The Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) is a member-driven non-profit national organization working to advance and strengthen the media arts community in Canada. Representing over 100 independent film, video, audio, and new media production, distribution, and exhibition organizations in all parts of the country, the IMAA serves over 16,000 independent media artists and cultural workers.
The term media arts applies to all forms of time-related or interactive art works that are created by the recording of sounds, visual images, or use new technologies. These art works are creative expressions and encompass the fields of film, audio, video and computer, digital, and electronic art.
It is exhibited everywhere from art galleries to movie theatres, on the web and in public space. As technology progresses, artists are eager to use new tools to reflect the world around them. In the 1960’s, video technology was introduced and since then media art has grown to include digital and electronic media. Independent means that the artist initiates and is the driving force behind the work and maintains complete creative control over the work.
SUMMARY OF GOALS
1. Nurture and strengthen the independent media arts field
2. A comprehensive suite of services and resources for media arts organizations and practitioners
3. Forging international links to create new opportunities
4. A relationship with public funders based on dialogue, trust, and transparency
5. Advancing on advocacy dossiers of relevance to the media arts
6. Develop IMAA's organizational and membership structure to better fulfil our mandate
7. Comply with Canada Council’s requirement that IMAA dramatically diversify its funding sources
HIGHLIGHTS OF INITIATIVES
• Comprehensive online suite of best practices guides, toolkits & other resources for IMAA’s members
• A first-ever International Indigenous media arts conference
• In-depth research analyzing the value contributed by artist-run centres to the Canadian media arts community, and demonstrating the central importance of this network
• Outreach efforts to members of the broad media arts community which currently have little representation within IMAA: these include groups focusing primarily on digital arts, media arts festivals, younger organizations, artist collectives, and Indigenous groups and organizations
GET INVOLVED!
To join a committee or to learn more about our activities, please contact Marilyne PARENT, Communications & Membership Manager at info@imaa.ca or (514) 522-8240.