Community Memories Program - Overview

Develop local history online exhibits through the Community Memories Program targeted to museums with five employees or less.

Community Memories exhibits offer insights into the events and the people that shaped a community. These online exhibits have a specific focus, such as a town’s industry or early settlers. Exhibits draw from an institution’s permanent collection and community members’ personal photographs, documents and stories. Exhibits are then posted on the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) Website.

Value of Investment

Museums with approved proposals receive a standard investment of $5,000, as well as a software package. CHIN will consider a further investment of $2,500 for each additional exhibit selected for investment and up to $2,500 for translation of an existing exhibit into the other official language.

Calls for Proposals

Calls for proposals are issued at least once a year. Our next call for proposals will be launched in the fall of 2010.

Eligibility

In order to submit a proposal, museums must meet the following criteria:

• be public, not-for-profit museums that are basic or contributing members of the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN);
• have no more than five full-time paid staff, which includes museums that are entirely volunteer-run or whose communities are not defined geographically.

Eligibility Restrictions

• Institutions may submit more than one proposal. The VMC Investment Programs, however, do not invest in more than one production at a time from any institution.
• An institution already working on a VMC Investment Programs production must launch its production before any subsequent proposals from the institution are eligible for consideration.
• Institutions that have received prior investment from CHIN are eligible to submit a proposal. They are only eligible, however, if they comply with and abide by all terms and conditions, including all reporting requirements in previous agreements signed with CHIN.
• CHIN member institutions with more than five full-time paid staff members may request a copy of the Community Memories software but are not eligible for financial investment under this program. Institutions that are interested must submit a completed Community Memories proposal form during an open call.

Evaluation Process

• The evaluation process is detailed in the Program Guidelines.  This process takes approximately four months after the closure of the Call for Proposals.
• Not all eligible proposals may be approved for investment due to the Program’s limited budget. Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate the strongest community partnerships and intergenerational participation.

Contact Us

Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)
Attention: VMC Community Memories Program
15 Eddy Street, 4th Floor (15-4-A)
Gatineau, QC K1A 0M5
Email: service@chin.gc.ca
Tel.: 819-934-5965 or 1-800-520-2446

 

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