VILLA CHARITIES
YOUNG ARTIST GRANT
A national grant program to support young Italian Canadian artists in their creative endeavours in the fields of literature, music and film.
Applications Closed!
Villa Charities Young Artist Grant 2023 applications are now closed.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply.
The deadline to apply is Friday, September 29, 2023 at 5:00pm EDT.
On August 31, 2023, Villa Charities announced the launch of their Young Artist Grant, a national grant program established to support young Italian Canadian artists in their creative endeavours in the fields of literature, music and film. The aim of the Young Artist Grant is to provide financial support to emerging artists, while ensuring that young Italian Canadians are engaged with Villa Charities, and the Italian Canadian community at large.
This new biennial fund is an integral component of the organization’s Italian Canadian Youth Initiative (ICYI), a suite of programs and activities strategically created with the long-term objective of engaging and supporting the youth in our community, established in 2021 as part of Villa Charities’ 50th Anniversary celebrations.
In 2023, Villa Charities will award a total of $15,000, to be disbursed to three (3) talented young artists between 18 and 30 years of age, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and of Italian heritage.
The selection and evaluation process will be conducted by a Selection Committee for each grant category. Grants will be awarded by Villa Charities at the end of 2023.
Villa Charities is excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Young Artist Grant program. The Young Artist Grant was launched in September 2023, with the aim of providing financial support to emerging artists, while ensuring that young Italian Canadians are engaged with Villa Charities, and the Italian Canadian community at large.
About The Young Artist Grant
This new biennial fund is an integral component of the organization’s Italian Canadian Youth Initiative (ICYI), a suite of programs and activities strategically created with the long-term objective of engaging and supporting the youth in our community, established in 2021 as part of Villa Charities’ 50th Anniversary celebrations.
In 2023, Villa Charities awarded a total of $15,000, which was disbursed to three (3) talented young artists between 18 and 30 years of age, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and of Italian heritage.
The selection and evaluation process are conducted by a Selection Committee for each grant category.
Category: Fictional Literature
Winner: Claire Tatangelo, Halifax, NS
Creative Project: “Roller Barbie and Her Magic 8” (Graphic Novel)
A coming-of-age story about an Italian Canadian woman who leaves her family and moves to a new city alone. She learns to love herself through roller blading and reconnects with lessons she learned playing Italian cards from her nonna as she figures out the direction of her life. Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this graphic novel is based on real natural disasters that took place in the post-pandemic years and follows the characters as they learn to accept and cope with the aftermath. The imagery on Italian cards is revisited and redesigned throughout the story.
Category: Music
Winner: Daniele Monticelli, Woodbridge, ON
Creative Project: “Now Part II” (Album)
This project explores life situations, interpersonal relationships, and the universal quest for identity. The song “Same Song” emphasizes the interconnectedness of music and culture, showcasing a fusion of traditional Italian instruments like tamburello and zampogna with a Scottish-inspired violin line. This blend symbolizes the unity among diverse backgrounds, reflecting a shared love for musical expression.
Category: Film
Winner: Ruggero Romano, Vancouver, BC
Creative Project: “Vinum” (Short Film)
The project is dedicated to the preservation of the age-old tradition of grape harvesting in Venice, Italy, through the production of a high-quality cinematic short film. This venerable practice in Venice is at risk of fading into obscurity as the city’s population dwindles due to the overwhelming impacts of mass tourism. Veneto stands as one of Italy’s most esteemed regions in the realm of winemaking, and within its boundaries, Venice boasts a distinct and revered approach to the art. Our mission is to safeguard this invaluable tradition through a short film that will serve as a poignant testament to this unique heritage. Our cinematic endeavor will capture and present every facet of the grape harvesting process in collaboration with the local most renowned grape harvesting organization, Laguna nel Bicchiere, that will ensure that everything that is proposed in the film mirrors real-life procedures and treatments. With an immersive and authentic approach, the film will explore the entire journey, crafting a narrative that unfolds with a curated synergy between images and soundscape. Through a cinematic lens, we will highlight the enduring traditions that form the heart and soul of Italian and Venetian winemaking culture.
Category: Film
Honourable Mention: Madeleine Fiore, Woodbridge, ON
Creative Project: “Road Trippin’” (Short Film)
“Road Trippin’” is a short film written, directed and produced by Madeline Rose Fiore. After graduating college, two girls go on a road trip with their brother’s 1979 camper van. Through this journey, they uncover their love for one another that they’ve been hiding from, which runs parallel to their brother’s secret relationship.”
Submission Guidelines
In 2023, the Young Artist Grant will support three projects by young artists with a $5,000.00 grant. Submissions are accepted from artists that comply to the following:
• Are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada,
• Are 18 to 30 years of age, and
• Are of Italian heritage (at least one great-grandparent was born in Italy).
The Young Artist Grant will support a specific original project that is a work in progress, in the following categories:
• Fictional Literature: novel, novella, collection of short stories or poems, comics, graphic novel, theatre play.
– Ineligible projects: non-fictional works, academic studies, anthologies featuring works by multiple authors, screenplays.
• Music: album, musical score, movie soundtrack.
– Ineligible projects: individual songs.
• Film: short film, feature-length film, music video, TV/streaming series or series pilot, screenplay.
– Ineligible projects: documentary movies, film journalism, recording of a live performance.
One artist can submit only one project, under one category. Each submission must be the work of the sole individual artist or by a team/band under the direct guidance of the artist who is submitting the project.
Each submission must include:
• Completed online Application Form
• A valid photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport, etc.)
• The applicant’s resume
• An overview of the project (500 – 800 words)
• The budget for the project, highlighting how the grant money will be spent
• A sample of the proposed project, uploaded on WeTransfer, such as a 2-to-5-page excerpt for the literary entry, 1-2 song(s) from the music album, or 2-5 minutes of the film – or an equivalent artistic product that will convey a sense of the quality of the craftsmanship in the medium selected for the submission.
Heavy files can be emailed through file-sharing sites (such as Dropbox, WeTransfer, etc.). Submissions that are received after the deadline will not be accepted.