Digital Arts Award (NUMIX)

Who is eligible for this award?

This award is open to independent digital arts artists and collectives who create original works using one or more technologies, including but not limited to: virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, interactive sensors, robotics and artificial intelligence.

What are the program objectives?

Reward and promote excellence in digital creativity and recognize the unique artistic signature of creative artists.

What type of assistance is provided?

Xn Québec has organized the NUMIX Awards contest every year for the past 12 years. Since 2021, the Conseil is associated to the Digital Arts Award and offers a $5,000 grant to the winner. The works of the three finalists will be presented as part of a Composite evening in June 2022.

What is the duration of the support?

This is a one-time grant during the contest year.

What do the partners provide?

Xn Québec is the main partner in the NUMIX Awards contest. The organization manages and administers this award. It also awards the grant to the winning artist or artists’ collective, who will be announced at the NUMIX Awards ceremony. As such, it will be in charge of managing and canvassing entries, carrying out communications and promotional work regarding the award, establishing the jury and its process for selecting the winner and finalists, planning the recording of the partner award presentation videos, announcing the finalists and the winner at the Awards ceremony via a video clip and the awarding of the grant to the winner.

What are the general eligibility criteria?

The artist submitting the project must be the creator or have the producer’s permission to submit the project. The artist must submit a registration form. Please note that for the Digital Arts Awards category, the Commission will pay the registration fee for eligible artists, organizations and collectives, based on its general eligibility conditions.

How many applications will be accepted?

Three projects will be selected by the jury and presented publicly. The Conseil grant will be awarded to the winner of the contest.

How can I submit an application?

The applicant must register for the NUMIX Awards via the registration form at numix.ca.

The applicant must also pay the registration fee upon receipt of the invoice. Applications with incomplete registration forms or unpaid registration fees are ineligible. The NUMIX Awards contest reserves the right to refuse any late or incomplete application.

You have 30 days to complete the form once it has been created. A personalized URL link is provided during registration.

What information and documents must I include in my application?

Description of the project, artistic content, theme, technologies used, collaborators.

Copyright Statement: the applicant affirms that it has obtained all authorizations concerning the components and subjects of the project registered in the NUMIX Awards contest and the intellectual property rights associated with it. The NUMIX Awards contest cannot be held responsible for the inclusion of any copyrighted material in an application and reserves the right to disqualify a project using copyrighted material without permission.

Submitted projects must be accessible online, via URL or a link to a storage platform such as Google Drive, OneDrive, S3 Amazon, Dropbox, etc.

For projects that cannot be experienced online (urban or museum installations, immersive experiences in performance venues, etc.), the artists and producers must provide the appropriate equipment to allow the jury to experience the project. The jury requires a presentation video, at the very least.

The NUMIX Awards contest accepts no responsibility for problems related to the shipping or non-receipt of the materials to be provided within the specified deadlines, regardless of the reason.

How are applications evaluated?

Projects submitted will be evaluated by juries that are associated with various categories and composed of Xn Québec members.

• the jury reserves the right to refuse or move a project to another category if it does not correspond to the jury’s selection criteria
• if the jury considers that the material provided is not sufficient to evaluate the project, it may disqualify the application
• if the number of projects submitted is insufficient in one of the contest categories or if the projects submitted do not meet the minimum criteria established, the jury members reserve the right to:
  • not select the minimum of three finalists in the category
  • move such projects to another category
  • cancel the award for a given category

• the selection of productions follows a rigorous process. Members of the juries associated with the various categories receive a scoring grid that they complete individually, awarding points for each production based on a set of pre-established criteria. The members of each jury then meet to determine the finalists and winners.

A NUMIX Award winner stands out primarily by the originality and quality of the content of their production and how well their editorial approach aligns with the project’s objectives.

What are the evaluation criteria?

Originality of the concept

The project submitted demonstrates undeniable originality in its vision, mission, approach, editorial line and its overall viewpoint. It resonates. One or more elements stand out. For example, an interactive project offering an exceptional experience through an innovative environment.

Quality of artistic direction or production

The project demonstrates undeniable artistic qualities in terms of design, graphics, sets, lighting, costumes and, in the case of video production, the filming and direction of actors.

Technological innovation or technical quality

The project uses technology in an innovative and clever way to improve the user experience and offer something unique.

Degree of interaction or engagement

User experience refers to the quality of the experience lived and felt by the user in any interaction situation. The user experience captivates and encourages the user to continue or enjoy the experience regularly. It promotes discussion and exchange after experiencing it. It creates a tangible engagement among the target audience, namely the spectator, listener, player, visitor or user. In the case of an interactive project, it includes effective mechanisms allowing the public to interact with the work.

• Relevance of content

The content appropriately supports the concept, discourse and proposal. The editorial approach is clear, effective and ensures the projects objectives are adapted to each category.

• Utility to society

The project provides a relevant response or new insight regarding a social issue. It does this through its form, discourse, content or clever use of technology to convey a message. The entire proposal contributes to the common good and improves collective well-being. It is compassionate and empathetic toward a particular group or cause.

How will the artist’s grant be paid?

The grant is awarded to the winning artist of the contest at the awards ceremony.

• The applicant of each project agrees that jury decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
• Applicants authorize Xn Québec and the organization of the NUMIX AWARDS contest to use the material submitted in any publication promoting the contest, in a journalistic article or in any other publication or distribution medium.
• The applicant must ensure that all information entered in the registration form is accurate and provide the NUMIX Awards contest with current contact details for correspondence.