Call for Nominations

Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards returns to celebrate local artists and arts organizations

Victoria, Canada (August 30, 2022)—The fifth annual Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards returns to celebrate and honour the diverse work of local artists and arts organizations from across the region over the last year.

A total of eight awards will be granted to local artists and organizations through the Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria (ProArt) at the fifth annual regional arts awards ceremony on September 29, 6-8pm, at KWENCH, 2031 Store St, Victoria. “Arts and culture have been a resilient source of public engagement during the challenges of the past couple of years,” says ProArt Administrator Doug Jarvis. “Now is an excellent time to recognize the work that artists and arts organizations are producing and come together to acknowledge and celebrate arts and culture in the greater Victoria region.”

Awards:

Nominations are open for the following awards:
(Links will take you to the Nomination Package & Form for each award)

The following awards and recognitions will also be presented at this year’s awards ceremony:

UVic, Fine Arts Student Community Impact Awards – Selected by the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Victoria
ProArt Early-Career Artist Award – Selected by the 2021 PARC Retirement Living Mid-Career Artist Award recipient
Tributes and Recognitions

The awards program is made possible through community support and sponsorship. The awards ceremony will be an in person gathering and celebration on September 29, 2022. More details for how to attend the event will be available on the ProArt’s website in September.

Submission Deadline:

A completed submission package, including selection of the award for which you are submitting a nomination application, and the associated submission form and all supporting materials, must be received by end of day on Friday, September 9, 2022. (Deadline Extended)

Submissions may be made by email to info@proartalliance.ca or in print by mail to 302-1005 Broad St, Victoria, BC V8W 2A1, c/o Royal & McPherson Theatres Society.

Rules and Eligibility Criteria:

The Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards are chosen by a jury convened by ProArt and composed of individuals from the Greater Victoria, Capital Region’s diverse arts, culture and business communities. Members for this year’s jury will be selected based on their individual experience and knowledge as it relates to the collective criteria for the awards being offered this year.

Who can nominate and submit a candidate for a Greater Victoria Regional Arts Award?

Nominations can be made by any individual living in the Greater Victoria, Capital Region. Nominations may also be made by an arts organization which has an address within the CRD, including ProArt member organizations. The ProArt Awards Committee may also make nominations.
An eligible individual or organization may make one nomination per year in each award category.
Two individuals or organizations may collaboratively make a nomination but not more than two may collaborate on a single submission. Collaborative submissions must designate a single contact person.
Candidates may not propose themselves, their own organizations, or family members as nominees.

Who can be considered for a Greater Victoria Regional Arts Award?

Please refer to the specific criteria for each award listed below.
All candidates must be dedicated to the professional practice of art and be recognized by their peers as a professional artist, arts worker, board member or volunteer, as specified under each specific award criteria.
Only individual artists may be considered for the Mid-Career Artist Award (at this time).
Nominees must be residents of the Greater Victoria, Capital Region. Please refer to the CRD area map.
Award recipients must be available to receive the award in person, or via recorded video to be broadcast during the awards ceremony on Thursday, September 29, 2022.
A nominee will only be considered for any Greater Victoria Regional Arts Award twice in any four-year period.
All nominations will be screened by ProArt for basic eligibility. If a nomination is incomplete or deemed ineligible, it will not be advanced to the jury.

What is required to submit a nomination?

A completed submission form, indicating the singular award for which you are applying with this application, confirmed by both the nominator and the nominee, or organization representative, including a 30-word (maximum) synopsis of the nomination. (This may be edited for use in promotional materials.)
A maximum two-page letter written by the nominator, which details why the nominee is deserving of the award. This letter should address the specific criteria for the award, as well as demonstrate how the nominee’s production is considered outstanding in the region. This is for the benefit of jury members who may not be familiar with the specifics of the nominator and nominees’ professional genre or practice.
An additional maximum two-page letter of support written by a recognized professional artist, arts administrator, arts educator, or arts organization staff or board member, which details why the nominee is deserving of the award. This letter should also address the assessment criteria for the award, (see below), as well as provide an additional perspective on the work of the nominee to complement the nominator letter for a general arts audience.
The nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume – 3 pages maximum. For organizations, please provide a list of recent productions/projects/events that support the nominee’s history of work in the region, including the nominee organization’s mission/mandate statement.
A high-resolution digital photo from the project being nominated, such as a rehearsal or media quality photo from the production – jpeg format; 300 dpi minimum, for use in promotional material.
For The JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award only:
- Recorded media (i.e. video) that provides a fair representation of the production being nominated, indicating a minimum of 10-minutes of content for the jury to review.
- Media content should be submitted as an active link to online documentation (i.e. Youtube, Vimeo, etc).
- If other forms of media content need to be submitted (i.e. DVD, USB drive) please contact Doug Jarvis, Administrator, ProArt, info@proartalliance.ca, 250-858-3079

Awards Criteria

JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award

Online Nomination Package & Form – JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award

The JAYMAC Outstanding Production Award, made possible through a grant from the JAYMAC Fund held at the Victoria Foundation, will be awarded to a locally produced performing arts production presented in the Greater Victoria, Capital Region and that demonstrates the following criteria:

Nominees must have produced the nominated performing arts production within the Greater Victoria, Capital Region. Please refer to the CRD area map to confirm eligibility.
Nominated productions have taken place between June 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022.
Nominees must be a registered charity within the Province of British Columbia. Please refer to the British Columbia Charities Search to confirm eligibility.
An award recipient representative must be available to receive the award in person, or via recorded video to be broadcast during the awards ceremony on Thursday, September 29, 2022.
A nominee will only be considered for any Greater Victoria Regional Arts Award twice in any four-year period.
All nominations will be screened by ProArt for basic eligibility. If a nomination is incomplete or deemed ineligible, it will not be advanced to the jury.

PARC Retirement Living Mid-Career Artist Award

Online Nomination Package & Form – PARC Retirement Living Mid-Career Artist Award

The PARC Retirement Living Mid-Career Artist Award will be awarded to an artist who demonstrates the following:

Self identifies as being in mid-career (this does not necessarily correlate to age).
Artistic excellence in the artist’s body of work.
The artist’s contribution to the development and/or recognition of the arts in the region.
The artist’s potential to further their practice and achieve success in the future.
Only individual artists may be considered for the Mid-Career Artist Award (at this time).

Witness Legacy Award for Social Purpose and Responsibility through Art

Online Nomination Package & Form – Witness Legacy Award for Social Purpose and Responsibility through Art

The Witness Legacy Award for Social Purpose and Responsibility through Art will be awarded to an individual or collective, working on Lekwungen Territories and within Greater Victoria and has demonstrated the following criteria:

Use their artistic practice for positive social or environmental change.
Working in any discipline, or across disciplines and mediums.

City of Victoria Creative Builder Award

Online Nomination Package & Form – City of Victoria Creative Builder Award

The City of Victoria Creative Builder Award will be awarded to an individual or collective that works within the City of Victoria and has demonstrated the following criteria:

Made a significant contribution working behind the scenes in an arts organization, event, or festival.
Advancing the development and support of arts and culture production in the region.
Recognized by their peers as deserving of recognition.

CRD Arts Commission Regional Impact Award

Online Nomination Package & Form – CRD Arts Commission Regional Impact Award

The CRD Arts Commission Regional Impact Award will be awarded to an organization or event that has demonstrated the following criteria:

An outstanding impact on the CRD Regional Arts community.
The organization or event operates within the CRD. Please refer to the CRD area map.
Nominees must have received support or be eligible to receive support though CRD Arts & Culture Support Service programs. Please contact the CRD Arts & Culture Support Service by email or at 250.360.3215 to inquire about grant program eligibility.

John Mears Achievement in Music Award

Online Nomination Package & Form – John Mears Achievement in Music Award

The John Mears Achievement in Music Award will be awarded to an individual or group working within the music community who demonstrates the following:

A contribution to the development and/or recognition of the arts in the region.
A demonstrated commitment to the success of the arts community in the region.
Artistic achievement in their practice or body of work.
The potential to be recognized for success in their practice in the past, or to achieve success in the future.
Would benefit from an opportunity to receive financial support and recognition for their work.