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Dear
Mr. Saras,
Thank
you for taking the time to discuss this article that I would like to
submit for your membership to reprint as they choose. I would just
appreciate notification if they use it and a copy of the publication if
possible.
I
wonder if I might call on you as an editor to review my article before it
goes out and offer any suggestions that you may have.
Best
wishes, Moneca
Written by Moneca Kaiser
An open letter to the Canadian Ethnic Press to Our
Artists
I have lived in Canada all my life and met many people who have
received arts council grants and it always seemed so intimidating and
inaccessible. As a new Canadian I wonder if you would even know that they
exist, and that sometimes there are even incentives to encourage diverse
representation. I have just applied for my first grants, please wish me
luck, and would like to share what I have learned.
I hope to inspire you
to access this funding for your art. It is our cultural diversity that
ensures our survival as a species and enriches our consciousness. Canada
is a new country and many of you come from places with ancient cultures,
histories, and experiences that I am thirsty to experience through your
art. Canada attests to
celebrate this cultural diversity and still I imagine it is very hard to
make a home in a new country. When my parents emigrated here from Europe the last thing
they thought about was artistic expression amidst their practical concerns
of building a life here. What
is lovely about these art council grants is that they present an
opportunity to do both.
There are basically 3 tiers; the city provincial and federal arts
councils each have their own awards programs.
They are divided into various artistic disciplines, for example, on
the Canada Council for the Arts website, www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/
they list dance, inter-arts (I’m not sure what that
is interdisciplinary perhaps), media arts, music, theater, visual arts,
writing and publishing. To be
eligible, “Generally
you must be a professional artist and a Canadian citizen or permanent
resident of Canada (as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada) to
apply. A professional artist is someone who has specialized training in
the field (not necessarily in academic institutions),is recognized as such
by peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and has a
history of public presentation or publication.”
Easy Peasy!
Sometimes there are things like travel allowances and study grants
available too. I encourage you to educate yourself because they are
wonderful opportunities available and with a little patience and resolve
achievable. For example I just nominated my Hungarian Choir Director for
The Victor Tolgesy Arts Award available from the Council for the Arts in
Ottawa to recognize the accomplishments of residents who have contributed
substantially to enriching cultural life in the city, it has a $5000.00
cash award associated with it. Since coming to Canada from Hungary she has
devoted 17 years to conducting my delightful Hungarian choir. She had
never heard of such an award nor had most of the choir members many of
whom came to Canada in 1956. Cultural
diversity enriches our lives and I would like to raise awareness about
such opportunities with New Canadians.
It can be a little overwhelming to navigate through all these
opportunities in my experience and well worth the effort because it was
actually pretty simple to apply once I figured out how.
Most offices have people available to answer any questions and I
found them to be very helpful.
What is important that I didn’t realize, is to get exposure of
your work so that you will be seen as a professional artist and eligible
for these opportunities. This
too is easier than I thought. For example this article I am writing is
hopefully going to be published in an ethnic press publication and if I
receive even just a nominal remuneration (it can even be in kind, for
example copies of the publication) I will have fulfilled
one piece of the requirement of the Ontario Arts Council’s
definition of a professional artist.
“At least three separately published essays, short stories, poems
or other work for which you have received payment.” I have two others in
print so I will be good to go!
Other opportunities for exposure that are sometimes accepted
include, public readings, communal art exhibits, most juried competitions,
film festivals. I’m also a
filmmaker and have dawdled on submitting my film, please remind me, so I
am more eligible for funding, it’s a lovely little film called Visiting
Elephant Beach. Film seems to have an emerging artist category that is
more lenient probably because working in this medium costs more than being
addicted to cocaine.
Which brings me to perhaps the most important aspect of grants,
DEADLINES. Many artists will
attest these are arguably more valuable than the actual funding.
Even if I don’t receive the grants I am so far ahead for having
applied. To qualify I had
write a description of my project, who knew it would be so interesting!
I have written a creative resume that was revealed to me how
committed I have been. I have refined and consolidated my manuscript for
the memoir I am writing to present it in the best possible light for the
funding. All this has
unwittingly got me half the work done to submit a book proposal where I
might be able to secure an advance from a publisher to actually be able to
afford to finish writing it.
And, I have written this article, which is my privilege and honor
because I would love to hear your stories and experience your art.
I encourage you to learn about the wonderful opportunities Canada
offers to you as an artist. Even
growing up here I found it all so intimidating and it’s actually
manageable and accessible with a little patience and fortitude or a friend
to lead you through. Canada
would do well to invest much more in her artists for sometimes we are the
ones who can heal the whole world. Bonne
Chance!
Moneca Kaiser is an emerging writer and filmmaker
residing in Ottawa Canada and can be reached at mkdesignbuild@gmail.com
Greenspeed,
Moneca
MONECA KAISER DESIGN BUILD
www.mkdesignbuild.ca
613-745-6627
p.s. Please note this is my new and only email
address now and I will be phasing out the others. mkdesignbuild@gmail.com
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