Indspire and imagineNATIVE announce the Roberta L. Jamieson bursary for Indigenous film studies students
October 28, 2019 – Ohsweken, ON – Roberta L. Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire, in association with imagineNATIVE, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Roberta L. Jamieson Film and Media Arts Bursary. Ms. Jamieson’s personal donation of $25,000 is being matched by the Government of Canada to establish this $50,000 bursary. A $10,000 bursary will be awarded each year for a five-year period to an Indigenous student enrolled in a Film or Media Arts program.
Roberta Jamieson O.C., I.P.C., LL.B., LL.D.(Hon) is a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She has an acclaimed and distinguished career of a variety of firsts. She was the first, First Nations woman in Canada to earn a law degree; the first appointed ex-officio member of a House of Commons Committee; the first woman Ombudsman of Ontario; and the first woman elected Chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, where she continues to reside with her family. Jamieson is the President & CEO of Indspire and Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards.
“Media images contribute greatly to how we think about ourselves and how others in society view us. It is imperative that as Indigenous people, we control our own narrative and the images we project,” said Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire. “I am thrilled that this bursary will support the next generation of Indigenous film makers who want to share the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages, nations, and cultures through an Indigenous lens with other communities, Canada and the rest of the world.”.
“Indigenous screen-storytellers are vital to our nations,” says Jason Ryle, imagineNATIVE’s Executive Director. “As imagineNATIVE’s visionary founding Chair, Roberta Jamieson has a long history in supporting Indigenous media artists, and this scholarship will greatly assist an emerging Indigenous media artist. imagineNATIVE is pleased to be a promotional partner for this new opportunity.”
The bursary will be awarded based on demonstrated financial need as well as involvement in and contribution to the community as well as demonstrated academic merit. Qualified applicants will be able to apply through Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program at indspire.ca.
About Indspire
Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire provides financial awards, delivers programs and shares resources so that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students will achieve their highest potential. In 2018-19 Indspire awarded $16.3 million through 5,553 scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous students across Canada.
About imagineNATIVE
The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world’s largest Indigenous festival showcasing film, video, audio, and digital & interactive media made by Indigenous screen-content creators. The Festival presents compelling and distinctive works from Canada and around the globe, reflecting the diversity of Indigenous nations and illustrating the vitality and dynamism of Indigenous arts, perspectives, and cultures in contemporary media.
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Nick Foglia
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
(416) 987-0260 / (416) 710-6070
nfoglia@indspire.ca
indspire.ca
