Considering the context of your project at the outset will better serve the project over the long term. Your project will more likely engage many stakeholders and be supported by authentic partnerships and necessary resources. Below is a basic outline of the context in which most Artists in Residence (Education) projects or large-scale school-based arts initiatives exist in Ontario.
Community Context
Your understanding of the community context will depend on which schools or students will be the focus of your initiative. When initiating a community-engaged art project it is important to consider the world view and practices of the community or communities involved.
Many communities have Francophone cultural centres, Indigenous cultural centres and specific cultural agencies serving various ethno-cultural groups. These can be helpful in understanding the rich and diverse cultural context of your region.
Do you have insight into the interests of the young people who will be involved? What arts practices do they have access to in their homes? In after-school programs? What might be a new experience or build on what they already know? What could be a point of dialogue to open with students and families around the arts practice or concept to be explored that could challenge different world views?
Arts Context
Your local and provincial cultural sectors should be an integral part of an arts-based board-wide initiative. There are a number of organizations that can connect you to artists and arts organizations that are active and engaged in arts learning and community-engaged arts. See section on
Connecting with Arts Community.
Educational Context
As an administrator of the school board or First Nations educational authority, you are an education context expert. You carry an understanding of the school board or authority's structures, programs, policies, strategies, and priorities. Reviewing your school board or authority’s own strategic plan and/or improvement plan will help determine the current and future state of resources available to an arts learning initiative. The focus of your initiative on particular schools or students could come from the board or authority’s assessment of gaps in arts programming and/or student engagement.
A helpful partner to identify schools that are facing challenges in their student engagement can be your Student Success lead. If you are not the arts instructional leader for your board or authority, also connecting with that context expert can further support your project.
Further, subject associations for the arts can provide further supports to your project.