What is iFactor?
Launched at the CNIB Lake Joseph Centre (Lake Joe) in 2009, The iFactor is a nationwide musical competition for people living with vision loss, where contestants are given the opportunity to further their musical talents under the guidance of renowned entertainment industry professionals.
The iFactor isn’t just a talent competition. This Canadian Idol-style music contest (with a unique twist) for individuals living with vision loss offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the contestants. For CNIB, it is a chance to celebrate the talents and triumphs of people who are blind or partially sighted.
How it works
After an online audition process that includes public voting and rigorous judging by an independent panel of judges (see Rules and Regulations for more details), a group of Top 10 finalists is selected to make the trip to Lake Joe, CNIB’s fully accessible recreational facility located in the heart of Muskoka, Ontario.
At Lake Joe, contestants receive musical training from Canada’s premiere music industry professionals including make-up artists, stylists, vocal coach, Canadian artist(s), stage coaches, and many more. After a life changing training process, the Top 10 compete in a Live Finale to be crowned The iFactor Winner.
The iFactor Winner receives:
- Round trip transportation, food and hotel accommodation for two to a city in Canada
- An opportunity to perform as the opening act for Terry Kelly, award-winning Juno nominee and singer-songwriter at a concert of Terry’s selection
- Be presented with the Joe Finley Award of Excellence
- CNIB will endeavor to secure studio time to record a demo
- CNIB performance opportunities across the country will be provided throughout the year, schedule to be determined
iFactor 2011 key dates
If you’re planning to participate in iFactor 2011, please keep the following dates in mind:
- Jan 11: Video uploading window begins
- Feb 14: Public voting opens
- April 20: Tickets for Live Finale go on sale
- June 9: Video uploading window closes
- June 15: Public voting closes
- June 22: Top 10 finalists announced publicly
- Aug 14: Top 10 training camp begins
- Aug 20: Live Finale!
