Mobile Media Resource Guide

Click here to download the Mobile Media Resourche Guide

The MOBILE MEDIA tours were an initiative of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) to help build audiences in northern and regional communities of Ontario for independently produced, artist-driven film and video. In 2005, the tour took place over four weekends in April and went to four communities Peterborough, North Bay, Thunder Bay and Sudbury).

Each community had a 90-minute screening and a half-day workshop. A promotional poster and program guide, in both official languages, were made available free of charge by OAC to presenters and the public. The program guide included a critical essay contextualizing the MOBILE MEDIA tour within Ontario’s contemporary media arts practice.

The practical and comprehensive workshop following each screening was facilitated by a group of media artists, the tour coordinator (Annette Mangaard) and an OAC granting officer.

In 2006, the tour was expanded to 11 communities (Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Guelph, Hamilton, Moose Factory, Moosonee, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Whitefish Lake First Nation).

The screenings consisted of two 30-minute programs, curated through an open call to programmers, and one 30-minute program of work by local artists. The tour was co-presented by local individuals or organizations who provided the venue, screening equipment and volunteer labour and promoted the event to their community.

Once again, a promotional poster and program guide were provided by the OAC. Filmmakers, programmers, the tour coordinators (Annette Mangaard and Cheryl Rondeau) and an OAC granting officer participated in Q&A sessions with audiences following the screenings.

The tours have been successful in facilitating contacts between filmmakers and video-makers, programmers, production centres, distribution centres, galleries, universities, Aboriginal communities and audiences. In an effort to encourage more collaborations, screenings and touring activities in the media arts, OAC has prepared this resource guide to assist interested individuals and organizations to find contacts across the province.

This guide is not comprehensive, but it is focused on OAC clients and collaborators involved in the Mobile Media tours. However, we hope that it will also be a jumping-off point for ideas on how to reach other contacts not listed here.

Anyone interested in initiating a media arts tour or presenting a touring media arts program in their community is encouraged to explore OAC’s Touring and Collaborations granting program.

Let’s work together to see more films and videos by Ontario artists on screens all across the province.