Mission Statement:

The John Dunsworth Screen Actors’ Fund was set up in 2018 as a way to pay tribute to one of ACTRA Maritimes’ film legends, John Dunsworth. This Fund was created to continue John’s generosity and support of Maritime film artists. $500 will be awarded twice a year to an ACTRA Maritimes Full Member in good standing to assist in their pursuit of professional development or industry recognition.

Special Considerations:

The John Dunsworth Screen Actors’ Fund will be awarded on the basis of professional development and industry recognition.

Support:

This Fund is supported by ACTRA Maritimes and member donations. If you would like to make a donation to the Fund, please contact the ACTRA Maritimes office at: maritimes@actra.ca.

Eligibility:

The Fund is open to all ACTRA Maritimes’ full members in good standing, who are permanent residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island.

Deadlines:

February 1st
July 1st

Value of Awards:

One $500 award semi-annually

Financial Administration:

This Fund is financially administered through the generous support of Theatre Nova Scotia.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Please read the application guidelines carefully and follow all instructions. A separate application must be completed for each deadline.

Application Tips

Applications must be prepared with great care. All supporting material should be clearly presented, well organized and easily accessible. All applications must be submitted in PDF format only. This should be one document, which would include all elements required for each application.

We advise you to apply even if you have not yet been accepted into your program of study, film festival, conference, private study, etc. An acceptance letter can be sent in at a later date.

Applicants planning to study at a university, college, school, or other recognized institutions must either provide a copy of the course outline or program description as a PDF file or a direct web link to the program in the application form. Try to be as specific as possible with your link so the Selection Committee does not have to go hunting for your particular program.

Applicants planning to attend a film festival or conference must submit information or a link to the festival or conference and explain in their artist statement why attending is important to their professional development.

Support Material

• Artist statement (max. 500 words) detailing the intended use of the funding
• Budget, as directed in the application
• Artist résumé, including a list of film credits indicating the applicant’s role in each production (PDF format)

Applicants may be asked to provide additional material at the request of the Selection Committee.

• Additional Requirements for Private Study Only If you plan to study with a private mentor or teacher, you must obtain the following information from your mentor and submit it in PDF format with your application:
• Training/Formal course outline including proposed curricular goals Number of training sessions, as well as the duration and cost of each training session Letter of agreement from the mentor that outlines that nature and frequency of contact, as well as the fee for service Statement of interest from your mentor or teacher that describes why they think this course of study/training would be beneficial Anticipated curricular outcome of your successful completion of the study program Current résumé from your mentor

Where to Send Completed Applications

Completed applications are to be sent in PDF format only on the deadline date (February 1st or July 1st) by 5 pm AST to the ACTRA Maritimes office via email at: maritimes@actra.ca. Applications sent after the deadline date will not be reviewed.

Review of Applications

Applications are reviewed twice per year. Please keep in mind that you are competing with other well-qualified candidates.

ACTRA Maritimes is committed to reviewing applications with the highest levels of fairness and transparency. To ensure ACTRA Maritimes’ decisions and evaluations are completely impartial, conflicts of interest will be avoided at all costs.

The Selection Committee consists of ACTRA Maritimes Council Members in conjunction with the Dunsworth Family.

The assessment criteria the Selection Committee uses are as follows:

1. Will the proposed program of study and/or industry recognition benefit the applicant and further their career as a professional screen actor?
2. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to complete the proposed project?

Applications with missing or incomplete components or support materials will not be reviewed.  All decisions made by the Selection Committee are final.

Applicants are advised of application results approximately one month after each deadline. All submissions and support materials become the property of ACTRA Maritimes.

Successful Applicants

Before any portion of the award is paid, successful applicants must advise ACTRA Maritimes by e-mail that they have started, or will be starting, the program of study or attending the film festival or conference, etc. as proposed in their application.

Successful applicants must provide confirmation of enrolment and/or acceptance in the form of a letter or e-mail provided by the institution of study, mentor, film festival, etc.

Awards do not renew automatically. Successful applicants who wish to be considered for future fund assistance must wait two (2) years before re-applying.

Applicants must advise ACTRA Maritimes of any change of address, study plans, or developments in their careers pertinent to their application.

In the event an applicant is awarded an award but is not accepted into their program, film festival, etc., all award monies must be returned to ACTRA Maritimes to be distributed to other successful recipients.

Reporting Requirements for Successful Applications

Successful recipients are required to submit a report of activity supported by the program within 30 days of the completion of their professional development. This report, in PDF format, must include:

• A statement of actual revenue and expenses, and include copies of
• A comprehensive summary/testimonial and evaluation of the course, and of the recipient’s experience. Parts of this testimonial may be included as part of ACTRA Maritimes’ promotional materials to further promote the John Dunsworth Screen Actors’ Film

Contact:

For more information regarding this process, please contact the ACTRA Maritimes office by phone 902-420-1404 or E-mail: maritimes@actra.ca.