How to Apply

We tried to make a case for a spit shake, but were advised against it; so we’ll need you to read and accept some fine print instead.

Although we’re an initiative aligned with EQ Bank in all the warm and fuzzy ways, you’ll see the name “Equitable Bank” throughout these Terms and Conditions. In case you were wondering, we’re not having a crisis of identity (or branding); EQ Bank is a trademark of Equitable Bank, so technically, so are we. And this is precisely the place for technicalities!

Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the eligibility, participation and award selection process of the Equitable Bank Emerging Digital Artists Award (the “Award”). Entry and participation is contingent on accepting and adhering to these Terms and Conditions.

Eligibility

1. Entrants must be individuals who are within the first five (5) years of their professional career, prior to or beginning with their first exhibition in a museum, public or commercial gallery, or artist-run centre.
2. Only one submission may be made per individual.
3. Entrants must complete the online application and submit it along with a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that outlines a complete exhibition history, beginning from the date of their first exhibition at a museum, public or commercial gallery, or artist-run centre.
4. Only submissions made by the June 15, 2020 11:59pm EST deadline will be accepted. Entries cannot be altered or amended once submitted.
5. Entrants must be able to attend the award ceremony in Toronto, Ontario on September 24, 2020 if selected as a finalist. If an individual applying from outside the GTA is selected as a finalist, Equitable Bank will fund the Entrant’s travel and one night’s accommodations in Toronto. Specifications as to travel and accommodations are at the discretion of Equitable Bank. If an Entrant is unable to attend the award ceremony, they may be disqualified.
6. Participation is open to all Canadian residents 18 years of age or older.
7. Previous winners of the Award are not eligible to participate.
8. Employees of Equitable Bank, members of the Judging Panel, and persons with whom such persons are domiciled, are not eligible to participate.

Artwork Qualifications

1. A submission must take the form of ‘Digital Art’. For the purposes of this award, Digital Art will be defined as a screen-based artwork that demonstrates an engagement with digital technologies—such as computers, digital (video) cameras, tablets, and smartphones—in the process of its creation. Analogue processes may be part of the creative process, but the output must be digital.
2. Digital documentation of artwork created using traditional media—such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, graphite, and ink—will not be accepted.
3. The submission must have a visual component and must be in one of the file formats specified below. An auditory component is optional.
4. A submission may contain photography where digital photo-manipulation is an intrinsic part of the piece, and where the preferred mode of display is screen-based.
5. The following criteria applies according to the category of submission:
   

   Category	Digital Format	Requirements
   Motion Graphic	.avi .mov .mpeg .mp4 .wmv .f4v	The maximum file size for motion graphics is 2 GB. For entries with sound, you must own the copyright to the sound used. If the sound is created by someone else, permission must be granted and credit given. For web and app-based entries, please provide brief instructions in your written statement.
   Digital Image	.gif .jpeg .png .exe .html	Maximum resolution of 1280 x 800 and maximum file size of 500 Mb. Interactive programs must be compatible with Windows 7 or later (.app files not accepted). Websites or web-based projects must be compatible with Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.
   Application	.exe .html	Interactive programs must be compatible with Windows 7 or later (.app files not accepted). Websites or web-based projects must be compatible with Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.

6. The submitted artwork must have been created no more than five (5) years prior to the date of submission.
7. If the work includes its own display – in the case of video installation, for example – Equitable Bank will not be held responsible for acquiring any additional materials required for exhibiting the work in its intended form.
8. There are no limitations on the duration of a submitted artwork; however, if the submission exceeds 15 minutes in length, the Entrant may be asked to provide an excerpt of the submitted artwork for the sole purpose of the finalists’ screening.
9. Entrants are asked to identify if the submitted artwork has been made or is currently available elsewhere, with some specification as to same (online, museum or gallery, corporate collection, etc.). Work that has been previously distributed through a public forum will be considered for the Award, but may be excluded based on its provenance.
10. Each submission must be accompanied by a completed application form, including Entrant’s name and title for the artwork, and a PDF version of their CV in order to be considered.

Award Selection Process

1. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges (the “Judging Panel”), consisting of three external advisors who have based their practices in Canada and have demonstrated knowledge of digital art, and one representative each from Trinity Square Video and Equitable Bank, who will determine the finalists (the “Finalists”) and winner of the award (“Award Winner”).
2. Submitted artwork will be evaluated on disciplinary relevance, technique, and aesthetics, as well as a written component, which makes up one part of the required application form. It is at the discretion of the Judging Panel whether or not submitted work can be considered Digital Art, for the purposes of this award.
3. The Judging Panel’s determination will be final and no correspondence pertaining to the review process or the Judges’ determination will be entered into.
4. Five (5) Finalists will be selected and notified via email shortly thereafter. If email confirmation is not received from the Finalist within 72 hours, three attempts will be made to reach the Finalist via phone using the number disclosed in the application.
5. If a Finalist cannot be reached within one week of the first attempt, the Judging Panel may remove the Entrant’s name from the short list and select a new Entrant in replacement.
6. Unsuccessful Entrants will be notified via email prior to August 15, 2020, 5PM EST.
7. Names and short biographies of each Finalist, as well as select images from their artwork, will be shared as and through promotional materials, including but not limited to Equitable Bank and EQ Bank channels, a news release, and the Award website. This may include the production and distribution of a limited number of prints featuring images from the Finalists’ artworks. No additional payment will be provided to the Finalists or Award Winner for this use of their artwork.
8. The Finalists will be invited to Toronto to attend the award ceremony, where a single Award Winner will be announced at approximately 8:00pm EST. The five Finalist works will be exhibited in concurrence with the event. Each Finalist will receive $500 dollars payment for the exhibition of their work, as per CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens) guidelines.
9. The Award Winner will be awarded a $5,000 monetary prize. The remaining Finalists will each be awarded a $1,000 monetary prize. All prizes are in addition to the $500 paid to each artist for the exhibition of their work, and will be handed to the Finalists and Award Winner at the award ceremony. If, due to extenuating circumstances, any of the Finalists are unable to attend the award ceremony, their prizes will be mailed to the address disclosed in the application, unless the Finalist notifies Equitable Bank of a change in address prior to September 24, 2020, by emailing their updated information to edaa@eqbank.ca.
10. Equitable Bank will, upon the public announcement of the Award Winner, acquire the Award Winner’s submitted artwork, for use in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. No additional compensation will be provided to the Award Winner beyond the $5,000 monetary prize and the $500 payment for the exhibition of their work.
11. The Award Winner and Finalists will be offered, in addition to both the monetary prize, exhibition payment, a year-long membership to Trinity Square Video in Toronto, ON, which will begin on the date that prizes are awarded.
12. The Award Winner will be offered, in addition to both the monetary prize and Trinity Square Video membership, a space in Trinity Square Video’s annual themed commission program. Further information about the themed commission program will be provided at the time the Award Winner receives their prize. The Award Winner may choose to accept or decline their space in the program, but must do so within 90 days following the date on which the Award Winner is announced.

The Entrant’s Covenants

1. The Entrant warrants and represents that:
   • the information provided in the Equitable Bank Emerging Digital Artists Award application is true;
   • they are sole owner, creator and authority of the artwork, or they have obtained all necessary consents from all other contributors and have the requisite legal authority to submit the artwork for consideration of the Award;
   • they have the full right and authority to make the submission of the artwork to Equitable Bank;
   • they accept sole responsibility and liability for any infringement of copyrights, trademarks, design rights, or any other intellectual property rights of any third person or entity achieved through artistic appropriations; and
   • the submitted artwork does not violate any person’s rights of privacy or publicity or breach the contractual rights of any third party.
2. The Entrant understands and agrees that Equitable Bank retains the right to ultimately grant or not grant the Award based on its sole and absolute discretion, which the Entrant agrees not to challenge in any forum or setting, whether public or private.
3. The Entrant understands and agrees that Equitable Bank may invalidate any submission at any time if the Entrant is found to be in breach of these Terms and Conditions and that the Entrant will be required to return any prize received.
4. The Entrant agrees to indemnify and save Equitable Bank, its officers, directors, employees and agents, harmless from and against all liability of whatever nature to which Equitable Bank may be subject which arises out of the Entrant’s submission under these Terms and Conditions, whether by reason of negligence, fraud, misrepresentation or other acts, errors and omissions for which the Entrant is in law responsible.

General

1. The selection of the Finalists and Award Winner is at Equitable Bank’s sole and absolute discretion.
2. At any time, Equitable Bank retains the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to:
   • remove any submission from the competition;
   • change the size and membership of the Judging Panel;
   • cancel the Award; and
   • vary the prize amounts.
3. The exhibition of the Finalists’ artworks may take place leading up to, concurrently, or following the announcement of the Award Winner. The duration, location, and organization of the Finalists’ exhibition is at the discretion of Equitable Bank, who in turn agrees to pay each Finalist for their participation.
4. Subsequent to the announcement of the Award Winner and the acquisition of their artwork by Equitable Bank, the display of the Award Winner’s artwork at the offices of Equitable Bank will be at the Bank’s sole and absolute discretion, including but not limited to the form, manner, and media by which the artwork is displayed.
5. Subsequent to the announcement of the Award Winner and the acquisition of their artwork by Equitable Bank, any public display of the Award Winner’s submitted artwork, defined as any display outside of the offices of Equitable Bank, will be approved and negotiated with the Award Winner prior to being made public.
6. Equitable Bank will provide to the Award Winner approval and authority to use the Equitable Bank name and logo within specified parameters.
7. Equitable Bank is not responsible for additional display, insurance, or miscellaneous costs related to the inclusion of the artwork in the competition.
8. Except for the Award Winner, all submissions mailed in to Equitable Bank or uploaded to Equitable Bank’s online repository will be destroyed or deleted accordingly within 60 days after the Award Winner is announced. Equitable Bank will be under no liability whatsoever to the Entrant in respect of any submission so removed.
9. All personal information provided by the five Finalists during the applications process, including home address and contact information, will be retained for one (1) year following the announcement of the Award Winner. After one year has passed, the information will be securely destroyed by Equitable Bank, unless the Entrant indicates that they would like to receive additional information pertaining to the Equitable Bank art collection and related projects by checking the appropriate box on the application form.
10. All personal information provided by unsuccessful Entrants during the applications process, including home address and contact information, will be securely destroyed by Equitable Bank within 60 days of announcing the Award Winner, unless the Entrant indicates that they would like to receive additional information pertaining to the Equitable Bank art collection and related projects by checking the appropriate box on the application form.
11. Any dispute regarding the organization or conduct of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.
12. These terms and conditions may be amended, deleted or added to from time to time at the discretion of Equitable Bank.