KITCHENER – April 28, 2021 – ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) is happy to announce the appointment of Tatiana Poluch as the new Program & Communications Coordinator.
Tatiana will be responsible for supporting ABO program and project deliverables, managing all internal and external communications, and coordinating the 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace activities. Tatiana comes to ABO with a background in museum studies, historical researching, and writing.
“We’re excited to have Tatiana join ABO! She brings key skills and a fresh perspective to our organization, and we are looking forward to the future with Tatiana as part of our team.” – Diana Moser, Interim Executive Director
Tatiana is experienced in content curation, community engagement, and program development in the arts and culture sector. She is dedicated to promoting the arts and furthering the reach of diverse artists and their vision. She volunteers with several arts organizations such as the Guelph Arts Council and Remarque Art Consulting.
Tatiana holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph, with a History major and Art History minor, as well as a Master of Museum Studies degree from the University of Toronto.
Please join us in welcoming Tatiana to her new role at ABO!
As we enter into a new iteration of the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network, we would like to share one final interview with mentee Brenda Darling around the topic of her experiences and learning with the 2020-2021 iteration of CSMN!
1. What motivated you to sign up for the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network?
Alumnae Theatre Company ‘s facility needed many upgrades and improvements from sound and lighting systems to accessibility. We didn’t even know what it might cost or how to find out. We asked the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network whether they could find someone to help us in create a request for proposal to upgrade a theatre facility.
2. Who was your mentor?
Phillip Silver.
3. 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?
With experience that extended from theatre and opera set and lighting design, to renovation and design of contemporary theatre facilities to leading the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University, Phillip understood our situation immediately and could recommend exactly what we needed to do.
4. How did your one-to-one meetings take place? What kind of structure did your meetings have?
Due to the pandemic, Philip Silver and I have spoken for many, many hours, but we have never met except over Zoom. Our discussions were guided by the practical steps in developing a “Request For Proposal”. Often our next meeting would be arranged once I had completed my assigned research.
5. 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.
To begin with, I had intended to write an RFP requesting a costing for every upgrade we’d dreamed about for our perfect facility. I hadn’t realized how much a consultant would charge for pricing our many options. Patiently, Phillip talked me through the cost implications of some of the more elaborate, most unlikely dreams. I removed them from the RFP: why pay to price something that we were definitely not going to undertake?
6. 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?
I have gone from 0 to 99 in my ability to prepare an RFP, thanks to my mentor. Best of all, the basics of this this new skill can be used in multiple situations large or small, in or out of the arts, for many years to come. I also know it well enough that I could instruct others.
7. Would you recommend this program to someone who was in your position a year ago? If so, why would you?
This seems to be an ideal program in which to accomplish a specific challenge or project which requires practical steps to complete.
8. If someone wanted to make the best use of the Creative Space Mentoring Network, what would you recommend to them?
If the project is outside your experience or abilities, so much the better, especially if you intend to do all the leg work, and will rely on your mentor for just advice and guidance.
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.”
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!
KITCHENER – April 28, 2021 – ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) is happy to announce the appointment of Tatiana Poluch as the new Program & Communications Coordinator.
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 
