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ABO 2023 in Review

2023 has been another busy year for ABO! Let’s look back at all the activities we did this past year.

In January we welcomed a new member to our team; Helena Ciuciura who joined as the Marketing and Community Coordinator at the beginning of the year to support our marketing, communications, and 44 Gaukel creative hub.

Creative Spaces Mentoring Network

In February, the ABO team traveled to Calgary for the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network 2023 Kick-Off Workshop in partnership with Calgary Arts Development and cSpace Marda Loop. We welcomed 34 participants from Calgary! We hosted the Ontario Kick-Off webinar in March also with 34 particpants,with projects ranging from visioning a new space to being mid-way through construction.

As the year comes to a close we are looking forward to the Wrap-Up webinars with both the Calgary and Ontario cohorts, to hearing from the pairs how the program has helped them develop as leaders in the sector, and to see where their projects are in comparison to the beginning of the program. We are excited to meet the new mentees from Ontario and Calgary in the new year.

 

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project

2023 marked the third year of the Indigenous Creative Spaces Project. We wrapped up the New Moon Dialogue series between March and June with four discussions; Looking Towards the Next 50 Years, Debahjemuhjig Theatre Group: Developing the Creation Centre, Creating and Maintaining Culturally Safe Creative Spaces, and Culturally Based Training and Indigenous Spaces.

The New Moon Dialogues touched on themes including uplifting the relationship to land, Indigenous sovereignty, and systemic barriers in developing Indigenous creative spaces.

In June, Paddling Upstream was released. This document shares the journey that summarizes the work of the Indigenous Creative Spaces Project (ICSP) over the past three years. If you have not yet read the document, you can access it now on the ICSP project page! This document presents how this project came to be, the journey of discovery and knowledge, and four Bundles of Knowledge that offer guidance for building sovereign and sustainable Indigenous creative spaces. ABO supported the Paddling Upstream: Indigenous Creative Spaces Project Webinar in August with author Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan, CEO of Inclusive Voices, and collaborators, JP Longboat, Artistic Director of Circadia Indigena.

The work of Paddling Upstream continued throughout the year as the ABO team hit the road to continue the conversations from the project’s initial travels in 2020. The Return to Community Gatherings focused on the Bundles of Knowledge in Paddling Upstream with the conversation self-determined by each community. The sessions revolved around the evolution of organizations and their spaces since the beginning of the project and their plans for the future. The gatherings were held with Aanmitaagzi in North Bay, Debajehmujig in Manitoulin Island, Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, and Friday Creeations in Temagami. We look forward to visiting the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford and Native Earth in Toronto in the new year. We will also be hosting an in-person workshop, The Ecology of Indigenous Creative Space & Allyship in March 2024. Subscribe to our e-news for registration details in January.

Webinars and Professional Development

We hosted a number of webinars and workshops over 2023. In April we were joined by Tara Mazurk and Elizabeth Seip from PAA Advisory | Conseils for a conversation on Green Infrastructure Initiatives for Arts Organizations and the latest federal funding investment in green buildings. We spoke about the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program, the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative, and outlined how these supports can integrate with existing programs such as the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

We partnered with STEPS Public Art for the Mentorship in the Arts Panel, a free virtual panel with Elle de Lyon, Bruno Canadien, Quentin VerCetty, and Bruce Pitkin in which we explored the importance of mentorship and the different types of mentoring seen in the arts.

In addition, our Executive Director, Alex Glass, participated in Ontario Presents’ Cedar Tea Break and the Arts Network Ottawa for the Community Engagement Session: Empowering Voices: Indigenous Relations and Self-Determination in Arts Organizational Development both with Artistic Director of Circadia Indigena JP Longboat.

We rounded out the end of the year with our sixth online auction in partnership with the KW Rotary Club. We had some amazing donations and thank all who supported us by donating and bidding on ABO’s items.

 

This busy year comes to a close with several exciting projects on the horizon in the New Year. ABO would like to thank all of the project partners, donors, and arts organizations that we have formed relationships with in 2023 for making this year an incredible success. And thanks to our network for your continued support. We wish you all the best this Holiday Season!


ArtsBuild Ontario’s Online Auction November 2023

Looking for the perfect Holiday gift? Look no further- ArtsBuild Ontario’s Sixth Online Auction has some dream gifts for your loved ones this season.

By purchasing items from our annual fundraiser, you can help support our work toward building and sustaining Ontario’s cultural infrastructure in communities across the province which includes over 3,000+ spaces!

With amazing experiences, luxury dining, and awesome arts and culture items, there is sure to be something for everyone! Check out items from our amazing donors:

Through your contributions to ArtsBuild Ontario’s auction items, we are able to benefit communities in exponential ways and continue to provide resources to support arts organizations in Ontario. Thanks to KW Rotary Club for the platform – keep bidding until November 18th at 10pm EST!

Bid now!


CSMN Ontario 2024-25 Applications Now Open

We are excited to announce our ninth year of ABO’s Creative Space Mentoring Network (CSMN)!

This program is provided to leaders in Ontario’s arts and cultural sectors who are responsible for some or all aspects of their creative spaces. If you are an arts professional and plan on acquiring creative space, and/or manage capital-related issues you are encouraged to apply.

Through CSMN, ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) matches cultural leaders with experienced Mentors from the arts, heritage, or other relevant sectors.  Once mentoring teams are confirmed, they will meet at the Kick-Off Webinar and afterwards begin meeting for up to three hours monthly over 12 months. Over the next year of the program Mentor/Mentee pairs will focus on developing skills and knowledge related to the Mentee’s priority areas.

ABO will train and support the mentoring teams so that they get the most out of the program by developing and providing:

  • A Kick-Off Webinar, Mid-Point Webinar, and a Wrap-Up Webinar
  • Resources & learning opportunities
  • Program support

If you are looking for a one-to-one learning opportunity with an experienced mentor providing knowledge and expertise in the scope of your project, apply to be a Mentee today!

The deadline to apply is Friday, December 15th, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST.

Apply here.


Paddling Upstream – Read Now!

 

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project (ICSP) began in 2019 with the goal of prioritizing Indigenous self-determination in cultural spaces across, what we now call, Ontario. The foundation of this project has always been to support Indigenous-led arts spaces, stepping away from Western artistic paradigms that predicate the design, operation, and governance of arts and heritage spaces, and make way for Indigenous autonomy and connection with the land.

Since the beginning, this project has been guided by an Advisory Circle and Co-Conveners, while supported by ArtsBuild Ontario. In 2020-22, we started the project journey with Community Gatherings and Legacy Stories. Community Gatherings brought together Indigenous artists, arts organizations, and community members across the province to speak about what is needed to seed and cultivate Indigenous creative spaces. In the Legacy Stories, we heard community members share lived histories and relationships to their current and future spaces.

These Community Gatherings and Legacy Stories formed the roots of Paddling Upstream. This document, compiled by Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan, CEO of Inclusive Voices Inc., illustrates three years of project work, including over 35 hours, 700 pages of recorded transcripts, and 183 voices who contributed to this living document. Within this work, four key bundles became apparent, all within the umbrella of self-determination.

The bundles focus on Land; Individual, Family, and Community Health; Funding, Training and Mentorship; and Reciprocity.

This document is intended to give voice to Indigenous creators across Ontario and the depth of struggles and accomplishments in building and sustaining spaces for Indigenous artists. To learn more about the integral work that needs to be done in order to support the Indigenous arts ecology in Ontario, read Paddling Upstream here:

Paddling Upstream English

Paddling Upstream French

In addition to the document, we invite you to a corresponding conversation with Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan, CEO of Inclusive Voice Inc., and collaborators JP Longboat, Artistic Director of Circadia Indigena and Alex Glass, Executive Director of ArtsBuild Ontario to further explore the pathway to creating this document as well as the core bundles Paddling Upstream highlights.

Register now for the Paddling Upstream: Indigenous Creative Spaces Project Webinar on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023 from 1:30-2:30 PM EST.

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project is supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts.


THE INDIGENOUS CREATIVE SPACES PROJECT

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project

 

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project brings together a network of communities to support the development of Indigenous sovereign spaces across Ontario. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Circle and supported by ArtsBuild Ontario, the project aims to build a framework of knowledge and experience within a cultural context, and determine the needs and recommendations for future infrastructure development across the ecology of Ontario.

Paddling Upstream

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project (ICSP) began in 2019 with the goal of prioritizing Indigenous self-determination in cultural spaces across, what we now call, Ontario. The foundation of this project has always been to support Indigenous-led arts spaces, stepping away from Western artistic paradigms that predicate the design, operation, and governance of arts and heritage spaces, and make way for Indigenous autonomy and connection with the land.

Since the beginning, this project has been guided by an Advisory Circle and Co-Conveners, while supported by ArtsBuild Ontario. In 2020-22, we started the project journey with Community Gatherings and Legacy Stories. Community Gatherings brought together Indigenous artists, arts organizations, and community members across the province to speak about what is needed to seed and cultivate Indigenous creative spaces. In the Legacy Stories, we heard community members share lived histories and relationships to their current and future spaces.

These Community Gatherings and Legacy Stories formed the roots of Paddling Upstream. This document, compiled by Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan, CEO of Inclusive Voices Inc., illustrates three years of project work, including over 35 hours, 700 pages of recorded transcripts, and 183 voices who contributed to this living document. Within this work, four key bundles became apparent, all within the umbrella of self-determination.

The bundles focus on Land; Individual, Family, and Community Health; Funding, Training and Mentorship; and Reciprocity.

This document is intended to give voice to Indigenous creators across Ontario and the depth of struggles and accomplishments in building and sustaining spaces for Indigenous artists. To learn more about the integral work that needs to be done in order to support the Indigenous arts ecology in Ontario, read Paddling Upstream here:

Paddling Upstream English

Paddling Upstream French

In addition to the document, we invite you to watch a corresponding conversation with Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan, CEO of Inclusive Voice Inc., and collaborators JP Longboat, Artistic Director of Circadia Indigena and Alex Glass, Executive Director of ArtsBuild Ontario to further explore the pathway to creating this document as well as the core bundles Paddling Upstream highlights.

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project is supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts.

The Ecology of Indigenous Creative Space & Allyship Workshop

Join Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan and JP Longboat, alongside ArtsBuild Ontario, for a working session dedicated to the intersection of allyship, Indigenous creative spaces, and self-determination. Held at the Native Earth Performing Arts Aki Studio, in Tkaronto (Toronto), on March 25th from 1pm – 4pm, this session welcomes all arts organizations to rethink their organizational structures toward building relationships as an ally and creating safe and enabling spaces rooted in Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

Informed by Paddling Upstream and principles platformed by the Two-Row Wampum as guides, we will explore how to actively support and amplify Indigenous voices, address systemic challenges, and foster environments of equally empowered collaboration. We will unpack how Paddling Upstream can be used to support spaces in learning to navigate conversations with Indigenous artists and community, and embrace an approach to developing deeper respect and humility toward Indigenous ways of thinking, being and living.

Register today as registration is open until March 24th, 2024 at 5pm EST.

Generously supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada Council for the Arts

Community Gatherings

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 development of Indigenous creative spaces. Gatherings took place in Kingston, Six Nations of the Grand River, Manitoulin Island, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Temagami, and Toronto.

Legacy Stories

Legacy Stories explore where the spaces begin, where they are going, to where they hope to be. These conversations were transcribed and shared internally with each organization and their communities to protect cultural  knowledge that emerged from each Circle.

New Moon Dialogues

New Moon Dialogues is a series of online conversations for Indigenous communities to share their knowledge, learnings, and journey in creating Indigenous creative spaces. The dialogues are taking place from November 2022 – June 2023. The dialogues will discuss themes such as:

  • Uplifting the relationship to land, water and territory
  • Individual, organizational and digital sovereignty
  • Systemic barriers in developing Indigenous creative spaces
  • Space-based conversations with Woodland Cultural Centre, Friday Creeations and Debajehmujig Theatre Group

The audience and accessibility for each dialogue is determined by the lead speakers. Some conversations are meant to be internal among the pre-determined audience. The public dialogues are listed below. Please note the information shared in public dialogues may not be extracted for any reasons other than personal knowledge.

Looking Towards the Next 50 Years

March 15th, 2023

Debahjemuhjig Theatre Group: Developing the Creation Centre

May 3rd, 2023

Creating and Maintaining Culturally Safe Creative Spaces

May 3rd, 2023

Culturally Based Training and Indigenous Spaces

June 8th, 2023

Navigating the Canoes: Return to Community

Since September 2023, Circle Co-Conveners and the ABO team have visited four communities, all of whom held gatherings in the first two years of the project. Members of the Advisory Circle from Aanmitaagzi (North Bay), Debajehmujig Theatre Group (Manitoulin Island), the Agnes Etherington (Kingston), and Bear Island (Temagami) have hosted host epilogue sessions, in which the future of Indigenous creative spaces in their territory was discussed in relation to Paddling Upstream and the four Bundles of Knowledge: Land, Community Health, Funding and Resources, and Reciprocity. 

The remaining two gatherings will take place at Woodland Cultural Centre (Six Nations) and Native Earth (Tkaronto).

The gatherings have been unique to each community, with a shared need for self determination to move forward in the sector.

A workshop for settler arts organizations on allyship and space will be taking place on March 25th, 2025 in Aki Studio at Native Earth. 

OCAP

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project respects the First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession). Project materials are shared privately 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 of this website is fully determined and managed by the Indigenous Advisory Circle.

Contact

The private website is located at: https://www.indigenouscreativespacesproject.com. If you are interested in learning about the password, please contact indigenouscreativespaces@gmail.com.

Project Partners

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