June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month, which celebrates the 2SLGBTQIA+ * community. Pride also reminds us all to reflect on the continued fight against discrimination and hate. The origin of Pride stems from the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Beginning with a raid on June 28th, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, over the course of a week thousands gathered at the Stonewall Inn. Protests against the New York City police department by 2SLGBTQIA+ groups lasted for a six day period. Although protests had occurred before, this uprising marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the perception of sexual orientation and gender identity on a broad scale. Many countries now host Pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, concerts and other events to reflect on the contributions, achievements, and struggles of 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

ArtsBuild Ontario encourages people to learn about and support 2SLGBTQIA+ spaces and organizations. While we highlight three Toronto-based groups here, we recognize that there are many others across the province and Canada. ArtsBuild Ontario does not discriminate and does not tolerate discrimination, against anyone based on their sexual preference, or gender identity, or mental and/or physical ability, and we strive to represent this commitment in our actions. Support for our 2SLGBTQIA+  colleagues, friends, and family doesn’t end when June does.

This is a Toronto-based organization that is committed providing accessible, affirming performing arts training & creation programs for women and non-binary youth from equity-seeking communities. The AMY Project strives to break down barriers which cause youth to be unable to pursue their artistic passions. Whether social, economic, racial, etc, The AMY Project fights these systemic inequities to foster a safe and creative space. As part of their mandate, they offer “free performing arts training programs serving young women and non-binary youth. AMY breaks down barriers to participation by providing meals and transportation; accessible, queer and trans inclusive and anti-racist environments; one-on-one mentorship”. 

Donate here. 

*We recognize that this acronym does not encompass all sexualities, gender identities and expressions. ArtsBuild Ontario recognizes that there is a wide spectrum and our intention is to be as inclusive as we can.  For more information on terminology, click here.

The deadline for Virtual Consultations Kitchener has been extended to Wednesday, March 31, 2021! Apply HERE for the Kitchener Sessions!

In addition, ArtsBuild Ontario is happy to announce that registration for all of the upcoming Virtual Consultations for LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT Part 2 is now open! Consultations will cover the topics of Building/Renovating and Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces and Creative Space Projects, and they will be offered to non-profit, arts, culture, heritage, faith and community organizations in the Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Guelph, and Orangeville communities. Each community will offer two days of consultations, and the dates are as follows:

• Tuesday, April 13, 2021: Kitchener
• Tuesday, April 20, 2021: Kitchener
• Tuesday, May 4, 2021: Waterloo
• Tuesday, May 11, 2021: Waterloo
• Tuesday, May 25, 2021: Orangeville
• Tuesday, June 1, 2021: Orangeville
• Tuesday, June 8, 2021: Guelph
• Tuesday, June 22, 2021: Guelph
• Tuesday, June 29, 2021: Cambridge
• Tuesday, July 6, 2021: Cambridge

In these sessions, participants in and near each of these areas will have the opportunity to sign up for one-hour timeslots for one of the two days with a creative space or creative space project in mind and consult with either one or both of our consultants, Randy Dalton (The Dalton Company) and Bryn Jones (WalterFedy). They will offer guidance and perspective based on their expertise and pertaining to their session topics.

Here is what an attendee thought of the Virtual Consultative Session Part 1 for Cambridge:

“Great mix of some onscreen sharing and just being in dialogue. I really, REALLY appreciate the one-on-one consultation opportunity and working with both presenters in tandem. I think this enriches the conversation to play off of each other versus having silo conversations.”

– Kenn Norman | The Fashion History Museum

For more information on how to apply, please visit https://www.artsbuildontario.ca/learning/workshops/.

The Creative Spaces Mentoring Network provides you with the unique opportunity of one-to-one mentoring with an experienced professional in the arts. In the following post-program interview, hear how 2020-21 mentee Hartmut Steinke, Executive Director of Heart Comonos learned from the program in many different ways.

1. What motivated you to sign up for the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network?
I first heard about the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network from my friend, Andreja Kovac, who is the Director of Crane Creations Theatre Company. Our project, Heart Comonos, is integrating the arts together with a number of sectors and partners including youth programming, therapeutics, spirituality, social innovation and community development with a neighbouring focus. Ultimately, we see the development of a community cultural hub in Cooksville-Mississauga. Heart Comonos comes from the Latin ‘together as one’. We are creating safe and inclusive spaces for people to connect, learn and collaborate for personal and community wellness. This is especially vital given the added stresses of the present COVID challenges. Andreja felt that this ArtsBuild mentoring would be a great experience for us to move our idea forward to reality and she was so right!

2. Who was your mentor? Were they a part of the same industry/arts discipline as you? If not, were you still able to learn things applicable to your situation from your mentor?
Olinda Casimiro, who is the Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Northumberland in Cobourg, is very knowledgeable and experienced in the sphere of the arts. She also brings a strong background in business and economics as well as understanding the kind of networking that is needed across sectors for a successful project. She has shared many insights and made many recommendations along the way which have been strategic in guiding our project forward.

3. How did your one-to-one meetings take place? What kind of structure did your meetings have?
Olinda and I meet via Zoom on average once or twice each month. Generally, I send Olinda a bit of a summary of what we are focusing on, and we then have conversations which include her helpful insights and experience. Our meetings are informal and very enjoyable, and it really feels like we are friends!

4. How did the knowledge gained from having a mentor, or how did your mentor directly, help you solve a challenge or issue you were having with your creative space project? Briefly explain the issue or challenge and how your mentor was a part of solving it.
A couple of situations quickly come to mind. Early on, we thought we were ready to do a feasibility study and Olinda recommended a possible resource. It turned out that the person she recommended asked us some very strategic questions which actually correctly turned our attention to a different planning focus for our project. This has significantly changed the approach we are taking with our partners and with our engagement with the community.
Olinda has also kept a laser focus on the kinds of municipal and other stakeholder voices and representation that we need to have around the leadership table. Ultimately, we need the participation of citizens, organizations, and institutions each functioning in their most appropriate roles.

5. Over the last year, how much has your knowledge of creative space projects changed and how much of that would you attribute to the mentoring network? Do you have more confidence moving forward in your project?
Without a doubt, this is a valuable learning experience. Collaboration across many sectors is the best path for creating a relevant and sustainable project.

6. Would you recommend this program to someone who was in your position a year ago? If so, why would you?
Absolutely I would recommend this program! Olinda ‘feels’ our project and at the same time brings a level of experience and objectivity that is so helpful.

7. If someone wanted to make the best use of the Creative Space Mentoring Network, what would you recommend to them?
I would suggest keeping your mentor well informed about your thinking, questions, plans, activities, progress, and challenges. It is a gift to have someone coming alongside to offer their wisdom and perspectives.

– Hartmut Steinke, Executive Director of Heart Comonos

Interested in applying to our Creative Spaces Mentoring Network 2021-22 iteration? Learn more about the program here!

Starting today, all of ABO’s webinar recordings go on sale. Get them for $10.00 off for a limited time only! This includes the Creative Spaces Online Training Series and all of the Learn It | Build It | Manage It webinars. Keep reading to learn more about each series.

Creative Spaces Online Training Series

This training series is designed to support arts managers in building the core skills necessary to support capital projects and ongoing operations in creative spaces. Delivered by topic experts working in the sector, each module focuses on a topic area identified as the most integral to capital projects by ABO’s network of 2,500+ arts organizations.

The topic areas are:

• Strategic Planning and Partnerships
• Financial Management and Capital Projects
• Campaigns and Community Engagement
• Operational Planning Before, During, and After a Capital Project

Each webinar recording is currently on sale for $30.00 + HST each, or $100 + HST for all four!

Learn It | Build It | Manage It Webinars

In this webinar series, ABO joined with industry experts to prepare professional development on the full cycle of capital project work. From beginning to end. There were two webinars on each of the following topics:

• Alternative Financing for Capital Projects
• Engaging Community in Capital Projects
• Building Creative Spaces
• Maintaining Creative Spaces

All sessions include examples of projects within the arts sector, along with any additional content provided by the presenter. Each webinar recording is currently on sale for $30.00 + HST each, or $100 + HST for all four!

The Creative Spaces Mentoring Network provides you with the unique opportunity of one-to-one mentoring with an experienced professional in the arts. In the following post-program interview, hear how 2020-21 mentees Anna Frlan, Secretary and Board Member, & Kathy Bergquist, Co-Founder and President of the Board, of Studio Space Ottawa learned from the program in many different ways.

Studio Space Ottawa is a young arts services not-for-profit, the main purpose of which is to provide stable, affordable, open, and healthy and safe workspaces for visual artists. We’ve had a great start, and wanted to work with a mentor to help us think about ways to expand while ensuring our sustainability. We have been lucky enough to work with Tam-Ca Vo-Van from SAW Gallery and Project Space. She has led her organization through a transformation of their physical space and an expansion of their programs, and we admire the way she has worked at all levels to keep partners and the public fully engaged. SAW has a broader mandate than SSO, but there is enough overlap between the two organizations that Tam-Ca’s insights and experience have been very valuable. For example, SAW had a major capital fundraising campaign to expand their existing space and make it more functional; at SSO, we are in the midst of a capital fundraising campaign, and Tam-Ca has been able to offer us concrete advice complete with examples of what did and did not work for SAW, and because we are operating in the same city, and we are targeting a similar population, this experience-based advice is extremely useful. While SAW was able to access large grants, they relied heavily on grassroots-level fundraising, and that strategy enabled the public to feel deeply engaged with the project. This is something SSO is now looking to do.

We agreed from the outset to hold virtual once-a-month meetings; this way, we could check-in and just talk about whatever was going on in our organizations, or if we had a specific issue we were hoping to discuss, we could do that. This was so helpful during the pandemic, when just being in touch with another arts organization gave us a sense of community, and we could share experiences of how things were going, and offer each other encouragement. Everyone had to come up with ideas about how to weather this storm, and having someone to look to for guidance has been great.

Through the CSMN mentorship program and our work with Tam-Ca, we have greatly expanded our knowledge of different approaches to creating spaces for artists; probably one of the most important things we’ve learned is that there are so many different ways to go about it, and no matter what your specific situation is, there is a wealth of information to be gleaned from those who have gone through the process before you. Tam-Ca’s generosity in sharing her experience makes us feel more confident about asking for advice and really excited about sharing and collaborating with others to ensure we all contribute to building a more vibrant arts landscape. We would highly recommend the CSMN program to any organization that is just finding its feet or that feels it needs to shift gears, because its important to know that the arts community is generous, there are people out there with experiences to share which will benefit your organization, you don’t have to forge ahead alone! Be open, listen, and ask lots of questions, and you’ll find the CSMN program most valuable.

–Anna Frlan, Secretary and Board Member of Studio Space Ottawa, and Kathy Bergquist, Co-Founder and President of the Board of Studio Space Ottawa