment up to $2,500. Equipment must be directly related to the project
• Rental of equipment or space when directly related to the project.
• Fees paid to other professionals to help complete the project, for example, other artists, practitioners, crew, technicians, post-production staff, or sensitivity reader.
• Production and post-production costs.
• Travel expenses directly related to completing the project.
• Accessibility costs related to the project that are not eligible for the Access Support program.

Ineligible Expenses

• Operating or ongoing expenses
• Capital expenses (for example, construction, renovation, or purchase of property)
• Equipment purchases over $2,500
• Feasibility studies, start-up costs, or seed money
• Project deficits, budget deficits or contingency funds
• Promotion or distribution expenses, including additional release prints or attendance at screenings or markets
• Touring expenses

Eligible Projects

• Individual Arts Grants programs provide one-time grants for specific projects or activities led by an individual. Some examples include:
  • A film director seeking production funds for an independent, small-budget short documentary film.
  • A multimedia artist seeking funds to pay collaborating artists for a creation workshop for a sound-based work in their community.
  • A new media artist seeking funds to pay for creative consultation, space rental, and fabrication costs associated with a new installation work.
  • A film director seeking post-production funds for a small-scale narrative film to hire editors, colorists, as well as equipment and space rental.

Ineligible Projects

• Project phases or activities that begin before the application closing date.
• Projects or activities that are not based on artistic or curatorial decision making, or where arts and culture is not the primary focus.
• Projects or activities that do not involve or benefit artists or arts and culture practitioners.
• Amateur or student productions or projects.
• Activities that require payment from artists to participate.
• Fundraising activities; conferences and conventions; family, religious, anniversary, or community celebrations.
• Contests and competitions, except if competition is integral to the art form or culture practice, for example: hip-hop and street dance, poetry slams, powwows.
• Curriculum-based activities or projects related to continuing education or post-secondary programs at educational institutions or where artists are providing professional development or arts education outside of the creative process.
• Projects commissioned from other entities.
• Projects where final creative control is held by someone other than the lead artist.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible, you must:
  • Be an independent media artist, who has completed all basic training (not necessarily in academic institutions).
  • Be recognized as professional by other practitioners working in a similar artistic practice.
  • Be committed to working full-time at your practice when financially possible.
  • Demonstrate you are an established independent media artist or arts and culture practitioner in your CV or resume, by having:
    • Completed appropriate and relevant training in your field of practice. Training may include post-secondary institutions, traditional knowledge transfer, a series of professional level workshops, or apprenticeship with a qualified practitioner.
    • A minimum two years of being paid to work in your field after completing basic training.
    • Created and completed at least one project that has been professionally presented as part of a public program for which a professional fee was received (CARFAC, IMAA, or equivalent).
  • Eligible activities may include exhibition in a professionally curated exhibition for which you received professional fees as described above or having your work screened at a professional film festival at which a professional fee was received.
• To be eligible, all applicants must also:
  • Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada.
  • Be a B.C. resident who ordinarily resides in B.C. and has lived in B.C. for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to the application closing date.
  • For more information, review our Determining B.C. Residency page.
  • You must be prepared to provide documentation to support your residency status (if requested).
  • Have final creative control over the proposed work (for example, director’s credit).
  • Fairly compensate artists, arts and culture practitioners, technicians, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers. Compensation must align with project and community contexts and industry standards within the field of practice.
  • Follow international intellectual property rights standards and cultural ownership protocols.
  • Follow the Criminal Records Review Act which requires that people who work with or may have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults must undergo a criminal record check by the Criminal Records Review Program.
  • Not have any overdue final reports on previous BC Arts Council grants.

For more information, visit British Columbia Arts Council.