Today we celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day and honour the different languages, cultures and ceremonies that take place in communities across the country. 

We are reflecting on the history, resilience, diversity, and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada. 

ArtsBuild Ontario continues to work towards creating an equitable and inclusive sector in which all communities can thrive. Today is an opportunity for Canadians to come together and learn how to be an ally in the journey forward. 

Three years ago, in hopes of finding a way to serve Indigenous communities in Ontario, the vision for the Indigenous Creative Spaces Project began to take shape. The project emerged out of a need to connect an ecology of artists, spaces and knowledge for Indigenous spaces in Ontario. To celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day, here are some of the organizations and spaces participating in the project! 

Debajehmujig Theatre Group

Debajehmujig was the first – and remains the only – professional theatre company located on a Reserve in Canada. They create original work based on an Anishnaabag/Chippewa Nation worldview and builds bridges between cultures, generations, and territories. They also support the development of Aboriginal artists in remote rural areas as well as cities. Since 2009, they have operated a purpose-built multi-arts centre in downtown Manitowaning.

Learn more about Debajehmujig Theatre Group.

Nozhem: First Peoples Performance Space

Nozhem is located in Peterborough on the campus of Trent University. Nozhem is unique to other performing venues in that their theatre is intended to be used “for ceremony, as a vessel to pour forth and nurture Aboriginal oral tradition, language, and knowledge.” Through this intimate setting, audience members are invited to develop an up-close and personal relationship with the many artists, singers, dancers, and performers.

Learn more about Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space.

Woodland Cultural Centre

Woodland is a multidisciplinary space which preserves, documents, educates and promotes the values, practices, language, national treasures and articles of both the past and contemporary First Nations of the Eastern Woodland area peoples. They offer a many programs and resources related to their museum, art gallery, and and library. 

Learn more about the Woodland Cultural Centre here. 

Aanmitaagzi/ Big Medicine Studio

Aanmitaagzi began through the convergence of the personal and professional histories of its core members, with the initiating vision of its co-founders. They determined tha Nipissing could be a home for research, development and creation of new works in dance, theatre and cross-disciplinary arts with both professional and community artists. Aanmitaagzi Collective was officially formed in 2008, and in 2010 it was incorporated as a provincial, not-for-profit organization.

Learn about Anamitaagzi here. 

Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT)

CIT is an institution offering a unique Indigenous cultural, theatre and performance training program. CIT contributes to the advancement of an Indigenous cultural economy and the arts, helping to mould young talent and professionals, organizing community presentations and workshops. They also work closely with alumni to share their learnings and their craft in a culturally appropriate and inviting setting.

Learn more about CIT here. 

Native Earth

Founded in 1982, Native Earth is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. For the first time in their history Native Earth is managing and operating their own vibrant venue: Aki Studio. The 120 seat black box theatre is situated in Daniels Spectrum, the revitalized arts and cultural centre in Regent Park. 

Learn about Native Earth here.

June is Pride Month; a time to celebrate members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ * community. 

Building inclusive spaces goes beyond physical spaces. Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all communities, including 2SLGBTQIA+ helps individuals feel included, seen and welcomed. 

Cultural venues have an important role to play in offering spaces that prioritize 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and communities. There are several organizations that prioritize access to space and opportunity within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Here are just a few great examples of spaces in Ontario!

Pride Toronto Creative Studio & Artist Residency Program 

The Pride Toronto Creative Studio & Artist Residency Program was developed to address the continuously growing gap in safe and affordable Queer & Trans creative spaces after speaking first hand with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. These spaces have been created to fill a need to reflect diverse communities, amplify marginalized artists, and give greater visibility to diverse forms of 2SLGBTQ+ creativity.

To learn more about the Pride Toronto Creative Studio and these programs, click here. 

The 519

The 519 is committed to the health, happiness and full participation of the LGBTQ2S communities. A City of Toronto agency with an innovative model of Service, Space and Leadership, the 519 strives to make a real difference in peoples’ lives, while working to promote inclusion, understanding, and respect. They provide accommodating and non-judgemental space where individuals, organizations, and non-profit groups can meet, organize, and work towards their goals.

Learn more about the 519 here.

The Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency

This program is the first intergenerational artist-in-residency program for 2SLGBTQIA+ visual artists in Canada. The residency offers studio space, travel support, and free room and board to juried applicants for the duration of the two-week residency. Residents also receive mentoring and studio visits from critically acclaimed artists and curators.

Learn about this program here.

We celebrate the work done by the amazing organizations across Ontario dedicated to creating safe, affordable, and community driven space for 2SLGBTQIA+ community members. 

*We recognize that the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+ does not encompass all sexualities, gender identities, and expressions. ArtsBuild Ontario recognizes that there is a wide spectrum and are committed to  making our programs and initiatives, as well as our physical space at 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace, safe and accessible for all.

After two and a half years at ABO, it is bittersweet to announce that our Program Manager, Amy Poole will be moving on from ABO. 

Amy has made so many wonderful contributions to ABO during her time here. She successful executed the Learn It | Build It | Manage It series (2019-2021), the Creative Space Case Study Project, two rounds of the Creative Space Mentoring Network program, facilitated many webinars, and guided the administration for the Indigenous Creative Spaces Project, resulting in the completion of phase 1 of the project. 

In her new role with the Hamilton Community Foundation (HCF) Amy will be working as an Administrative Assistant with Philanthropic Services. The Hamilton Community Foundation (HCF) is part of a network of over 191 Canadian community foundations who contribute time, leadership, and financial support to initiatives that benefit their community most, based on an intimate understanding of local needs and opportunities

Amy’s new team will greatly benefit from her exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and positive attitude.

Tatiana Doucette will be moving into Amy’s role as Program Manager effective June 9, 2022. 

Over the past two years, the Indigenous Creative Space Project has grown and developed in so many ways. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Circle and supported by ArtsBuild Ontario, the project aims to build a network of knowledge and experience within a cultural context and determine the needs and recommendations for the development of Indigenous sovereign spaces across the ecology of Ontario.

Participating communities include:

• Friday’s Point Temagami (Temagami/Bear Island)
• Kingston
• Manitoulin Island
• North Bay
• Six Nations of the Grand River
• Thunder Bay
• Toronto

Community Gathering Circles

Seven Community Gathering Circles were held for Indigenous artists, arts organizations and community members across the province. Communities were invited to speak about what is needed to foster the development of Indigenous creative spaces.

Legacy Stories

Legacy Stories highlight the stories of six Indigenous creative spaces in Ontario, exploring where the spaces begin, where they are going, and where they hope to be. These conversations were transcribed and shared internally with each organization and their communities to protect the cultural knowledge that emerged from each Circle.

Project Materials and OCAP

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project respects the First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession). Project materials are shared on a private website for Indigenous artists, arts organizations, and community members participating in the project. This protection creates a sovereign digital space for communities to connect and learn from the knowledge shared in this project. Access to this website is fully determined and managed by the Indigenous Advisory Circle.

Looking Ahead

In the year ahead, the Indigenous Creative Spaces Project will see the development of the online series “I Have More to Say”, which will feature dialogues and learning opportunities around emerging themes from Community Gatherings. Additional material known as “Guidance from the Circle” will also be released in early 2023, illustrating the needs and recommendations from each community around developing sustainable Indigenous arts spaces.

We would like to thank the Indigenous Advisory Circle and Co-Conveners for their guidance and shared insights in this project work.

If you have questions about the project or would like more information about the project, please email indigenouscreativespaces@gmail.com.

May 19th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day! There are many factors to consider for inclusive, accessible creative spaces; from making a physical space wheelchair accessible and ensuring ASL interpretation for public events, to all-gender restrooms and sliding-scale ticketing, there are many opportunities to ensure creative spaces are accessible.

Improving the accessibility of a space depends on the different structures in place across four operating models that arts organizations and their spaces generally work within:

1. Space is independently owned and operated 
2. Space is privately owned and independently operated
3. Space is government owned and independently operated 
4. Space is government owned and  operated

Organization size, funding structures, and general organizational needs are all factors that impact how spaces define accessibility. 

So, where to start?

ArtsBuild Ontario has created a toolkit to provide you and your organization with a place to start in making accessible creative spaces. In this toolkit, we provide some basic resources about accessibility legislation in Ontario, including the AODA and Design of Public Spaces Standards, Ontario Building Code and Human Rights Code. Additionally, resources are available that help to provide accessible communications and service providers for American Sign Language (ASL) and interpretation, audio descriptions, closed captioning, and transcriptions. 

This toolkit is also available in both English and French. 

For more resources on making your space more accessible, check out this webinar ABO presented in and learn how to assess, communicate, and put venue accessibility into practice.