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Feedback on Strategic Planning Consultations

The three consultation reports from the specialists who facilitated OAC’s strategic planning sessions, Decode, Equinox and Nanibush Innovations are now available in English and French. You may want to respond to any or all three of the executive summaries and reports. To read the reports, you will need Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files attached. Click here for technical Information on downloading PDF files

The online feedback component of OAC’s strategic planning process is now closed. Thank you for your interest.

Note to the reader: The comments reported here are those of the participants and not those of the Ontario Arts Council, Decode, Equinox or Nanibush Innovations.

If you have questions, please contact us:
416-969-7410 / toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-384-0058, ext. 7410
Fax: 416-969-7441
stratplan@arts.on.ca


Executive Summaries
 

Decode


Consultations with artists, culturally diverse artists, arts organizations and non-arts representatives.
  • Executive summary
  • ReportPDF File

    • Nanibush Innovations


    Consultations with Aboriginal artists and Aboriginal arts organizations and northern-Ontario artists and northern-Ontario arts organizations.
  • Executive summary
  • ReportPDF File


    Equinox


    Consultations with the Francophone arts community, including culturally diverse artists as well as Francophones outside the arts sector.
  • Executive summary
  • ReportPDF File


    • Strategic Planning Feedback Form
    The online feedback component of OAC’s strategic planning process is now closed. Thank you for your interest.


    Additional Background Information
    During the first half of 2007, the Canada Council, in partnership with the Ontario Arts Council, provincial and territorial arts funders and certain municipalities brought together close to 200 artists and arts administrators, aged 18 to 30, to engage in a conversation about their work, challenges, and vision for the future. Click here to read the report.


     





    Decode



    Consultations with artists, culturally diverse artists, arts organizations and non-arts representatives.



    Executive Summary


    Participants expressed a variety of opinions on issues related to the current environment of Ontario’s broader arts sector, including:

    • The size of current and future arts audiences;
    • Discussions about and the dissemination of arts practices in Ontario; and
    • Disparities between different regions in the province with regards to access to audiences, financial support, and infrastructure

    As individual artists, participants raised the following key issues with regard to their practices:

    • Their struggles with regard to individual financial sustainability;
    • The search for a social safety net that provides health benefits and access to pensions;
    • Their difficulties in accessing space for creation and presentation of work;
    • The need to travel, tour and present work within and beyond Ontario;
    • The need for professional artistic development and mentorship;
    • How to best integrate New Canadian artists and culturally diverse artists into the broader Ontario arts community; and
    • Issues related to the integration and acceptance of disabled artists.

    Participants representing arts organizations discussed a variety of topics related to their current reality, including:

    • The increasing pressures related to human resources;
    • The capital infrastructure needs among emerging, small and mid-sized organizations;
    • The capital infrastructure needs among large and anchor organizations;
    • The technical infrastructure needs for administration and production;
    • The capacity issues related to fundraising for the arts;
    • The need for support for community engagement and outreach; and
    • The need for support from public and private foundations.

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    When asked to assess their current relationship with OAC, participants raised the following key strengths and weaknesses/gaps. With regard to its strengths, the OAC was hailed for:

    • Having a professional, dedicated and supportive staff;
    • Hosting ongoing dialogue and engagement with arts communities;
    • Its innovative programs, some of which allow for local decision making;
    • Its strong peer assessment process;
    • Its leadership in supporting community arts practices; and
    • Its leadership in supporting arts in education.

    With regard to weaknesses or gaps, participants isolated the following issues:

    • The administrative burden of applying for OAC funding, and problems with application forms that are repetitive and difficult to understand;
    • The governance criteria for organizations applying for OAC support;
    • The fact that organizations must choose between receiving project-by-project funding and operating funding;
    • The perception that Toronto artists and arts organizations are heavily favoured by juries and by OAC decision makers;
    • The need for better outreach among New Canadian and culturally diverse artists communities;
    • Funding streams that don’t promote inter-cultural or inter-linguistic collaboration;
    • The challenge for OAC to understand the diverse needs of Aboriginal arts communities;
    • The lack of support for national and international touring;
    • The needs of disabled artists; and
    • Concerns about OAC staff burnout.

    When participants were asked to discuss the roles they see for OAC in the future, the following themes emerged:

    • A vision of OAC as a mobilizing voice for the Ontario arts community, especially with regard to working with non-arts sectors in government and the private sector;
    • The need for OAC to establish a presence outside Toronto, either through offices or outreach;
    • The possible need for OAC to either conduct audience development activities or support audience development work through funding streams;
    • The need for OAC to play a leadership role in demonstrating that culturally diverse practices form an integral part of Ontario’s arts fabric, perhaps through supporting more inter-cultural collaboration;
    • The importance of preservation and documentation of art, and what OAC can do to support these activities; and
    • The role OAC can play in supporting the human resources and quality of life needs of arts practitioners.


    Strategic Planning Feedback Form


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    Nanibush Innovations


    Consultations with Aboriginal artists and Aboriginal arts organizations and northern-Ontario artists and northern-Ontario arts organizations.

     

    Executive Summary


    The consultations conducted by Nanibush Innovations took place in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Manitoulin Island, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay and Toronto. They included representatives of Aboriginal organizations and artists, northern Ontario artists and organizations as well representatives of non-arts organizations. Four Aboriginal artists living in northern remote First Nations communities were consulted by phone. Lastly, jurors for OAC’s Access and Career Development program were consulted about issues facing artists of colour and Aboriginal artists.

    Discussion of Access

    The participants believed it was time for the OAC to undertake organizational change that would ensure the increased participation and representation of artists of colour, regional artists and Aboriginal artists. Some areas to consider are these:

    Definition of arts and artists

    • Understand the art histories of other cultures and incorporate them into the way art and artists are defined.
    • Examine the current European definitions of art and artists and how they may be excluding non-European artists.
    • Include all art forms and practices of all cultural groups into the divisions of art disciplines and, where the art doesn’t fit, reexamine the division.
    • Acknowledge other roles artists play and the importance of community to what artists do.

    Applications, processes and programs

    • Make applications simple and friendly.
    • Make programs more flexible so that new practices or cultural practices not currently funded can see themselves in the program. Design programs based on the activities artists and arts organizations engage in.
    • Provide tips and tools for applicants in written, oral and visual formats.
    • Provide tips and tools for organizational development and artistic career development.

    Outreach

    • Increase outreach to Aboriginal artists, artists of colour and northern artists. Outreach includes information sessions, one-on-one grant writing, community animation and networking assistance.
    • Explore radio, television and video tools.
    • Hire outreach staff.
    • Build an informal network of local OAC representatives.

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    Development

    • Assist in developing arts service organizations and new ways of funding developing organizations.
    • Give Aboriginal organizations higher operating grants based on their historic disadvantage over older mainstream organizations.
    • Hire community animation and development staff.

    Space/Human Resources/Infrastructure

    • Assist in starting multi-arts centres for the presentation of work, the collaboration of artists, professional development and arts education.
    • Give organizations supplementary operating grants for staff that would assist them in providing arts services and arts education.
    • Support operating costs, like salaries, for new organizations within the projects programs.

    Collaboration/Networking/Communications

    • Assist northern artists and Aboriginal artists in networking and communications projects.
    • Support this work by organizing conferences and funding publications, websites and conferences.

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    Support the Artists

    • Artists want a living wage through higher grants.
    • Set specific grant amounts for emerging, mid-career and established artists in all disciplines. These amounts should recognize the ability of the artist to access other funds or the level of ability to make an income from their work.
    • Provide tax-free grants.
    • Artists need support with the “business” side of their career

    Promotion and Awareness of the Arts

    • Use the OAC website to advertise and promote the arts, communities and the artists funded.
    • Host events or sponsor publications showcasing the artists who do not already have access to promotion.
    • Advocate on behalf of artists by showing the value of the arts in more qualitative terms rather than economic benefits.
    • Acknowledge the work being done by artists in education, corrections, health and community development.

    Arts Education

    • Support arts education that takes place outside of the classroom.
    • Direct a stated percentage of all arts education funding to Aboriginal artists.
    • Support workshops and training sessions for Aboriginal artists and artists of colour who do not have access to mainstream training organizations or where none exist in their art form.




    Strategic Planning Feedback Form

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    Equinox

    Consultations with the Francophone arts community, including culturally-diverse artists as well as Francophones outside the arts sector.

     

    Executive Summary

    Current state of the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community


    Characteristics of Francophone Arts and Culture in Ontario

    • Demographically disadvantaged: The small percentage of Francophones in Ontario means that the audiences consuming francophone arts and culture are much smaller than those consuming the majority community’s arts and culture. In addition, the fact that the province’s small pool of francophone artists is spread out over a large territory makes it difficult and very costly for Ontario’s francophone artists to collaborate.
    • Stiff competition: Franco-Ontarian artists face competition not only from the majority community’s artists but also from Quebec’s francophone artists. As a result of the extensive support that Quebec artists receive from their provincial government, and a well-developed media infrastructure, Quebec artists have the resources and ability to attract Franco-Ontarian audiences.

    Survival of francophone arts and culture in Ontario

    • Lack of funding: The lack of funding is a serious impediment for artists and for arts and culture organizations.
    • The public’s detachment from Franco-Ontarian arts: Audiences are absent from theatres and exhibitions, readership is small and CD sales are minimal. The Franco-Ontarian public is poorly understood.

    The Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community in self-examination and turmoil

    • Uncertain goals: Few artists and arts organizations are able to set medium-term or long-term goals due to the uncertainty of funding.

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    Needs of the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community

    • An arts awareness campaign: An arts awareness campaign is needed to promote the importance of the arts in society.
    • More funding: A substantial injection of additional funding for francophone arts and culture is needed to stabilize the sector’s artists and organizations and to improve conditions for creativity.
    • Adequate infrastructure: The lack of adequate infrastructure throughout the province illustrates the need for additional funding to build, equip, repair and operate halls and galleries for the Franco-Ontarian community.
    • Equal opportunities: Government financial support for francophone arts and culture in Ontario should be equivalent to what it is for artists in Quebec.
    • Eliminate barriers to funding sources: There is a need for better coordination among the various funders and their programs in order to meet their goals and standardize funding application forms.
    • Tools, training and coaching: There is a significant need for mentoring, coaching and training. Artists require support for creating, planning and developing projects, as well as for management, finances and the business side of arts and culture. Support and guidance for writing and preparing funding applications is also desired.
    • More presenting and better visibility: The Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community does not have the resources to promote its works. It requires support in order to promote and present Franco-Ontarian arts and culture.

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    Perceptions of OAC

    • Positive experience: Ontario’s francophone arts and culture community reports having a positive experience with the OAC, especially with the Franco-Ontarian Arts Office.
    • Very high ambitions for the OAC: For the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community, the OAC is much more than an arts funding agency. Immediately recognized as the most important funder of arts and culture in French-speaking Ontario, the OAC is perceived as a partner, a leader in the arts, an arts lobbying organization, and a mentor and collaborator in the creative process.


    Perceptions of OAC programs

    • Current funding: The budget parameters and envelopes for existing programs do not meet the needs or reflect the reality of the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community. Some OAC programs focus too much on the delivery of projects rather than on artistic development. The funding of multi-year projects, funding of flexible management structures and establishment of open programs are components of a solution for strengthening the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture sector.
    • Program parameters and the funding application process: The funding application forms focus too much on administration rather than on the creative process or the artwork in question. In addition, the forms are too general and therefore not tailored to artists’ individual situations. More frequent deadlines are needed.
    • Specific existing programs: There is some dissatisfaction with specific existing OAC programs, particularly in terms of the admissibility of specific expenses and unrealistic budget envelopes for certain fields, such as filmmaking and musical production.
    • Suggestions for additional items that should be funded: The Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community would like to see funding for some items that are not currently funded. For example, a good number of organizations that do not specialize in the arts would like to work with the francophone arts and culture sector but do not qualify for OAC’s programs for integrating arts and culture into their programming.

    Potential OAC initiatives

    • Cultural policy for municipalities: It is vital that the OAC plays a strategic role in developing and implementing cultural policies in municipalities and that it formulates an action plan to this end.
    • Artists’ cooperative: It would be beneficial for the Franco-Ontarian arts and culture community to have access to a centre that would provide services for artists. The centre could also include offices, workshops and presenting venues.
    • Involvement in schools: The OAC should encourage and facilitate opportunities to introduce children to, and raise their awareness of, the world of art. To that end, the OAC should coordinate a program in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education to promote the consumption of Franco-Ontarian culture in the province’s schools.

     

    • Strategic Planning Feedback Form
    • Additional Background InformationDuring the first half of 2007, the Canada Council, provincial and territorial arts funders and certain municipalities brought together close to 200 artists and arts administrators, aged 18 to 30, to engage in a conversation about their work, challenges, and vision for the future.