Announcing Accessibility Webinars for Creative Spaces!

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ArtsBuild Ontario is excited to announce upcoming accessibility webinars in the Learning Series! These webinars will focus on accessibility and creative spaces based on the Design for Public Spaces Standard, as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA). The webinars will explain how creative spaces need to meet accessible building standards and explore ways creative spaces can go beyond the standards.

The webinars will be supported by a toolkit for creative spaces around the topic of accessibility, which will be released in Spring 2019.

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.

Free Webinar: Let’s Talk About Disability and Creative Spaces
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters:  Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments and Sage Lovell, Founder of Deaf Spectrum 
Register Here

Free Webinar:  Design for Public Spaces 101: Where do Creative Spaces Start?
Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Host: Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments
Presenters: Jay Pitter, Placemaker, Author & City Building, and Yvonne Felix, Senior Manager at CNIB and public/community artist
Register Here

Free Webinar: Design for Public Spaces Advanced: How can Creative Spaces Go Beyond the Standard?
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Host: Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments
Presenters: TBD & Lorene Casiez, Accessibility Strategist, Practice Lead with Human Space
Register Here

Free Webinar: Best Practices for Architects, Designers and Creative Spaces on Accessibility
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Host: Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments
Presenters: Amy Potier, Accessibility and Building Code Specialist with Gensler as well as Corey Timpson, Principal at Corey Timpson Design Inc and former Vice President of Exhibitions at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Register Here 

Free Webinar: Safety, Fire Codes and Accessibility for Creative Spaces
Tuesday, April 23, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Host: Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments
Presenters: Martin Day, President of Safety Media Inc. and Marnie Peters, Accessibility Specialist
Register Here

Free Webinar: Invisible Disabilities and Creative Spaces
Tuesday, May 14, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Host: Thea Kurdi, Vice President with DesignABLE Environments
Presenters: Alex Bulmer, Accessibility Consultant & Actor, Writer and Director as well as Andrew Gurza, Disability Awareness Consultant
Register Here

Registration is available through Eventbrite and webinars are delivered through Adobe Connect with closed captioning. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation to register or participate in our webinars, please call 519-880-3670 ext. 101 or email erin@artsbuildontario.ca in advance of your participation.

#ArtsDay 2018 Recap

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ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) was thrilled to take part in Arts Day on the Hill 2018 with the Canadian Arts Coalition this year! Over 100 arts advocates across Canada came together on Tuesday, October 2 to discuss how we can continue to support arts and culture in our communities. Over 100 meetings were scheduled with Members of Parliament, Senators and Ministers.

The Canadian Arts Coalition’s Messages

The Canadian Arts Coalition had five messages to share with the Government of Canada this year:

  • Thank you: The Government of Canada’s support encourages investment from the private sector and from other levels of government, helping to maintain a stable and vibrant creative sector.
  • $30 million annual increase to the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF): to be phased in over three years. By addressing CAPF, we can take advantage of economies of scale through domestic market opportunities (improves ROI) and enhance export readiness.
  • Continue investing in Canada Council for the Arts: Continued investments through the Canada Council for the Arts, and Canadian Heritage programs, strategically support the creative value chain with positive social and cultural returns.
  • Invest in the Canadian Arts Training Fund and Young Canada Works: with an additional $10 million annually for the Canadian Arts Training Fund, and an additional $500,000 for the Young Canada Works to support diverse artistic proactive and support emerging arts administrators.
  • Help in motivating individual donors through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund: This could take the form of an administrative increase to the Endowment Incentives program to grow the number of Canadians who make charitable donations.

Advocating for Creative Spaces

ArtsBuild Ontario spoke to the importance of all five speaking points, but also spoke to the valuable investments made in the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund (CCSF), creative hubs and cultural infrastructure in both central and rural Ontario communities.

In Budget 2017, the Government of Canada invested $300 million over 10 years in CCSF to further support creative hubs and other cultural spaces. The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund is part of suite of art programs administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage that complements funding delivered by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Our #ArtsDay Team

ArtsBuild Ontario’s Alex Glass was teamed with Lesley Bramhill of the Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal/Canadian Dance Assembly, Janita Grift who is an individual arts administrator/arts advocate, and Robert Steven from the Art Gallery of Burlington. Our team met with Marwan Tabbara, MP for Kitchener-South – Hespeler; Senator Donna Dasko; Zachary Sykes on behalf of Frank Baylis, MP for Pierrefonds-Dollard; and The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions.

We would like to thank the Canadian Arts Coalition for organizing this important and vital day of advocacy for arts and culture!

Read more about #ArtsDay

Announcing the 2018/2019 Learning Series!

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It’s back! We’re excited to announce our Learning Series is returning this fall with new webinars and a workshop to support arts organizations and their creative spaces. These sessions will provide tools, best practices, and feature guest speakers from the sector to inform and inspire creative space managers.

Many of the webinars in this year’s Learning Series will focus on capital projects and accessibility in creative spaces. Dates for accessibility webinars will be announced later this fall!

Check out our upcoming workshop:

Creative Space Projects: A Brainstorming Workshop 
Facilitator: Lucy White, Principal with the Osbourne Group
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Waterloo Region Museum, Classroom A
Cost: $15
Register Here

Check out our upcoming webinars:

Free Webinar: Capital Project Case Study: The Tett Centre
Wednesday, October 31 2018 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters: Nadine Baker, Facility Manager and Danielle Folkerts, Marketing and Programming Coordinator at the Tett Centre
Register Here

Free Webinar: Volunteer Boards and Creative Space Projects
Wednesday, November 28, 2018 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters: Kevin Puddister, Curator & General Manager at the Dundas Museum & Archives and John Kastner, General Manager at the Stratford Perth Museum
Register Here

Free Webinar: Engaging Community in Municipal Performing Arts Space Projects 
Wednesday, January 30, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters: Steve Solski, Executive Director at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and Kristopher Dell, Director of Production with Civic Theatres Toronto
Register Here

Free Webinar: Alternative Creative Spaces and Adaptive Reuse Projects 
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters: Kendra Fry, General Manager at Trinity St. Paul’s and Jaime Griffis, Director of Programming and Promotion at Idea Exchange
Register Here

Free Webinar: Working Together: Multi-Partner Creative Space Projects
Wednesday March 27, 2019 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
Presenters: Alexandra Badzak, President & CEO of the Ottawa Art Gallery and Tam-Ca Vo-Van, Director of Galerie SAW Gallery
Register Here

ABO Welcomes Akin Collective to our Advisory Committee!

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ArtsBuild Ontario is excited to announce the newest member of our Advisory Committee, Akin Collective!

Akin was founded in a small loft on Queen West, Toronto in 2008. Initially set up as a small studio for a group of artist friends, the organization has since grown to become the largest provider of shared studios in Toronto. Akin provides affordable rental space to nearly 300 visual artists, designers and other creatives. The studios maintain a friendly and inspiring atmosphere where people can work on creative endeavours and entrepreneurial undertakings of all kinds. Akin Collective is currently comprised of 16 commercial units covering about 27,000sf of space across its seven locations at Dufferin & Queen W, Lansdowne & Bloor, Dupont & Symington, Ossington & Dupont, St.Clair & Keele, River & Dundas W, and Victoria Park & Eglinton.
In addition to providing affordable studio space Akin has developed a range of arts programming opportunities through the non-profit Akin Projects. This includes about 60 events each year in three streams: professional development opportunities for practicing artists, creative workshops and programs, and community engagement projects with marginalized groups. As a matter of principle all Akin events are free or low cost and are open to the public. In many cases Akin partners with other organizations to provide these offerings. Partners have included: AGO, MOCA, CAMH, The Power Plant, Canadian Art Magazine, Ronald McDonald House, West Neighbourhood House, the Drake Hotel, the Gladstone Hotel, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, OCADU, Soho House, and Sunday Drive Art Projects.

ArtsBuild Ontario is thrilled to have Akin Collective as part of our Advisory Commitee.

Read more about Akin Collective!

Check out these easy tips to improve your SpaceFinder listing!

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Is your creative space on SpaceFinder?

SpaceFinder helps close the gap between underused space and renters looking for space to rent. Promote your available rental times, increase rental revenues and connect with new renters by listing your space on SpaceFinder!

1. Add Photos to your Listing

Photos are one of the most valued features in a space listing and they help renters imagine their event, workshop or rehearsal in your space. Try to select photos that have high contrast and colour, show renters using your space, and show off your space’s unique features!

Whether you are using photos taken with your smartphone, or have professional photos, renters want to see your space! Have a great video tour of your space? Add that too!

2. Include Rental Rates

Rental rates are often the most important thing to a renter looking for space that fits their budget. In fact, rates are one of the top search criteria used by renters! If you haven’t entered rental rates for your space, it won’t appear when renters search by rate.

SpaceFinder’s rates form allows you to showcase a range of rental rates, and offer discounted rates to not-for-profits and members! Check out these handy links and customize your rates form to fit your needs!

3. Promote Empty Time Slots

Uploading your online calendar makes it easier for new renters to discover your underused space! Promote up-to-date available time slots by syncing your online calendar with SpaceFinder. All it takes is uploading a link to the digital calendar you use (Google, Outlook, iCal, etc) to manage your rentals.

Need help fine-tuning your SpaceFinder listing? Contact eilidh@artsbuildontario.ca!