General information

Through this program, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) is seeking to financially support independent curators in the realms of the media arts.

The media artists include artistic practices in the realms of cinema, video and the new media. In addition to audio art, the type of works associated with the new media is usually based on the use of communications and information technologies, i.e. computer, electronic, digital, sound, interactive and Web-based technologies.

Independent production in the media arts implies that artists exercise full control over the contents and realization of their work and over all production and distribution agreements. They possess all reproduction and public performance rights to their work or may, by granting a licence, assign them to an associate producer or an independent distributor. This practice is in keeping with production subject to cultural industry market laws.

This program comprises two sections, indicated below.

Section 1 – Operational support

Section 2 – Support for projects

a) organization of one-off events

b) circulation of works in Québec and abroad

c) reception of foreign programming

d) publication of works that document practices in different disciplines

e) mise en place de moyens portant sur le partage et la complémentarité des ressources (intended for organizations only)

f) exploration projects in Québec and abroad

Note: Only sections 2 a, b, c, d and f of this program are also intended for independent curators. Section 1 (operational support) and Section 2e are intended solely for organizations and are not examined in this brochure. Organizations must submit their applications in French in conjunction with the Programme de subventions en arts médiatiques.


Submission of the application
An applicant wishing to register for this program must fill out the appropriate application form and be sure to submit all of the documents demanded, including a copy of the model contract with the artists and curators. 

Application forms are available upon request from the CALQ. They may also be downloaded from the page of the program to which they pertain on the CALQ's Website. [under the heading Application form in the upper left-hand corner of this page]

A single copy of the registration file must be submitted (21.6 cm x 27.9 cm or 8½" x 11"). To facilitate photocopying, do not staple, bind or print the documents on both sides of the page.

The CALQ is not responsible for the loss of items submitted with the application or damage sustained by such items during shipping. Applicants are urged to avoid sending the originals of items or supporting documents, with the exception of financial statements.

Only visual material, sound recordings and publications are returned to applicants within 90 days of the announcement of the results.

Subject to provisions in the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, the CALQ respects the confidentiality of the documents and information in its possession and of those sent to it.


Place of registration
Applications must be submitted to the CALQ office in Québec City or Montréal.

Registration deadlines

Section 2a to 2d : March 1 and September 15, 2012
2a – Organization of one-off events
2b – Circulation of works in Québec and abroad
2c – Reception of foreign programming
2d – Publication of works that document practices in the discipline

Section 2f (Exploration projects in Québec and abroad) : at any time.

If the registration deadline falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, it moves to the next business day. The CALQ deems the postmark to be the date of reception of the application. Incomplete applications or those received after the registration deadline are not accepted.

The CALQ sends an e-mail acknowledgement to applicants who have an e-mail address. Applicants who submit their applications to the CALQ's offices receive a dated acknowledgement of receipt.

Response time
If the application is complete, the CALQ will inform the applicant of its decision following the evaluation of the application within roughly five months of the registration date.

In the case of exploration projects, if the file is complete, the CALQ will inform the applicant of its decision with eight weeks of receipt of the application.

Applicants who submit an application that is deemed to be ineligible will receive a letter explaining why it is unacceptable.


Evaluation of grant applications
Grant applications are initially analysed by the CALQ's program managers in light of eligibility criteria and the program's general objectives.

Applications that are deemed to be eligible are submitted to the advisory committee that is set up pursuant to the CALQ's Policy governing juries, committees and assessors. The members are individuals recognized for their competence in the field concerned who possess a sound knowledge of the organizations and their impact on the artistic milieu.

The advisory committee evaluates on their merit applications according to program evaluation criteria and takes into account the CALQ's guidelines. At the conclusion of its deliberations, the committee makes recommendations to the CALQ.

The advisory committee's recommendations and the analyses conducted by the specific discipline sector are then submitted to management and the Board of Directors, which makes a decision. The Board of Directors may accept the recommendations or hand down any other decision that it seems appropriate, especially in respect of the policy directions adopted. The Board of Director's decision in this respect is final.

Section 2f
An internal committee analyses the exploration projects deemed to be eligible, in light of the eligibility requirements, the objectives and the evaluation criteria indicated in this program. If need be, the CALQ may call upon one or more resource persons from the arts community in order to analyse the project.

The CALQ's Policy governing juries, committees and assessors is available at its offices and on its Website.

The Peer evaluation information guide, which is available from the CALQ and on its Website, describes the application evaluation process.


Conditions governing the awarding of a grant
Conditions governing the awarding of a grant are described in a letter of agreement that must be signed by the independent curator.

The CALQ's grant must complement other sources of revenue. When the applicant knows the amount of the grants being obtained from the CALQ and other public agencies, the applicant must, if need be, prepare a revised, balanced budget for submission to the CALQ.

An independent curator who receives a one-time grant in respect of a project must submit within four months of the completion of the project an activity report and a financial report concerning the use of the grant. The reports must be submitted on the grant application form that the grant recipient initially completed and must contain all of the factual data. 

The grant awarded may be applied to part or all of the activities described by the applicant in the application. If the applicant is unable to carry out part or all of the activities covered by the grant, the grant recipient must immediately inform the CALQ accordingly. The CALQ may, consequently, adjust the amount of the grant and the applicant may be required to repay part or all of the grant.

Grant recipients, whether artists, artists' groups or independent curators, must abide by Québec legislation that applies to them, including the Act respecting the professional status and conditions of engagement of performing, recording and film artists (R.S.Q., c. S-32.1) and the Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, arts and crafts and literature, and their contracts with promoters, in particular by concluding a written contract that sets forth the six items mentioned in section 31 of the Act (R.S.Q., c. S-32.01).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the CALQ reserves the right to request at any time the audited financial statements of an independent curator that it subsidizes and the audited financial statements of one or more affiliated organizations and any other information concerning them that it deems to be relevant. The independent curator authorizes the CALQ and ensures that the CALQ or its duly identified representatives have access during normal business hours to the curator's premises, books, documentation, the contracts signed by him and the artists, writers and collaborators, and any other document that the CALQ may reasonably request for the purposes of the administration and verification of this agreement. The organization also authorizes the reproduction of any document necessary for these purposes.

A curator, an artist or an artists' group that receives in a given year one or more grants from public sources, including the CALQ, must submit the financial statements for its most recent year of operation. The financial statements must indicate in detail the source and amount of each grant received from provincial, federal and municipal public sources. 

The grant recipient must comply with the following requirements:

• if the total amount of such grants is under $50 000, the curator, the artist or the artists' group may prepare the financial statements;
• if such grants total between $50 000 and $250 0000, the financial statements must be presented in an examination report prepared by a public accountant;
• if the total amount of such grants exceeds $250 0000, a chartered accountant must audit the financial statements.

The applicant obtaining the grant must comply with standards governing the use of the CALQ's logo, as described in a document available from the CALQ or on its Website. 

Failure to comply with the conditions governing the awarding of a grant and the specific conditions pertaining thereto and non-compliance with the legislation in force may compromise the independent curator's subsequent eligibility for CALQ programs.


Glossary

International event
An international event is one that hosts significant numbers of Québec, Canadian and foreign artists and specialists in a specific field whose activities can give rise to exchanges and reciprocal agreements. The event must take place in Québec. It may be annual, biennial or triennial.

The event must be supported by an extensive promotional plan that makes provision, in particular, for participation by domestic and international media that may disseminate the event or publicize it at home and abroad.

Partnership
A partnership is any form of cooperation between legal and natural persons aimed at carrying out a project through the pooling of physical, human or financial resources.

Professional artist
For the purposes of this program, the term "artist" also refers to writers, storytellers and craftspeople. An artist is defined as follows:

• they declare themselves to be professional artists;
• they practise an art on their own account or offer their services for remuneration, as creators or performers, especially in the fields under the responsibility of the CALQ des arts et des lettres du Québec;
• they have gained the recognition of their peers;
• ·they disseminate or publicly interpret their works in places and/or contexts recognized by their peers.

Professional media arts organization
A professional media arts organization is one whose main mission is to support, promote and disseminate the work of professional artists in the realm of the media arts through activities and services offered regularly to artists and the public. Media arts organizations include, in particular, artists' centres, organizations responsible for events, and service organizations. Depending on the organization's specific mandate, the activities can include access to specialized resources and production equipment, the reception of artists in residence, exhibitions, screenings, lectures, workshops, performances, publications, training, documentation, and so on. The activities that are an integral part of the organization's mission demand precise artistic guidelines and adequate resources and artistic skills. The organization must assume responsibility for artistic choices and financial risks and must, among other things, oversee all facets of the presentation to the public of artistic works.

Service organizations
A service organization is one that satisfies specialized needs in an artistic field. It offers artists and organizations support for professional artistic practice through initiatives focusing on supervision, management, promotion, recognition, documentation or distribution.

Professionals in the media arts
Professionals in the media arts include independent curators, art critics and cultural workers with the appropriate experience. Curators must have demonstrated their skills in research and the organization of at least one dissemination and promotion initiative in a professional context. Critics must have published texts in magazines, newspapers, exhibition catalogues or activity programs. Cultural workers must have occupied a position as a coordinator, a manager or an artistic director in a professional organization.

Province-wide event
A province-wide event is one that attracts significant numbers of Québec artists and specialists in a given field. Depending on the nature of the event, programming must include the creation of works or the presentation of previously unreleased works, take into account new trends in the targeted discipline and include activities that foster exchanges. The event must take place in Québec. It may be annual, biennial or triennial.

Participation in the event by Québec artists and specialists must be predominant.

The event must be supported by a promotional plan that makes provision for province-wide activities, and participation by the domestic media that may disseminate the event or publicize it at the provincial level.

Support for projects

Through this section, the CALQ intends to make available to the professional arts community resources that foster the development of the discipline, the impact that artists have in Québec and elsewhere, the advancement of knowledge and the broadening of public awareness.

All sections of this component, with the exception of 2 c - Reception of foreign programming - seek to encourage the dissemination and promotion of works in the media arts designed by Québec artists.

This support is intended for independent curators recognized in the realm of the media arts. The applicant and partner organizations must clearly demonstrate that the project is a specific one that is being undertaken in addition to their regular activities.

This component of the program comprises the sections indicated below.
Section 2a – Organization of one-off events
Section 2b – Circulation of works in Québec and abroad
Section 2c – Reception of foreign programming
Section 2d – Publication of works that document practices in the discipline
Section 2e - Mise en place de moyens portant sur le partage et la complémentarité des ressources (intended solely for organizations and not examined in this brochure)
Section 2f – Exploration projects in Québec and abroad


Objectives of project support
By granting funds for non-recurring projects, the CALQ is seeking to:

• encourage the emergence of projects or initiatives that are essential to the discipline's development;
• foster partnership projects aimed at the comparison of artistic practices and viewpoints through the organization of original initiatives devoted to reflection and exchanges;
• support awareness, promotion and dissemination initiatives that advance knowledge in media arts practices that broaden the public's appreciation of them;
• encourage new forms of cooperation from an artistic standpoint, in particular by means of partnership agreements;
• emphasize the presence of artists and the circulation of their works in Québec and elsewhere.

Eligible applicants

Professional organizations
A professional organization must be a legally constituted non-profit corporation whose head office is located in Québec that presents professional artistic activities and the majority of whose members or administrators are Canadian citizens normally resident in Québec or landed immigrants as contemplated by section 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act normally resident in Québec.

Please note that oOrganizations must submit their applications in French in conjunction with the Programme de subventions en arts médiatiques.


Independent curators
An independent curator must have demonstrated his skills in research and the organization of at least one dissemination and promotion initiative in a professional context.

He must be a Canadian citizen normally resident in Québec or a landed immigrant as contemplated in section 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act normally resident in Québec and who has resided there for the past twelve (12) months.


Specific eligibility criteria
The applicant may only submit one project per component in respect of each registration period and may not submit the same project in respect of a subsequent registration period unless it is substantially modified.

In the case of a project with partners, the latter must submit a letter of interest or a letter of commitment. The payment of the grant is subject to the confirmation of the partners' contribution.

This section of the program is intended solely to promote and disseminate the works of living artists.

Organizations that obtain operating support from the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles, the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine and the ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport are ineligible for this section.


Maximum amount of the financial assistance
A maximum of $40 000 per fiscal year may be awarded to support projects, irrespective of the section. The total amount of assistance requested at the time of registration in respect of section 2 overall may not exceed the maximum amount granted per fiscal year.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.

Section 2a
Organization of one-off events

This type of support is intended for organizations and independent curators.

Eligible projects include descriptive artistic events such as exhibitions, symposia, colloquia, performance programs, media arts programs, lecture series, public experimentation workshops, thematic meetings or any other similar initiative that promotes the public dissemination of works, exchanges and the expression of viewpoints.

The applicant and the partner organization must clearly demonstrate that the event is not part of their regular activities whether or not the CALQ subsidizes the organization.


Evaluation criteria
Project grant applications are subject to an evaluation of merit that focuses primarily on the artistic quality, impact and management of the project. The evaluation centres on the following criteria:

Artistic quality of the project (60%)

• clarity and originality of the project;
• choice of the artists, curators, authors and other professionals associated with the activity;
• relevance of the partners and reception structures, as the case may be.

Impact of the project (20%)

• conceptual rigour of the project;
• spin-off for the artists and partners;
• quality of the communications plan;
• quality of initiatives pertaining to mediation with audiences, as the case may be.

Management of the project (20%)

• realism of the budget estimates;
• ability of the applicant to successfully carry out the project;
• effort devoted to the payment of exhibition rights, fees and royalties;
• diversity of sources of revenue and size of the partners' contribution.

Exceptionally, when the type of project warrants doing so and the applicant makes such a request by checking off the appropriate box on the form, the CALQ will attach greater importance to the criteria concerning the project's impact. In this instance, the project's artistic quality will account for 50% of the weighting, its impact for 30% and its management for 20%.


Eligible expenses

• the payment of fees and royalties (exhibition, reproduction, publication, communications, public relations, and so on);
• the cost of promotional and advertising material directly related to the project;
• the travel and living expenses of artists and other participants;
• the cost of transporting art works;
• the cost of renting space and equipment related to the realization of the activity;
• certain travel costs and professional or contractual fees such as those of consultants, technicians or any other specialist who provides specific expertise.

Maximum amount of the grant
A maximum of $30 000 may be granted per registration period in this section. The grant may not represent more than 75% of the total cost of the project.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.

Section 2b
Circulation of works in Québec and abroad

This type of support is intended for independent curators.

Eligible projects include exhibitions, media arts programs, performance programs or any other similar activity that involves the presentation of works and travel in Québec or elsewhere.

In conjunction with this program, recognized sites refer to sites and organizations devoted primarily to dissemination. Participation in events or festivals at which professionals in the media arts select the works and participants is also recognized.

Applicants who submit a grant application under this section must submit written confirmation (a contract, a letter of invitation, intent or commitment, proof of registration, space rental or other proof) from the dissemination site concerned by their project and the conditions pertaining to it. Payment of the grant is subject to this confirmation.

In the case of projects carried out in Québec, the CALQ may grant financial assistance for the presentation of works at several recognized sites.

In the case of projects carried out elsewhere, the CALQ may grant financial assistance for the presentation of works at one or more recognized sites.


Evaluation criteria
Project grant applications are subject to an evaluation of merit that focuses primarily on the artistic quality, impact and management of the project. The evaluation centres on the following criteria:

Artistic quality of the project (60%)

• clarity and originality of the project;
• choice of the artists, curators, authors and other professionals associated with the activity;
• relevance of the partners and reception structures, as the case may be.

Impact of the project (20%)

• conceptual rigour of the project;
• spin-off for the artists and partners;
• quality of the communications plan;
• quality of initiatives pertaining to mediation with audiences, as the case may be.

Management of the project (20%)

• realism of the budget estimates;
• ability of the applicant to successfully carry out the project;
• effort devoted to the payment of exhibition rights, fees and royalties;
• diversity of sources of revenue and size of the partners' contribution.

Exceptionally, when the type of project warrants doing so and the applicant makes such a request by checking off the appropriate box on the form, the CALQ will attach greater importance to the criteria concerning the project's impact. In this instance, the project's artistic quality will account for 50% of the weighting, its impact for 30% and its management for 20%.


Eligible expenses

• the payment of fees and royalties (exhibition, reproduction, publication, communications, public relations, and so on);
• the cost of promotional and advertising material directly related to the project;
• the travel and living expenses of artists and other participants;
• the cost of transporting art works;
• exhibition expenses;
• the cost of renting space and equipment related to the realization of the activity;
• certain travel costs and professional or contractual fees such as those of consultants, technicians or any other specialist who provides specific expertise.

Applicants must justify their eligible expenses.


Maximum amount of the grant
A maximum of $30 000 may be granted per registration period in this section. The grant may not represent more than 75% of the total cost of the project.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.

It should be noted that the CALQ will not subsidize projects that have already been carried out. However, it may accept exceptionally a circulation project submitted outside the registration deadline provided that the project is submitted four weeks prior to the circulation activity. These applications will be examined during the subsequent registration period planned in conjunction with this program.

Section 2c
Reception of foreign programming

This type of support is intended for organizations and independent curators.

Only programming produced abroad or produced with mainly foreign resources is eligible.

Eligible projects include exhibitions, media arts programs, performance programs that include the presentation of artists' works that are produced by organizations or curators established elsewhere in Canada and abroad.

Applicants who submit a grant application under this section must submit written confirmation (a contract, a letter of invitation, intent or commitment, proof of registration, space rental or other proof) from the dissemination site concerned by their project and the conditions pertaining to it. Payment of the grant is subject to this confirmation.

Only programming produced abroad or coproduced with many foreign resources is eligible.


Evaluation criteria
Project grant applications are subject to an evaluation of merit that focuses primarily on the artistic quality, impact and management of the project. The evaluation centres on the following criteria:

Artistic quality of the project (60%)

• clarity and originality of the project;
• choice of the artists, curators, authors and other professionals associated with the activity;
• relevance of the partners and reception structures, as the case may be.

Impact of the project (20%)

• conceptual rigour of the project;
• spin-off for the artists and partners;
• quality of the communications plan;
• quality of initiatives pertaining to mediation with audiences, as the case may be.

Management of the project (20%)

• realism of the budget estimates;
• ability of the applicant to successfully carry out the project;
• effort devoted to the payment of exhibition rights, fees and royalties;
• diversity of sources of revenue and size of the partners' contribution.

Exceptionally, when the type of project warrants doing so and the applicant makes such a request by checking off the appropriate box on the form, the CALQ will attach greater importance to the criteria concerning the project's impact. In this instance, the project's artistic quality will account for 50% of the weighting, its impact for 30% and its management for 20%.


Eligible expenses

• the payment of fees and royalties (exhibition, reproduction, publication, communications, public relations, and so on);
• the cost of promotional and advertising material directly related to the project;
• the travel and living expenses of artists and other participants;
• the cost of transporting art works;
• the cost of renting space and equipment related to the realization of the activity;
• certain travel costs and professional or contractual fees such as those of consultants, technicians or any other specialist who provides specific expertise.

Maximum amount of the grant
A maximum of $30 000 may be granted per registration period in this section. The grant may not represent more than 75% of the total cost of the project.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.

Section 2d
Publication of works that document practices in the discipline

This type of support is intended for organizations and independent curators.

Eligible projects focus on the publication of printed or electronic works intended to document and promote an artistic event or the work of an artist or an artists' group. Such works are intended to heighten public awareness and may take the form of exhibition catalogues, media arts programs, monographs or the proceedings of a symposium.

The applicants must submit a promotion and dissemination plan, a distribution plan, technical specifications and a budget in respect of the projects.

Publishers, author's editions and organizations supported by the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles, the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine and the ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport are ineligible for this section.


Evaluation criteria
Project grant applications are subject to an evaluation of merit that focuses primarily on the artistic quality, impact and management of the project. The evaluation centres on the following criteria:

Artistic quality of the project (60%)

• clarity and originality of the project;
• choice of the artists, curators, authors and other professionals associated with the activity;
• relevance of the partners and reception structures, as the case may be.

Impact of the project (20%)

• conceptual rigour of the project;
• spin-off for the artists and partners;
• quality of the communications plan;
• quality of initiatives pertaining to mediation with audiences, as the case may be.

Management of the project (20%)

• realism of the budget estimates;
• ability of the applicant to successfully carry out the project;
• effort devoted to the payment of reprography rights, fees and royalties;
• diversity of sources of revenue and size of the partners' contribution.

Eligible expenses

• the payment of fees and royalties (reproduction, publication, and so on);
• the cost of promotional, advertising and distribution material directly related to the project;
• graphic design fees and the cost of the printed or electronic production of publications;
• certain professional or contractual fees such as those of consultants or any other specialist who provides specific expertise.

Maximum amount of the grant
A maximum of $20 000 may be granted per registration period in this section. The grant may not represent more than 75% of the total cost of the project.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.

Section 2e
Mise en place de moyens portant sur le partage et la complémentarité des ressources

This section is intended solely for organizations and is not examined in this brochure. Organizations must submit their applications in French in conjunction with the Programme de subventions en arts médiatiques.

Section 2f
Exploration projects in Québec and abroad

Specific eligibility criteria
This section is intended for independent curators and professional organizations. In the case of organizations that are already receiving operating support from the CALQ, only partnership projects are eligible for this section. The CALQ defines a partnership as any form of cooperation between legal and natural persons aimed at carrying out a project through the pooling of physical, human or financial resources.

The partners must submit a letter of interest or a letter of commitment. The payment of the grant is subject to the confirmation of the partners' contribution.

Eligible exploration projects include exploratory missions aimed at preparing artistic events, the search for partners and new networks, the development of exchanges, or projects involving the circulation of works and marketing. Exploration projects may be carried out inside or outside Québec.

In the case of independent curators, the presence at the presentation of their programming or exhibition may be taken into account from the standpoint of ensuring the marketing of Québec works and artists.


Ineligibility
Projects already carried out at the time of submission of the application and organizations supported by the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles, the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine or the ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport are ineligible.


Evaluation criteria
Exploration project grant applications are subject to an evaluation of merit. The evaluation centres on the following criteria:

Quality of the project (60%)

• relevance of the exploration project;
• relevance of the organizations, the sites visited and the individuals to be contacted;
• competence of the participants.

Impact of the project (30%)

• Foreseeable impact of the activity.

Management of the project (10%)

• Realism of the budget estimates.

Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses include the participants' travel and living expenses. The maximum amount of the grant for an exploration project depends on the destination:

• Québec (except Îles-de-la-Madeleine), Ontario and the Maritimes (except Newfoundland): $750;
• Nord du Québec (except Nunavik), Îles-de-la-Madeleine, other provinces of Canada (including Newfoundland) and New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine): $1 000;
• Nunavik, United States (except New England), Europe and Mexico: $2 000;
• Africa, Asia, Oceania, Central America and South America: $2 500.

Up to $200 in communications expenses are eligible.

Applicants must justify their eligible expenses.


Maximum amount of the grant 
A maximum of $5 000 may be granted per fiscal year in this section.

If the actual cost of carrying out the project exceeds the scale respecting the maximum amount of the grant, the CALQ may demand the repayment of the surplus amount.