REJECTED by AGEISM — I'm Age-Ineligble for Emerging Artist Program

On December 10th, 2023, the C.B.C. published an article in their entertainment section highlighting the grand prize winner of the annual Canada's Walk of Fame R.B.C. Emerging Musician Program which offers $20K and other prizes.

I'm an emerging artist so I inquired further and landed at the program page:  https://emergingmusician.ca/

I read on, excited, because there are so terribly few opportunities available these days.  "Are you ready to take the stage and make your mark on the music industry?"  YES! 

I continued reading and learned that this program is sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, which describes the contest as a "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...  For the past 11 years, the program has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of music stars.  This year, we are seeking out the best of the best – solo artists and groups who possess a passion for music and a drive to succeed.

Five exceptional winners will be selected to receive an unparalleled package of resources and experiences designed to elevate their music and careers in a meaningful and sustainable way. This includes mentorship from industry experts, showcase opportunities, video creation services, travel allowances and more...  Don’t miss this chance to be part of a select group of artists who have been given the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality"

Amidst that text, were the gut-punches:  "...for young and talented musicians...   This program is open to Canadian artists between the ages of 15-35 who are committed to pursuing a career in music."

I sent them an email saying is discriminatory — ageist, in this case —  and if they wanted the most talented emerging artist, restricting it to only the young is blatantly unfair and will not achieve their goal while being unfair to more than half the population.  Their wrong assumptions are that older people will have access to money, power and networks, but if that is the concern, why not filter out people of all ages based on those considerations since there are well-to-do young people and poor older people?

But since we are talking about a huge banking corporation, R.B.C., I suspect that the age-filtering is intentional as it also ensures that no unsexy, old people will never front for R.B.C.  Ick!  Does the person have grey hair?  Bad for business!