Nominations for Peer Assessment Jury
The Peer Review Process
The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts reviews over 150 applications every year and awards approximately 50 grants. The Council uses a peer assessment process to ensure that decisions are made fairly and objectively, and the funds we distribute are shared in the fairest manner.
The panel makes the decisions primarily by evaluating each application against the four criteria listed in the application guidelines:
A. The artistic merit of the project.
B. The relevance of this work to the Artist’s development.
C. The potential of the applicant(s) or small groups/bands to carry through the project.
D. The significance of the project’s contribution to the development of the Arts on Prince Edward Island.
The Council’s Board of Directors is responsible for providing a list of approved potential jurors to the Executive Director who is then responsible for assembling a jury twice per year in May and November. You can play a role in the process by recommending potential jurors to the Directors for their consideration - including yourself.
Each jury panel consists of six members selected from the list of candidates. Generally, the jury is made up of representatives from six of the eight disciplines recognized by the Council. Also in attendance is the Chair of the Council of the Arts who Chairs the meeting, the Executive Director of the Council who may provide advice to the Chair and assists in ensuring that panel conversation remains within the scope of the review, and the Executive Administrator of the Council who provides administrative support. The Chair, the Executive Director, and the Executive Administrator do not provide opinions on the merit of any grant under review.
To keep a measure of consistency across panels, one member of the previous panel is appointed to the next. Jurors may only serve twice in a two year period. Every effort is made to provide a panel of jurors that is reflective of the Island in age, gender, and culture. Limiting factors include availability of jurors as well as availability of jurors within disciplines.
Jurors must clearly state any conflict of interest and remove themselves from deliberations while a conflict exists. Additionally, all jurors must agree to keep all deliberations confidential. Jurors are also instructed that age, race, gender, geographic location of the applicant, and previous Council success or lack of success may NOT be factors in the deliberations.
Things to consider before recommending a juror:
Is the candidate able to serve for one complete business day (mid-May or mid-November)?
Is the candidate familiar with, and comfortable abiding by, the Council’s conflict of interest guidelines? (Download the Council's Conflict of Interest Guidlines in PDF)
Is the candidate familiar with, and comfortable abiding by, the Council’s confidentiality guidelines? (
Is the candidate knowledgeable in their discipline on a Provincial AND National level?
Is the candidate generally knowledgeable about the Arts (in all disciplines) on Prince Edward Island?
If the answer to these questions is yes, please proceed to the recommendation form.
