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Shoshana Wasser

Associate Director of Public Affairs and Communications
416-969-7434
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Themes emerging from OAC’s strategic planning process

February 18, 2022


Over the past several months the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has been gathering information that will be the foundation of a new strategic plan. Working closely with Overlap Associates (Waterloo, Ont.), these activities have included:

  • an online survey last fall with 2,406 participants (including applicants, assessors and other stakeholders)
  • 14 focus groups with artists and arts workers from the following groups: Indigenous, Black, other racialized individuals, Francophone, recent immigrants, Deaf or with disabilities, seniors, those from regions outside of Toronto, and others including LGBTQ2S+ communities;
  • sessions with staff, board, and community stakeholders;
  • a community shareback session in late November attended by 50 artists and arts workers to report back on the survey and consultations and to gather further input.

Throughout these consultations a variety of themes emerged:

  • major disruptions to the work of artists and arts workers caused by the pandemic – the closing of physical spaces and venues, the interruptions to artistic production, and the uncertainty about the future;
  • stress and burnout reported by artists and arts workers due to these constantly changing circumstances;
  • uncertainty about the future of the arts and whether the profession is viable – giving rise to questions such as: will there be capacity, support, and funding for artists and arts organizations to continue their work?
  • the need for OAC to prioritize relationships and support for artists and art workers facing systemic barriers;
  • recommendations for innovation in programs and service delivery, as well as making the grant application process more accessible;
  • opportunities for OAC to strengthen relationships within the community and expand its role as a facilitator of resources, networks, and relationships;
  • the importance of amplifying the stories of artists and arts organizations to demonstrate the impact of funding and the value their work has on society.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated from across the province. Their insights, these themes and others, are being distilled into a high-level plan that we hope will reflect the needs and priorities of people working in the arts throughout Ontario for the next five years.

 

The OAC’s new strategic plan is scheduled to be launched in late spring. It will be foundational to the province’s support of the arts as we move beyond the pandemic.