To apply for assistance under this program, you must:

• Be an artist or artists’ collective creating works independently;
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. In the case of a collective, at least one member must meet this requirement.

PRIM invites emerging, mid-career and established artists to submit a project. In an effort to support diversity and inclusion, PRIM encourages proposals from artists who identify as members of a minority.

Assistance granted

• 90% discount* on non-member rates for room, studio, and filming equipment rentals
• 4 x 2h of consultation
• Project guidance and technical support

*Applicable to the rental of rooms, studios, or equipment when used with a PRIM technician (if available) or if the artist works alone. If he or she decides to work with an external technician, the discount applied will be 50%.

Projects accepted

There is no limit as to the number of projects that can be accepted into the Research and Exploration Assistance program.

General eligibility rules

An unlimited number of separate applications may be submitted per competition.

The same project cannot be submitted to two programs simultaneously.

There is no limit as to the number of times a project may be submitted in the event it is rejected for a previous application period. However, we strongly recommend that you read and take into account the jury comments if you are thinking of submitting it later.

Eligible projects

All proposals for independent projects involving research, experimentation or exploration in any artistic discipline using sound or moving images are eligible. O Only the development phase is eligible.

Types of eligible projects

• Technical and technological experimentation
• Development of new ideas
• Experimentation with collaborators
• Exploration of other artistic practices

Inelegible projects

• Projects that are part of a school curriculum
• Creation, production or distribution projects

Eligible costs

PRIM’s support for this program takes the form of a discount on the non-member rate for rental of the following equipment:

• Shooting equipment (cinema and virtual reality)
• Sound recording studio
• Sound exploration lab
• Dolby Atmos studio
• Digital exploration room
• Offline editing suites
• Screening rooms
• Digitization and transfer

Non-eligible costs

The following expenses are not eligible:

• Rental of rooms and equipment for post-production and finishing stages
• Technicians’ fees
• Distribution media and supplies
• Exports and deliverables

How to apply

To apply, you must complete the online application form and provide the following documents:

 

• CV of the artist or the members of the artists’ collective applying
• Audio/video supporting documentation (15 min max in total) in the form of links to Vimeo or other
• Any other documentation that the artist feels is pertinent (photos, illustrations, script…)

PRIM’s support for this program takes the form of a discount on the non-member rate for rental of the following equipment:

• Shooting equipment (cinema and virtual reality)
• Sound recording studio
• Sound exploration lab
• Dolby Atmos studio
• Digital exploration room
• Offline editing suites
• Screening rooms
• Digitization and transfer

PRIM recognizes the challenges associated with cultural diversity. In order to support this diversity, PRIM is partnering with DAM to offer a support service to artists in the preparation of their application for assistance from PRIM (advice, proofreading and optimization of applications, etc.)

If this service interests you, please contact Sara Malpica (sara@diversiteartistique.org/ (514) 280-3581).

SPRING: Third Wednesday of April at 11:59 p.m.
FALL: Third Wednesday of October at 11:59 p.m.

Evaluation process

Applications are first evaluated by the program manager at PRIM based on the program’s eligibility requirements.
Eligible applications are then evaluated by a peer jury composed of individuals recognized for their expertise in media arts.
The jury evaluates applications on merit based on the program’s evaluation criteria. At the end of the evaluation, the jury members decide whether to award Research and Exploration Assistance. Decisions are final and without appeal.

Evaluation criteria

The projects are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Project’s interest and relevance (80%)

• • Quality of research processes
  • Project’s innovative nature
  • Project’s interest for the advancement of various artistic practices
  • Effect of the project on the evolution of the candidate’s work

2. Project’s feasibility (20%)

1. • Quality and relevance of the artist’s previous work
   • Realism of work plan and budget
   • Ability of the artist to carry out the research project
   • Impact of PRIM’s support

Ethics

Jury members must follow the Jury Member Professional Ethics Code and the Conflict of Interest rules.

Response time

PRIM will notify you of the jury’s decision no later than two months after the program’s deadline.

Artist obligations
In order to receive Research and Exploration funding, recipients must become members of PRIM, complete their research project within one year of receiving their letter of acceptance, and comply with the terms and conditions of the grant.