ASO Convenings
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Harnessing the power of research to learn and generate new insights, enabling the arts community to be strategic, focused and adaptive.
Harnessing the power of research to learn and generate new insights, enabling the arts community to be strategic, focused and adaptive.
The Canada Council for the Arts is hosting Confluence, an event that brings together ASOs with territorial, provincial, and municipal arts funders to share knowledge, develop ideas, and take action in building a shared vision for the future of the arts sector.
The ASO Convenings are an effort to broaden an exchange amongst ASOs, discuss pressing issues in concert with funders, and create an intentional and well-supported space to think through possible ways forward. This exploratory journey will impact the sector and ourselves.
The Canada Council for the Arts, with organizational support from Mass Culture, is inviting you to participate in these convenings.
Confluence brings together ASOs with territorial, provincial and municipal arts funders to share knowledge, develop ideas, and drive action to support the sector towards building a shared vision for the future.
We will further nurture the potential for collaboration, by exploring how working side by side we can uncover unified voices. By merging our respective efforts, we can have a bigger and wider impact on the arts sector we serve. Confluence will be an interactive gathering facilitated by Robin Sokoloski and Jamie Gamble.
By invitation from the Canada Council for the Arts.
The Entire event including the reception will take place at the Canada Council for the Arts – 150 Elgin Street.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome & Land Acknowledgement – Marilyn Desrosiers |
| 9:15 – 9:30 | Indigenous Opening – Monique Manatch |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Opening Remarks – Michelle Chawla Michelle will deliver opening remarks, highlighting the unique opportunity to unite funders and ASOs in creating new pathways for a thriving arts sector. |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Expanding the Sandbox: Mapping Connections for a Resilient Arts Sector – Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble Participants will engage in collaborative discussions about past partnerships and future opportunities, allowing them to visually represent their insights during Confluence. |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | The State of Sector – Sanjay Shahani, Lise Ann Johnson National art funder representatives will share findings from the Pulse Check Survey and how to leverage this data to create a cohesive narrative, focusing on resilience, well-being, and collaborative capacity. |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Building Collaborative Frameworks for Funders and ASOs Building on previous ASO events, this session features four concurrent workshops focused on three key themes:
|
| 2:30 – 3:00 | Break |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | Connecting Perspectives: Reflecting Interviews – Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble To recap the day’s discussions, Robin and Jamie will interview a participant from each session |
| 4:00 – 4:15 | Day One Wrap-Up & What Awaits for Day Two – Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble |
| 4:15 – 4:30 | Presentation of the John Hobday Award |
| 4:30 – 6:30 | Reception |
The Entire event including the reception will take place at the Canada Council for the Arts – 150 Elgin Street.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Shaping the Future of the Arts – Conversation Starter: Alex Sarian, Voices from the Room: Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble Alex Sarian will speak to transformation in the arts, addressing financial stability, well-being, climate challenges, and the essential qualities needed for tomorrow’s arts leaders. A Q&A session will follow, allowing participants to ask Alex questions and share reflections from the previous day. |
| 10:30 – 10:40 | Afternoon Workshop Instructions: Head, Heart, Hand – Jamie Gamble This hands-on workshop is divided into three parts, guiding participants through a reflective and action-oriented approach. Attendees will select from one of four concurrent sessions, each centered on a unique theme:
|
| 10:40 – 11:00 | Break |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Head & Heart In this workshop segment, participants will engage in two phases: Head—assessing their knowledge of the chosen theme and identifying gaps, and Heart—reflecting on motivations and values to explore ways to inspire others and strengthen collective purpose. |
| 12:30 – 1:30 | Lunch |
| 1:30 – 2:45 | Hand In this segment, participants will evaluate current activities related to their chosen theme and identify actionable steps and shared narratives to advance their initiatives. |
| 2:45 – 3:00 | Break |
| 3:00 – 3:30 | CCA Reflections: Weaving Insights into Action – Michelle Chawla In this closing session, the CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts will reflect on key insights from the past two days. |
| 3:30 – 4:00 | Closing – Monique Manatch |
Some sessions will be recorded and made available following the event.
All times are Eastern Standard Time. The Entire event will be on Zoom with interpretation.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome & Land Acknowledgement – Marilyn Desrosiers |
| 9:15 – 9:30 | Indigenous Opening – Monique Manatch |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Opening Remarks – Michelle Chawla Michelle will deliver opening remarks, highlighting the unique opportunity to unite funders and ASOs in creating new pathways for a thriving arts sector. |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Expanding the Sandbox: Mapping Connections for a Resilient Arts Sector – Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble Participants will engage in collaborative discussions about past partnerships and future opportunities, allowing them to visually represent their insights during Confluence. |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | The State of the Sector – Sanjay Shahani, Lise Ann Johnson National art funder representatives will share findings from the Pulse Check Survey and how to leverage this data to create a cohesive narrative, focusing on resilience, well-being, and collaborative capacity. |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Break |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Building Collaborative Frameworks for Funders and ASOs Building on previous ASO events, this session will focus on Making the Case for the Arts. |
All times are Eastern Standard Time. The Entire event will be on Zoom with interpretation.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Shaping the Future of the Arts – Conversation Starter: Alex Sarian, Voices from the Room: Robin Sokoloski & Jamie Gamble Alex Sarian will speak to transformation in the arts, addressing financial stability, well-being, climate challenges, and the essential qualities needed for tomorrow’s arts leaders. A Q&A session will follow, allowing participants to ask Alex questions and share reflections from the previous day. |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Live Q&A With Alex Sarian – Robin Sokoloski |
As we navigate the changes facing Canadian arts organizations, data has an important role to play. Do we have the all the data we need? Do we fully make use of the data we do have? The first of the ASO Convenings will explore data and how we can use it effectively to understand our current challenges and help us to tell a better story about the health of the sector.
Compiled from answers submitted by the arts sector
This list was started by Creative Coast. Feel free to add yours!
This list was generated as part of a landscape review by Bridget MacIntosh. Please feel free to add additional offerings.
How can the arts sector adapt to the impacts of climate change? How can we thrive in a climate-changed world?
During a March 2024 ASO Monday meeting, Ryan Hunt, the Executive Director of the BC Museum Association, underscored the danger posed by wildfires in British Columbia to cultural sites and festivals. With climate change we face increased threats like cancellations or loss of infrastructure from a range of threats including flooding, extreme heat, or fire.
We are at a critical juncture where we would be remiss not to proactively initiate discussions among arts service organizations and funders to formulate actionable plans on climate mitigation and adaptation.
The second convening of a series of conversations between Arts Service Organizations and Arts Funders on issues that are critical to a healthy and vibrant arts sector in Canada was on June 20th, 2024. This session focused on a discussion on climate mitigation and adaptation strategies for the arts.
The session included a discussion with Vicki Stroich and Ivan Habel of Caravan Farm Theatre to learn about their experiences with and responses to severe climate events, small group discussions to identify key actions for funders and ASOs to advance climate mitigation and adaptation strategies within the arts sector, and reflections on these potential actions from Ben Twist of Creative Carbon Scotland. The session was facilitated by Robin Sokolski of Mass Culture and Jamie Gamble of Imprint Consulting.
Financial resilience is front and center for artists and arts organizations. The arts sector is under significant financial stress and the issue is vexing for both funders and ASOs. Financial resilience builds on the previous ASO online engagement sessions. The exploration of data in “Understanding the Health of the Arts Sector Through Data” identified how critical it is to have an accurate and timely portrait of the state of the sector to understand how best to respond. The “Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in the Arts,” session helped us examine the increasing vulnerability – including financial risk – that comes with severe climate events such as fires or flooding. We can see a clear progression that naturally leads us to this important conversation on financial resilience.
The third convening of a series of conversations between Arts Service Organizations and Arts Funders on issues that are critical to a healthy and vibrant arts sector in Canada was on September 13, 2024. This session explored financial resilience, which focused on addressing financial challenges faced by arts organizations. This session focused on financial resilience, addressing the financial challenges faced by arts organizations. Key discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration, sharing resources, exploring new financial models, and building capacity within the sector.
Arts sector professionals, including artists, administrators, and those in creative or curatorial roles, are often deeply committed to their work, driven by a profound emotional connection and a strong sense of contribution and purpose. These roles can go well beyond the typical nine-to-five, and call upon multiple responsibilities such as HR, communications, finance, and fund development, often with limited support. There are inherent rewards in working in the arts sector, and we also see the demands and stresses taking their toll.
In this session, we will look at the issue of wellbeing and arts workers, introduce some promising ideas and initiatives that have been developed, and explore ways to collectively support arts workers going forward.
The fourth in a series of dialogues between Arts Service Organizations and Arts Funders on essential issues for a thriving arts sector in Canada took place on October 25, 2024. This session concentrated on the well-being of arts workers, examining both the rewarding aspects of working in the arts and the substantial challenges, such as mental health, systemic racism, economic insecurity, and the pandemic’s ongoing impact.
A key highlight was an interview with Creative PEI on their Creative Well-Being Initiative, which provides funded therapy and peer support programs for artists and arts workers. In breakout discussions, participants explored well-being initiatives and support programs to address sector-wide challenges. Key themes included diverse work models, career navigation roles, advocacy for policy change, pooled insurance and support services, expanded access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), self-assessment tools, and training in empathy and trauma-informed practices.
There’s a very active Slack Workspace called ASO Community of Practice where you are welcome to add additional information and resources about these topics. To join the discussion click on this link or let Robin know and she’ll send an invite to your email: https://join.slack.com/t/asocoordination/shared_invite/zt-2go0del9y-TwDnUXxq6DiwXWSeU_Af_g
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