ArtsBuild Ontario is proud to be releasing our Accessibility Toolkit for Creative Spaces!
This toolkit provides resources on accessibility legislation in Ontario, including the AODA and Design of Public Spaces Standards, Ontario Building Code and Human Rights Code. While it features resources for best practices in the built environment, it also focuses on experiential accessibility including how arts organizations are going beyond the built environment to offer inclusive space.
Download the PDF Version by clicking on the Button Below:
Download the Microsoft Word Version by clicking on the Button Below:
We want your feedback! After reviewing the toolkit, please take a few moments to complete this survey so we can continue to improve programs around accessibility in creative spaces.
Find ABO’s accessibility webinar series, resources and toolkit on our Accessibility Webpage HERE.
ABO would like to thank its accessibility advisory committee for informing the webinar topics, speakers and upcoming toolkit for creative spaces in Ontario. This project is supported by the Government of Ontario.
On Thursday April 11th, the Province of Ontario released the 19/20 Budget. Under the 10-year “Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program” [ICIP] announced March 12, Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33 per cent, or $10.2 billion spread across four streams: 1. Rural and Northern 2. Public Transit 3. Green 4. Community, Culture and Recreation but the budget provided very few specifics as related to the fourth category.
Intake for the first category, Rural and Northern, is currently open until May 14 and will focus on road, bridge, air or marine infrastructure in rural and northern communities with populations under 100,000 people.
It is not clear yet how this provincial budget intends to support the fourth category, Community, Culture and Recreation, in terms of cultural space as the only references that can potential benefit them include soliciting expressions of interest for a new vision for Ontario Place and $315 million over five years for shovel-ready broadband projects in rural and remote areas.
ArtsBuild Ontario is hopeful about the potential for provincial support of cultural spaces with the launch of ICIP but still believe strongly that the province should maintain its own capital infrastructure fund to continually support the infrastructure needs of our creative spaces province wide. ABO will continue to advocate for this fund.
Full application details for all categories as they become available are found at the Grants Ontario website (click on Grant Opportunities), a “one-window” source for applicants, handling application intake, review, nomination, reporting and transfer payment management processes.
LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT is back! This two part workshop and webinar series will be offered over 2019-20 in the communities of Kitchener, Cambridge, Orangeville, Waterloo and Guelph. Through this series, ABO and presenting partners will be sharing local examples and strategies related to four key areas that support creative space capital projects. These include: Alternative Financing, Community Engagement, Building and Maintaining creative spaces.
PART 1 WORKSHOPS IN 2019
LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT PART 1 will offer two sessions on Alternative Financing for Capital Projects and Engaging Community in Capital Projects.
Alternative Financing for Capital Projects
While securing funds to renew and develop creative spaces is often top of mind for arts leaders, the answer is never simple. In this session, we will explore alternative funding and financing methods that can help creative spaces support their projects. Drawing on recent examples and local successes, Julia Vlad, Vice President of Lending for the Community Forward Fund, will offer insights and alternative strategies to finance capital projects.
This session is intended for non-profit arts, culture, heritage, faith and community organizations looking for solutions to financing their current or upcoming creative space project.
About our Presenter Juila Vlad
Julia Vlad leads the investment and portfolio management for the Community Forward Fund and the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund. She has over ten years of experience in banking, finance and the non-profit sector. Her experience includes investing and portfolio management at the World Bank’s private sector arm, IFC, in Panama, Senegal and USA; advising social entrepreneurs at an accelerator in Nicaragua and financial analysis and forecasting at Scotiabank. She holds an MBA from HEC Paris, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charter holder.
About the Community Forward Fund
The Community Forward Fund (CFF) is an $11 million fund that provides loans to organizations that are committed to making a difference in their communities. We provide loans tailored to the needs of non-profits, Charities and social-enterprises – flexible financing that supports delivery of their mission and growth of enterprises. We also build financial capacity through financial reviews and coaching services. To date, CFF has advanced $18 million in loans to over 45 organizations across 8 sectors and 7 provinces and territories.
Engaging Community in Capital Projects
When building or renovating a creative space, uncovering and integrating community needs are essential for the success of a project. In this session, Jeremy Freiburger, Chief Connector and Cultural Strategist of Cobalt Connect, will be sharing strategies and recommendations for engaging the local community in capital projects and developing creative spaces around community needs.
This session is intended for non-profit arts, culture, heritage, faith and community organizations looking to engage community in their current or upcoming creative space project.
About our Presenter Jeremy Freiburger
Jeremy Freiburger is the Chief Connector and Cultural Strategist of Cobalt Connect. Jeremy has been a leader in Hamilton’s creative community for over 15 years. His experience ranges from producing award-winning theatre and ballet with the RBC Festival of Classics and Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble, to developing more than 200,000 square feet of studio facilities, to writing policy and plans for municipalities focused on creative sector development.
Focusing primarily on regional and municipal partnership development, and organizational development, Jeremy is the founder of Cobalt Connects. Jeremy has spoken at dozens conferences on the subject of creative community economic development, and has sat on many boards and committees including the Our Cultural Community Committee (Chair, City of Hamilton Cultural Plan), Supercrawl, CANVAS and the Bay Area Restoration Council.
About Cobalt Connect
Cobalt Connects is a non-profit arts service organization designated by the Ontario Arts Council. Cobalt Connects was initially created to address the need for affordable artist studios and cultural spaces, but has grown over the past fifteen years into a dynamic organization with expertise in cultural programming, research, and implementation.
Dividing its activities into four core areas (Space, Exchange, Consulting and Public Art), Cobalt Connects is actively playing a role in developing cultural capacity in Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, Barrie and dozens of other municipalities each year. Our on-the-ground experience in arts programming and implementation combined with our extensive research and policy development with municipalities makes us a unique partner for a wide variety of projects.
WORKSHOP LOCATIONS AND DATES:
KITCHENER
Date: Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
Host: City of Kitchener Register HERE!
CAMBRIDGE
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Cambridge Centre for the Arts, Donaldson Room
Host: City of Cambridge Register HERE!
Reporting to the Program & Assistant Executive Director, duties include: supporting rentals at 44 Gaukel (an arts and tech hub in downtown Kitchener); supporting ArtsBuild Ontario’s (ABO) programs as needed; actively working with organizations to list their rentals on SpaceFinder across Ontario. This will involve outreach to creative spaces across the province.
Key Responsibilities
44 GAUKEL
Work with Program & Communications Coordinator to support rentals program at 44 Gaukel
This involves working with artists, organizations and community groups interesting in using rental spaces
Provide tours, coordinate key sign outs, prepare rental agreements and track payments
Work with Program & Communications Coordinator to update 44 Gaukel website
SPACEFINDER
Work with organizations in listing on SpaceFinder across Ontario; this includes walking organizations through the registration process
Work with Program & Communications coordinator to provide support to users
Contribute to other outreach and marketing efforts for SpaceFinder, such as social media, blog posts and communications
SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
Work with Program & Communications coordinator to develop social media strategies
Support communications plans and develop content for ABO’s blog
Skills Required
Post secondary education in related field (arts management, communications, non-profit management)
Minimum of 1 year related experience working with non-profit/arts/community organizations
Ability to work independently and as a team player within defined timelines
Ability to work efficiently and effectively with quick turn-arounds
Well organized, self-starter who is attentive to detail
Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Demonstrated experience and skill with various social media
Previous working experience in database programs and online tools an asset
Website experience, specifically Word Press considered an asset
Able to multi-task and work well in an entrepreneurial and creative environment
Effective verbal and written communication skills
Superior interpersonal skills to build enthusiastic partnerships and alliances
Willingness and an ability to learn on the job a must
Able to work flexible hours, some evenings, weekends and travel required
Learning Opportunities
Build experience in social media, marketing and outreach
Development and fundraising: soliciting donation, sponsorship requests, auction organization
Networking opportunities with arts facilities and arts service organizations across the province
Gain applied experience using web-based platforms (Adobe Connects, HootSuite, MailChimp, Survey Monkey, WordPress and Eventbrite)
Gain applied experience working with database systems and online tools with SpaceFinder
Gain facility management experience through rentals at 44 Gaukel and working with ABO Staff
Additional Info:
Downtown Kitchener location
Part-time (three days a week, up to 30 hrs/week ,may include weekends and/or evenings)
Back in November 2018, we traveled to Montreal with Trinity St. Paul’s, Faith and the Common Good and the Toronto Arts Council to explore how sacred spaces are working with arts organizations to transform their facilities into thriving spaces that serve the creative community. Montreal marks the third location of our research of faith and art spaces, a project supported by the Metcalfe Foundation and led by Kendra Fry of Trinity St. Paul’s/Faith and the Common Good. We traveled to Philadelphia and New York City prior to Montreal, and while these cities provided us with operating models from two very different American communities, Montreal offered examples of faith and creative spaces in a Canadian context.
We visited a number of churches in Montreal, but these three locations really stood out to us.
A heritage church built between 1888-89 and a National Historic Site of Canada, St. James United Church has opened up their space for arts organizations to rent. Responding to high rental prices in downtown Montreal, St. James is opening their doors to the arts at a lower rate. They recently provided overflow space for Place des Arts with a remote screening of Yo-Yo Ma’s live performance next door. While they are still growing a creative rental audience, they offer Daweson Hall – a former Sunday School – as a rental space for arts groups, including a dinner theatre. St. James has also opened up The Churchill Suite which offers 5,000 square feet of office space specifically for cultural, social and arts organizations. Other rental spaces include the Sanctuary and outdoor Public Square located at the front of the church.
Part of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Bourgie Hall is a former church turn into a 444 seat concert hall. Formerly the Victorian Erskine and American Church, it was designed by the architect Alexander Cowper Hutchinson in the Roman Revival style in 1894. Bourgie Hall is located beside the MMFA and is renowned for its chamber music performances, presenting their own programs and other chamber orchestras. The MMFA opened Bourgie Hall in 2011 as a response to a need for chamber music performance space in the City. The renovation of the former church also increased the MMFA’s exhibition space by 20%.
St. James the Apostle Anglican Church reopened its doors as St. Jax Montreal in December 2016. The 154 year old church closed in 2015 and remerged as both a church and community space. During the closure, pews were removed and the Sanctuary was fitted with new lights and a sound system. St. Jax currently has a 200 person parish and rents to other churches, community groups and organizations – including arts organizations. Through a space rentals program, the church created a stream of earned revenue to offset staffing costs and facility maintenance. Spaces in the church available to rent include the Sanctuary (used for banquets, conferences or smaller gatherings), Shatford Hall (equipped with a stafe, mirrors and used as rehearsal space), Basement, Chapel and Gardens.
The churches we visited in Montreal proved to be facing many of the successes and challenges our faith spaces and arts organizations are facing here in Ontario. While many churches are experiencing declining parish numbers, there remains an opportunity for faith spaces and the arts to support one another. Bourgie Hall is a unique example of how arts organizations can repurpose faith spaces – leveraging the former church’s natural acoustics to create a state of the art chamber music performance venue.
As we continue to answer the needs of our arts organizations with relevant programs, tools and resources, ArtsBuild Ontario looks forward to continuing our research of faith spaces and creative places, and how partnerships and/or adaptive reuse of faith spaces can serve our organizations with space solutions.
Jeremy Freiburger is the Chief Connector and Cultural Strategist of Cobalt Connect. Jeremy has been a leader in Hamilton’s creative community for over 15 years. His experience ranges from producing award-winning theatre and ballet with the RBC Festival of Classics and Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble, to developing more than 200,000 square feet of studio facilities, to writing policy and plans for municipalities focused on creative sector development.
