Twelve Canadian visual/media artists and curators will be participating in residencies in Paris, New York and the Port of Spain (Trinidad), thanks to a program offered by the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). The Residencies Program of the Visual Arts Section of the CCA addresses established or mid-career professional artists working in the visual arts, crafts and media arts, as well as independent criticism and curating. This is the first time the program has been extended to New York and Trinidad. Canada Council Visual Arts Officer, Melinda Mollineaux, commented that the CCA also plans to integrate other host cities into the initiative. 'Visual arts markets are now global, and it is essential to assist the efforts of our artists and arts organisations in their various international activities,' she said. The 12 artists to be involved were selected by a peer assessment committee of visual arts professionals chosen for their specialised knowledge of the discipline, according to a CCA statement. The residents, who will assume their posts from September 2002 until June 2003, are, as follows: Les Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris Each artist will receive a total of CA$21,000 towards subsistence, travel, production costs, accommodation and residency fees.