New OAC program supports careers of young professional artists

Toronto, November 3, 2021 – The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has established Career Catalyst: Project Grants for New Generation Artists, a $1 million grant program for professional artists aged 18 to 30. The program supports activities that will help build career momentum as individual artists recover from pandemic-related challenges.

Program details and applications are now available through OAC’s website.

The grants for this one-time program are set at $2,000 each. The deadline to apply is December 16, 2021. Applications will be reviewed through a streamlined peer assessment process, and applicants will be notified of results approximately 12 weeks after the program deadline.

Please forward this bulletin to any professional artists you think might be eligible.

Who can apply to the Career Catalyst: Project Grants for New Generation Artists program?

This program is open to professional artists who are aged 18 to 30 (at the time of their application) who can demonstrate that they have a professional practice in any discipline or activity funded by OAC. It is the only OAC program dedicated to New Generation Artists, one of six OAC priority groups.

What does this program fund?

Eligible activities include:

• Skills development through training and mentorship,
• Marketing and promotion,
• Purchase of artist materials and supplies,
• Software and hardware upgrades,
• Studio or workspace upgrades,
• Artist’s website development.

Artists new to OAC grant programs who may have had limited access to public arts funding are encouraged to apply.

Proposals with the potential to benefit an applicant’s career in the long term will be prioritized.

The program will also prioritize New Generation artists who are also members of other OAC priority groups (artists of colour, Deaf artists and artists with disabilities, Francophone artists, Indigenous artists, and artists living in regions outside Toronto).

Learn more about the Career Catalyst: Project Grants for New Generation Artists program.

For specific questions, please contact:

Zhe Gu Officer 416-969-7459 Toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058 zgu@arts.on.ca		Shawna Caspi Program Administrator 416-646-7469 Toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058 scaspi@arts.on.ca

For general information about OAC, please contact:

Kirsten Gunter Director of Communications 416-969-7403 Toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058 kgunter@arts.on.ca

Congratulations to Aaron Tan (Canada / Philippines) for winning first prize at this year's Canadian International Organ Competition! Aaron was also awarded the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation Award, the Marcel Dupré Award and RCCO's Raymond Daveluy Prize.

Aaron is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and is Organist and Director of Music at St. Alban’s Catholic Church (Ordinariate in Rochester, NY). He holds MM and MMA degrees from Yale University and also holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Michigan.

The meeting materials for the 2021 Annual General Meeting (to be held on Saturday, November 6, 2021) are now available on the Members Discussion Forum on rcco.ca.

To access the forum and the meeting materials, you must first log in to your account on rcco.ca, then click on 'Members Discussion Forum' under the 'Members' drop down menu at the top of the page.

Please note that the Zoom link for the meeting will also be shared on the discussion forum on Friday, November 5, 2021.

The RCCO's 2022 Table of Recommended Salaries is now available. It can be found on the Table of Recommended Salaries webpage, or directly by clicking here.

Read here to learn about how we will strengthen our organization, increase existing resources and implement new initiatives for Canada's organ music community.

Our new Examination Masterclass Series is now available on the RCCO YouTube channel! This series is comprised of 11 videos, in which esteemed Canadian organists help examination candidates prepare and succeed in the skills needed for the practical section of the College and Associate examinations, and for the Service Playing and Worship Accompanist Certificates.

Subscribe to the RCCO's YouTube channel to keep up to date on our latest video releases!

For more information on this year's National Organ Playing Competition and its winners, Click Here

From her studio (photo) Lead Instructor Valerie L. Hall has been instructing students who are seeking professional development that aims at the playing level of the Service Playing Examination.

Engaging topics include:

1. Session on body mechanics at the organ and why practicing at the piano might be better for your general health.

2. Universally hated exercises for playing legato involving two moving parts in one hand.

3. Learning to avoid the crescendo pedal and what happens to organists who accidentally use it!

4. What happens in the audience while the organist searches for the next registration.

5. Upcoming session on The Digital Church with Steve Millar and Chellan Hoffman.

More information at https://www.rcco.ca/Summer-Organ-Academy

The 2021 ARCCO Examination Preparation program (Summer Organ Academy) is off to a wonderful start!

So far this year’s 13 students, studying under lead instructor Aaron James, have discussed general organ technique and improvisation skills, the study of pipe organ anatomy, and baroque repertoire and improvisation techniques.

The ARCCO program runs until August 5th, check out this year's curriculum! https://rcco.ca/resources/PDFs/Summer...

Thank you to Aaron who has kindly provided us with a brilliant performance of one of the possible List C pieces for the 2022 ARCCO examination. Please enjoy Duruflé's Fugue sur le carillon des heures dans le cathédrale de Soissons, op. 12!

Congratulations to all the young organists who participated in this year’s Summer Organ Academy for Youth Organists!

Creativity was front and center at this year’s Academy as students ages 12-17 were involved in a week-long series of virtual collaborative projects and masterclasses. Thank you to lead instructor Sarah Svendsen and to this year’s star-studded group of guest artists/instructors Katelyn Emerson, Kim Farris-Manning, Wesley Hall, Mark McDonald, Jeff McLeod, Jonathan Oldengarm, and Patricia Wright.

We hope that you will join us or recommend a young organist that you know to next year’s 2022 Summer Organ Academy. For more Information on the Academy and other educational resources, please visit ‘Education’ at www.rcco.ca.

Lastly, thank you to academy participant Cadence Brassard for sharing with us her performance and arrangement of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga!