Toronto Arts Council’s Media Artists Program: Creation (Canada)

Media Arts includes independent film, video, audio, digital, video and electronic games, virtual and augmented reality and new media artworks. New media refers to works that use multi-media, computers or communications or information technologies for creative expression, including installation and performance art works that integrate such technologies.

Funds are intended to cover direct costs of creation/production, and materials. Applicants may apply for production and/or post-production.

Levels of Grants

There are two levels of grants in this program:

• Level One: $6,000 – For emerging artists in the early stages of their professional career who have produced a small body of work and achieved some local recognition and/or have limited public exhibition experience. Applicants should have between 2 and 7 years of independent arts practice.
• Level Two: $12,000 – Applicants should have at least 7 years of independent arts practice or a reasonable body of work, and have achieved national and or international recognition.

TAC Accessibility Grant

• Projects involving Deaf artists and artists with disabilities may apply for an additional TAC grant by completing the Accessibility Expenses section of the application and including the requisite information in their budget. A TAC Accessibility grant will provide up to a maximum of $5,000 towards accessibility costs for artists incurred during the project.
• Accessibility costs include but are not limited to: ASL interpretation, audio description, closed captioning, communications assistants, attendant care (including helpers for Elders), support workers and equipment rentals or other supports required to meet artists’ accessibility needs.

Duration: All projects must be completed within two years of the date on the notification letter.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be professional artists and meet the following criteria:

• A professional artist is someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions), who is recognized as such by their peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), who has a history of public presentation, publication and/or production and who is committed to devoting more time to their artistic activity if financially feasible.
• TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and contexts. Potential applicants from equity-seeking communities are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the Program Manager in advance of submitting an application.
• Applicants must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents or have an application pending for Permanent Resident status or be a Protected Person (approved refugee claimant) and, if requested, be able to provide documentation to verify this.
• Applicants must be residents of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the application deadline. Temporary absences of up to 12 months may be considered, subject to written explanation and special permission; please contact the Program Manager. Neither a Post Office Box address nor a studio address can be used to meet the residency requirement.
• Undergraduate students cannot apply.
• Applicants must have spent a minimum of one year working on and developing an independent art practice after completing full-time studies.
• Professional artists pursuing graduate studies may not apply for work related to their program of study. A letter from the graduate program director specifying that the project is not related to the graduate student’s program of studies must be submitted with the application.
• Applicants must retain full copyright, financial and creative control.
• Applicants to TAC’s 2023 Visual Artists Program may not apply to TAC’s 2023 Media Artists Program.
• Individual artists may only receive one discipline-stream project grant and one strategic initiative grant per calendar year, and can only have one open application in each stream at a time.
• Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant.
• The only eligible applicant for a film or video project is the director. Producers may not apply as co-applicants.
• Applicants must have created at least one media artwork.

Ineligible

• Projects that have been completed prior to the announcement of results. Toronto Arts Council does not fund retroactively.
• Projects with total budgets in excess of $250,000.
• Project funding solely for the purpose of travel or exhibition of work.
• Capital purchases, such as tools, equipment, etc.
• Commissioned, instructional or promotional projects.
• Promotion and marketing expenses.
• Pilots for commercial or educational television.
• Music videos.

For more information, visit Toronto Arts Council.