In part 1 of this 2 part workshop series, we will be sharing examples and strategies on the topics of Alternative Financing for Capital Projects and Engaging Community in Capital Projects with presenting partners from the Community Forward Fund and Cobalt Connects! Each topic will be a session at the workshop. Both sessions will include examples of projects within the arts sector.
LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT – Part 1 – Guelph Presenters: Julia Vlad, Vice President of Lending, Community Forward Fund & Jeremy Freiburger, Chief Connector & Cultural Strategist, Cobalt Connects Thursday, February 27, 2020 | 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: 10 Carden, 42 Carden St, Guelph, ON N1H 3A2 Host: Guelph Arts Council Register Now!
LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT – Part 1 – Cambridge Presenters: Julia Vlad, Vice President of Lending, Community Forward Fund & Jeremy Freiburger, Chief Connector & Cultural Strategist, Cobalt Connects Tuesday, May 12, 2020 | 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: The Cambridge Centre for the Arts, 60 Dickson Street, Cambridge, ON N1R 8N1 Register now!
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, the Vice President of Lending for the Community Forward Fund, will offer insights and alternative strategies to finance capital projects.
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 brainstorming workshop is designed for arts organizations across Ontario considering or currently embarking on a creative space project.
This workshop provides the opportunity for participants to discuss their projects and openly problem-solve with others tackling similar projects. Participants will be guided through a series of exercises that will allow them to brainstorm solutions or ideas around their own issues. Arts leaders who have completed a capital project will provide a panel discussion and offer guidance to participants based on their past experiences.
Additionally, students from Conestoga College’s Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) will present their mock plan for a creative hub at the Joseph Schneider Haus in Kitchener.
Projects can include:
Capital Projects
Facility Upgrades
Improving Accessibility
Fundraising and Capital Campaigns
Community Engagement
And more!
This workshop will be facilitated by Lucy White, Principal at The Osborne Group and former ABO Advisory Committee member.
Lunch will be provided to all participants. Please email any dietary restrictions/needs to Amy Poole at amy@artsbuildontario.ca.
ABO is pleased to share the appointment of Kristian Clarke, Executive Director of the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, as ABO’s new Board President. A long time arts sector advocate, Clarke brings with him decades of knowledge and experience in the sector and we are thrilled to have him lead the Board of Directors through the next few years.
Joining Clarke, as the Vice President, is Chris Plunkett, VP of Global Communications coming from OpenText located in Waterloo. During another period of growth, we are thankful for Plunkett’s experience and knowledge of the tech sector locally here in KW.
ABO extends a heartfelt thanks to Past President, Chris Loreto, Principal with Strategy Corp, after serving for 9 years on the board. In 2012, Loreto joined the Board of Directors and soon began serving as President. Under his leadership Loreto led a fulsome strategic planning process and developed our first Strategic Plan in 2014. Three years later, he led a refresh that continued to support our ongoing initiatives and provided direction to new opportunities.
ArtsBuild would like to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our outgoing board members for their contributions to our organization.
Will Chow served on ABO’s board for the past 4 years. Chow brought with him expertise in finance and capital infrastructure and we were fortunate to have his insight and participation as a mentor in our Creative Spaces Mentoring Network.
Randy Dalton was been a long-standing board member of ABO since 2012. Dalton was a tremendous support in our LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT program, bringing his decades of capital infrastructure to the program as well as financial contributions.
We would also like to thank the rest of our Board Members that continue to support our work; Bill Ralph, Treasurer; Nisha Dhaliwal, Director; and Zainub Verjee, Chair of our Advisory Committee.
Designed to support arts managers in building the core skills related to undertaking capital projects and ongoing operations, ABO is excited to share the news of our four part Creative Spaces Training Series! In this series, topic experts working in the sector will deliver four webinars. Each module focuses on selected topic areas identified by ABO’s network of 2,500+ arts organizations.
Arts managers will have the opportunity to engage with presenters during the sessions. Participants will be provided with module materials, link to the recording and resources following the webinar.
These modules are designed for arts managers working within creative spaces under a variety of operating models and communities. If you have any questions about the series or would like more information, please contact Amy Poole, Program Manager, at amy@artsbuildontario.ca.
This project is made possible by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
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!
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.
