Welcome! As an independent artist, I understand the challenges of creating and promoting one’s work without financial aid. This legacy allows me to help other artists in two areas of interest to me: music and writing. It is titled after a CD I released in 2002 and is explained by this liner note:
Feme Sole is a legal term from an era when women did not usually own property independently. I use it as a definition of the feminine standing alone; the intelligence (in both women and men) of one’s own creative source as the primary responsibility; the voice expressing that authority.
The Feme Sole Award (FSA) is a trust fund established by Zoe Chilco to award $1,000 scholarships to successful applicants in two disciplines: writing and music. The Adjudicators were personally selected by Zoe for their expertise and commitment to their work. Learn more about our Adjudicators.
The FSA will help those who are passionate about music or writing, awarded annually to four applicants in each field as defined.
Criteria
If the following describes you, then you are qualified to apply:
- I am a Canadian citizen, over 21 years of age, living in Canada
- I am currently receiving no government funding for my work
- I will apply to one category only
- I am applying for myself
- I agree to my name being published on this website as the award recipient in my category
Other important things to note:
- No nomination is required; this is a self-referral application
- There is no fee for applying
- There is no restriction on how you spend the money
- If selected as an award recipient:
- there is no need to acknowledge FSA; however if you want to, we are happy to supply a badge for you to display on your social media
- you are welcome to submit a video acknowledgement, a performance clip and/or a photo for publication on this website
HOW TO APPLY
Applications for 2024 will be accepted from December 1, 2023 to February 8, 2024.
Music & Writing/Publishing award recipients will be announced March 1, 2024.
MUSIC APPLICANTS
Successful music applicants must:
- Demonstrate a serious commitment to the pursuit of a music career
- Be an active Composer, Singer or Songwriter with a minimum of three years post-secondary or private study
AND/OR
- Be actively engaged in Composition, Performance or Songwriting for 3+ years
Preparation for Application
Call For Composition
- A new, unpublished piece composed for Voice and Piano or Guitar
- In a Jazz or Blues Style
- Lead sheet or score
- Audio file or video link may also be included
Singers or Songwriters
- Examples of your work such as lead sheets, scores, audio files, video links
- Singers who do any kind of cross-over singing, no matter what style they are training in, can apply! Submissions must be in a Jazz, Blues or Folk style; Music Theatre is also accepted.
All Music Applicants
- One letter of reference i.e., teacher or established musician
- Full name and contact information
- A short essay detailing:
- Your commitment to pursuing a music career
- How the Feme Sole Award will benefit you
When preparing your submission materials, please consider/include the following as applicable:
- Composition or Song style
- Education/Training
- Number of years active
- Publications
- Performances
- Demo recordings
- Competitions/acknowledgements
- Instruments played or written for
- How you engage in the Music Community
PUBLISHING/WRITING APPLICANTS
Successful writing applicants must:
- Demonstrate a serious commitment to creative writing and/or book publishing
- Be an active creative writing or book publishing student with a minimum of three years of study
AND/OR
- Be actively engaged in the writing/publishing community
Preparation for Application
- Examples of your work/activities:
- For creative writing applicants: samples of published work or a work-in-progress to a maximum of 30 pages
- For publishing applicants: a cover letter outlining your interest and activities in the publishing industry
- Letter of reference from at least one source i.e., teacher or published writer
- Full name and contact information
- A short essay detailing:
- Your commitment to pursuing a writing/book publishing career
- How the Feme Sole Award will benefit you
For all applicants, when preparing your submission materials, please consider/include the following:
- Writing style
- Education/Training
- Conferences/seminars/webinars attended
- Publications/work in progress motivation
- Number of years active in the writing/publishing community
- How you engage in the writing/publishing community