MANO/RAMO was created in 2009 for the express purpose of providing a unified and responsive voice for Ontario’s media arts sector. The media arts sector has had a rapid and continued evolution that has been innovative and responsive to new and emerging technologies and formats over the last two decades. The time has come for the sector to communicate its abundant achievements, pursue funding parity with more traditional disciplines, and pursue increased opportunities for its artists. In the coming years, MANO/RAMO will play an important role in spearheading advocacy, professional development, networking and communications that further the profile of the media arts sector in communities across the province.
The Media Arts Network of Ontario/Réseau des arts médiatiques de l’Ontario (MANO/RAMO) is an arts service organization whose mandate is to develop and foster a unified and responsive provincial network for Ontario media arts organizations and the independent artists they represent. MANO/RAMO currently represents over 50 organizations in Ontario. Key organizational goals include:
- To improve the working and living conditions for Ontario artists through specific programming activities and advocacy initiatives at the provincial level;
- To create opportunities for collaborative exchange and information sharing among experienced, mid-level and emerging media arts organizations and collectives;
- To respond to the needs of the provincial media arts community with action-based initiatives and communications;
- To garner greater support and profile for the sector in the province’s cultural policy;
- To create awareness of and engagement with the breadth of media arts activity in Ontario.
MANO/RAMO’s vision is informed by the value that a rich and vibrant cultural landscape includes the continued diversity of artistic and cultural expression offered by independent film, video, audio and new media arts. These forms of expression provide necessary alternatives to mainstream, commercial and institutional ideologies. It is the organization’s belief that community engagement with diverse artistic practices improves quality of life by promoting cultural understanding and respect at all levels of society.