RBC Emerging Artists Project

You are on: Visual Arts

A picture can tell a thousand words – and then some. Visual arts have the ability to help shape our society, by reflecting it, criticizing it, or embellishing it. We support visual artists in the early stages of their careers.

The RBC Canadian Painting Competition, with the partnership of the Canadian Art Foundation, provides a forum to engage communities across Canada and celebrate the exceptional skill of our up-and-coming visual artists. Each year the competition is hosted in multiple cities across Canada, providing exposure to thousands of viewers.

We also fund:

• The RBC Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) Emerging Artist Project offered through the artistic training centre of Atlantic Canada, NSCAD.
• With The Power Plant and the Canadian Art Foundation, the RBC Canadian Painting Competition
• Art Gallery of Alberta's RBC New Works Project
• And many more.

You are on: Film

As a leading patron of the arts and cinema, we are committed to helping the next generation of filmmakers develop their skills and bring their visions to life through the RBC Emerging Artists Project. The following are some of the festivals and programs with which we collaborate:

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) / Emerging Filmmaker Competition

Through our partnership with the TIFF Talent Lab, an artistic-development program, all participants are eligible to develop a short film for the RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition to receive a bursary donated by RBC to help finance their projects. TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema to film lovers through screenings, lectures, discussions, workshops, and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP)

IFP fosters the development of 200 feature and documentary films a year through Independent Film Week™ and other activities, including the RBC Emerging Visions program, a daylong creative symposium that showcases emerging filmmakers engaging with industry powers held during the New York Film Festival. The nonprofit IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project) is the oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers in the United States.

Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC)

A partner with IFP in the RBC Emerging Visions program held during the New York Film Festival, the FSLC opened its landmark state-of-the-art Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, a multi-screen theater and cultural venue in the heart of Lincoln Center’s campus. America’s pre-eminent film presentation organization, the FSLC celebrates American and international cinema, supports new filmmakers, and enhances awareness and accessibility of the art among a diverse audience.

You are on: Other Arts We Support

You may not realize it, but you will seldom have a night at an opera, symphony or play in Canada without experiencing the work or performance of a graduate of an RBC Emerging Artists Project.

We fund numerous projects to help young artists bridge the gap from the academic to the professional world, in theatre, musical performance, writing, glassmaking, playwriting, curatorship, design and choreography.

We are proud of all of them.

Among the projects we fund are:

• The RBC National Outstanding Achievement Award in Francophone Theatre Arts.
• The RBC Canadian Glassmaking Award, hosted and juried by the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum.
• National Ballet of Canada’s Apprentice program.
• Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Program.
• RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers.
• National Music Centre's RBC Emerging Artist Workshop Series

See all our recipients