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Spiralling Outwardly for Equity in Public Arts

Hand-drawn title card with the words “Shanice Bernicky” in the middle, surrounded by brown-skinned hands creating art with blue art supplies and tech lines.
Art by Harmeet Rehal

Research in Residence: Arts' Civic Impact

How can an artistic approach be used to reimagine equity, diversity and inclusion? Led by this research question that is constantly being reshaped, Spiraling Outwardly for Equity in Public Arts is a qualitative arts impact framework that explores how an artistic approach can be used to reimagine harnessing the power of equity, diversity and inclusion in the public arts sector from coast to coast to coast. 

The Framework

Imagine a big circle to represent the earth and water that surround us all. In this circle’s orbit is the sun, a bright warm ball. Within the large circle is a spiral with no beginning and no end. This is the framework’s core. Three dynamic entities floating on open terrain. My name is Shanice Bernicky (she/her, elle) and I am a PhD student at Carleton University. This framework was constructed as part of the Mass Culture and Mitacs Research in Residence project. The Framework is designed to assist public arts organizations develop equitable practices for employees and community members. If you make use of this project, you must use CC BY-NC. I can be reached at [email protected] and invite your feedback.

Three ways to interact with the Framework:

  1. Click on the Miro Board on this webpage to explore the framework and leave a comment
  2. If you aren’t comfortable using Miro, download the PDF to view the indicators
  3. Email [email protected] to request your very own Spiralling Outward for Equity in Public Arts framework to make use of the customizable pallet

Watch the video to find out more.

Read the framework now
View the framework on Miro now

The Video

Watch now

View Shanice's video to understand:

  • The framework's foundation: how it came to be;
  • The framework: what it is and how to use it;
  • The framework's potential

About the researcher and initiative

Shanice Bernicky
Shanice Bernicky (she/her/elle) is a media maker and doctoral student at Carleton University’s School of Journalism & Communication. Bernicky is interested in the relationship between identity, belonging, and equity, diversity and inclusion practices in settler-colonial states. She completed a Master’s research-creation thesis in Media Studies at Concordia University, exploring themes of heritage and mixed-race identity from axis point of natural Black hair. As a freelance video editor, she has worked on a myriad of projects on rich topics such as Indigenous laws and practices outside the settler-Canadian legal framework, research for the vitality of English-Speaking communities within Québec, and environmental issues connecting the East and the West. At Carleton, her work investigates the link between Canadian policy and the creation of diverse and inclusive television.

On the Research in Residence webpage, find a rundown of Shanice’s approach at the inception of the project, as well as more information on her collaborators. 

Read more

This initiative is made possible through the support of the following

Canada Council for the Arts logo.
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Table on Culture and Heritage
Mitacs
Ontario Trillium Foundation logo
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

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