The mandate of the Independent Media Arts Alliance is to promote and advance the interests of independent media artists across Canada, taking into account the practices of independent film, video, audio art, and new media as well as production, distribution, and exhibition initiatives. The IMAA looks at government policy, seeks input from IMAA members about what they and their artist-members need, and then makes recommendations to the government, in an effort to improve the programs that support the arts in Canada. This forum is open to all Alliance members to make comments, and address issues of concern to the media arts.__Le mandat de l’Alliance des arts médiatiques vise à faire la promotion et mettre en valeur les intérêts des artistes et centres d’artistes en arts médiatiques d’au travers le Canada, en tenant compte des différentes pratiques soit, le film indépendant, la vidéo, les nouveaux médias, l’art audio parmi la production, distribution, expositions et différentes initiatives. L’AAMI scrute les politiques gouvernementales, sollicite l’avis de ses membres afin de connaitre les enjeux sur lesquels concentrer ses démarches. L’AAMI fait des recommandations aux instances gouvernementales afin d’améliorer les programmes de soutien aux arts et à la culture au Canada. Ce forum est ouvert à tous les membres de l’AAMI afin de faire des commentaires, participer à la discussion, aborder des problématiques qui touchent les arts médiatiques.

The Freedom of Expression subcommittee is an on-line forum of individuals who are available to advise and assist members who are caught up in situations where their charter right to Freedom of Expression is threatened. Attempts to censor can arise during funding, production, distribution or exhibition. This forum is designed to be an informal discussion of ideas and tips on how to deal with these conflicts. Its participants are free to share their knowledge and experience around regulatory bodies, Canada’s Criminal Code and other matters that may impinge upon the independence of vision in production and programing.__Le sous-comité sur la liberté d’expression est constitué d’un forum en ligne où certaines personnes peuvent venir en aide d’autres membres aux prises avec des problèmes ou leur liberté d’expression est menacée. Des tentatives de censure peuvent avoir lieu à toutes étapes du travail: la recherche de fonds, la production, la distribution et même lors de l’exposition. Ce forum servira aux participants dans le but de partager leurs connaissances et expériences auprès des instances décisionnelles, du code criminel et autre affaires pouvant enfreindre les choix éditoriaux et l’indépendance d’une vision de production et de programmation.

The IMAA initiated a Diversity Sub-Committee after identifying an urgent need for more cultural/indigenous diversity in its membership makeup. The committee is addressing the obvious lack of participation from members of these groups at the IMAA’s National Conferences and in the IMAA’s membership overall. The IMAA’s Diversity Sub-Committee’s main focus is to determine how to better integrate culturally diverse/indigenous organizations/individuals into the IMAA. This vision will be achieved through following guiding principles such as: Ascertain that there is better representation at the IMAA Conferences from members of culturally diverse/indigenous backgrounds; Ensure that the IMAA’s Membership is reflective of the cultural/indigenous diversity of the country; Encourage more participation overall in the IMAA from members of culturally/indigenous backgrounds.__L’AAMI s’est doté d’un sous-comité sur la diversité culturelle après avoir identifié un urgent besoin d’avoir un bassin de membres diversifié, inclusif des communauté culturelle et autochtone du pays. Ce sous-comité tente de souligner les questions d’intégration, et tente de comprendre comment l’AAMI pourrait être attrayant pour ces organismes culturellement divers et devenir une organisation représentative de la diversité culturelle canadienne. Ce sous-comité encourage la participation globale de nos membres provenant de ces communautés dans la prise de décision.

The Rates Subcommittee is made up of representatives of the IMAA’s 6 regions, including one member of the IMAA Board. Born out of the Canada Council’s Distribution Roundtables, the IMAA Rates subcommittee is committed to researching and proposing realistic, standardized minimum fees for the public presentation or purchase of media artworks in consultation with IMAA members and other stake holders nationally. In 2007, the committee released a minimum fee scale for single screenings of and sale of video art. In 2008, the Rates Subcommittee is focusing on: (1) researching and developing rates for additional categories of media art; (2) researching and developing minimum fees for workshop leaders; (3) consulting with a wide variety of stake holders to encourage wide-spread adoption of the IMAA’s rate scale. Please feel free to use this forum to participate in these discussions and to propose areas where there is a need for standard rates to be established.__Le sous-comité de la grille tarifaire est constitué de représentants des 6 régions de l’AAMI, en plus d’un membre du Conseil d’administration. Ce groupe de discussion, né à la suite des tables rondes sur la distribution du Conseil des arts du Canada, s’engage à investiguer en collaboration avec les membres de l’AAMI ainsi qu’avec les décideurs nationaux, et à soumettre par la suite une échelle de cachets minimums, réalistes et standards, payable lors de la présentation publique ou de l’achat d’une œuvre d’art médiatique. En 2007, le comité a émis une échelle de cachets minimums payables lors d’une représentation ou achat d’art vidéo. Pour l’année 2008, le comité se concentrera sur : (1) La recherche et consultation afin de développer des échelles de cachets pour les différentes disciplines des arts médiatiques, (2) la recherche et consultation afin de développer des échelles de cachets pour les animateurs d’ateliers, (3) consulter divers et nombreux intervenants du milieu et décideurs nationaux afin que les échelles déterminées par l’AAMI soient acceptées et adoptées par tout le milieu et de façon unanime. Veuillez utiliser ce forum afin de partager vos idées et soumettre vos propositions concernant une discipline qui devrait également se doter d’une échelle de cachets.

The Archives and Preservation subcommittee is dedicated to two primary issues as raised by the members. The first is the development of resources and policy to encourage the development of archives and collections within our institutions and the second is advocacy ensuring that large-scale collecting institutions of Canada maintain a meaningful and diverse collection of media works. We would encourage the members of the IMAA to post all their concerns and issues on this forum for review and consideration by the Archives and Preservation subcommittee.__ Le sous-comité de préservation se consacre principalement aux deux problématiques soulevées par les membres de l’AAMI, soit l’archivage et la conservation des œuvres d’arts médiatiques. En premier lieu, il est impératif de mettre en place une politique afin d’encourager le développement des archives et collections d’œuvres d’arts médiatiques à même nos institutions et par la suite de garantir une représentation à grande échelle afin de s’assurer que les institutions canadiennes continuent d’alimenter leurs collections d’arts médiatiques. Nous encourageons tous les membres de l’AAMI à utiliser ce forum afin de nous faire connaître vos préoccupations et problématiques concernant la préservation et la collection des œuvres.

The goal of the Exhibition Standards sub-committee, is to create a toolkit document, which will provide information and resources regarding exhibition standards for media arts organizations. This document will touch on both the ethics and the technical requirements of exhibition standards for film, video, audio, and new media projects. It will also provide a historical context for various forms of exhibition practices, as well as an up to date list of current practices and available resources across the country. Members of this sub committee will contribute their knowledge and expertise to the content of this toolkit by writing sections of the document, offering advice, offering examples and case studies, and/or doing research. This forum is a platform where any one can feel free to post ideas, suggestions or thoughts on the matter of media exhibition.__

IMAA’s Pacific Region comprises the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Our main geographic areas of activity include Dawson City, the Okanagan, Vancouver and Victoria. IMAA artist-run-centres include Yukon Film Society, The Alternator Gallery, the Ullus Collective (from the NIMAC Region), Cineworks, Moving Images, VIVO, the Western Front, MediaNet and CineVic. Pacific IMAA organizations provide local artists with production, distribution and exhibition opportunities. Most of our centres provide at least two of these services. Festivals organized by our members include Available Light (Yukon Film Society), Edges (MediaNet), Infin8 (CineVic), New Forms (VIVO, Western Front), and Signal and Noise (VIVO). The IMAA 2008 Kelowna Conference On Common Ground will be hosted by the Alternator Gallery and the Ullus Collective.

The Prairies, Northwest Territories region is a collection of diverse media arts groups that include festivals and exhibition and production centres from Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. This region ensures the voice of Prairie and Northwest Territory artists, film and video producers have an equal and focused voice at the IMAA. This forum is for the use of the members to communicate with, and between the artists, administrators, film and video producers that make up the PNWT group.__ La région des Prairies et des Territoires du Nord-Ouest est constituée d’une variété de groupes oeuvrant en arts médiatiques, incluant des festivals, centres de production et d’exposition de l’Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan et des Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Ce regroupement au sein de L’AAMI représente les artistes et artisans en film et vidéo afin de leur procurer une voix dans cette grande communauté. Ce forum sert aux artistes et administrateurs du groupe des Prairies et des Territoires du Nord-Ouest afin d’échanger et discuter.

IMAA Ontario is an informal network representing 24 media arts organizations throughout Ontario. IMAA Ontario represents the interests of its regional members within IMAA-National, and specifically provides direction and guidance to its regional directors, who are charged with presenting their region’s issues and concerns to IMAA-National’s Board. IMAA-ON is focused on improving the working environment of independent media artists in its region, through pro-active advocacy encompassing provincially based issues. IMAA-ON’s goal is to provide a voice for the independent media arts in Ontario and to advance the interests of the media arts with the (Ontario) government and its agencies.

La région du Québec regroupe 18 centres d’artistes membres de l’AAMI oeuvrant dans les domaines de la production, de la diffusion et de la distribution. Principalement situés à Montréal et à Québec, les centres membres de l’AAMI couvrent les 4 pratiques des arts médiatiques : art audio, film, vidéo et nouveaux médias et pour la plupart, depuis plus de 30 ans._ Quebec region regroup 18 artist-run centers, members of IMAA, working in production, dissemination and distribution. Mainly situated in Montreal and in Quebec city, the centers, members of IMAA, have been covering by their activities, for more than 30 years, the four practices of media arts: Film, Video, Audio art and New media.

The Atlantic Region is made up of centres from Newfoundland and Labrador (NIFCO), Prince Edward Island (IMAC), New Brunswick (NB Co-op, Faucet, Film Zone) and Nova Scotia (CFAT, AFCOOP). The regional centres get together twice a year (once at the AGM and once within our region). There are several festivals in our region. There are no distributors. We are hoping to address this problem. It is the main topic of or next regional gathering. We have plans to put out a regional newsletter and improve our communications. The chairperson of IMAA is from Faucet, John Murchie and the two board representatives are Mille Clarkes from PEI and Walter Forsyth from Nova Scotia. he AThe Atlantic Region is made up of centres from Newfoundland and Labrador (NIFCO), Prince Edward Island (IMAC), New Brunswick (NB Co-op, Faucet, Film Zone) and Nova Scotia (CFAT, AFCOOP). The regional centres get together twice a year (once at the AGM and once within our region). There are several festivals in our region. There are no distributors. We are hoping to address this problem. It is the main topic of or next regional gathering. We have plans to put out a regional newsletter and improve our communications. The chairperson of IMAA is from Faucet, John Murchie and the two board representatives are Mille Clarkes from PEI and Walter Forsyth from Nova Scotia.

National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition __ Coalition des arts médiatiques autochtones