The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has unveiled further details about its Equity and Inclusion Fund, created to help reduce financial barriers for underrepresented voices in Canada’s screen-based industry.

The fund, which is now accepting donations, has three goals: to open doors for new talent through training programs such as the pre-established Directors Program for Women and the newly announced WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program; to invest in diversity through increased advocacy and support for underrepresented voices, starting with an anti-racism training initiative for members; and to remove barriers through membership subsidies and reduced Canadian Screen Award entry fees for applicants in financial need.

The WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program is set to launch in 2021 as a multi-year initiative, offering 12 participants from underrepresented communities the chance to develop their projects.

The Academy has set a number of funding goals for these initiatives, with $200,000 set for reduced entry fees; $50,000 for the anti-racism training initiative; and $10,000 for membership subsidies.

Money raised through the fund will help support these new initiatives and enable the creation of new programming for “top-down industry change.” The Academy is also looking for potential sponsors for initiatives and programming.

Seed money for the fund has been provided by Boat Rocker Media and the company’s CEO John Young, who also serves as Academy board chair, as well as vice chair Anne Marie La Traverse. The Academy will introduce industry ambassadors for the fund in the near future.

The Equity and Inclusion Fund was first announced alongside new guidelines for submitting Indigenous content for the Canadian Screen Awards, stating projects must have a minimum of two-thirds above-the-line talent identify as Indigenous, or be produced by a company that is majority Indigenous-owned to be eligible.