We recently heard through the grapevine that that the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) will be launching a new Minor Degree program in “Art & Social Change” this Fall (2013). Fantastique!
Here’s a link to program information and an excerpt from the program description from the 12/13 OCAD U Course Calendar:
“….an investigation of the role that art and artists have and can play as catalysts of change, students pursuing this minor stand to expand the liberating powers of dialogue, dissent and collaboration as cultural practitioners engaged in local, national and global contexts.” ( 12/13 OCAD University Course Calendar)
I know that the OCAD University faculty has been developing this program behind the scenes for a few years. My co-worker, Ania Stypulkowski, and I met with Professor B.h. Yael last year to learn more about the development of the program and to share what ArtBridges knew about other academic programs being offered throughout Canada at the time. Although OCAD U had offered Art & Social Change classes prior to the introduction of this Minor program, Ms. Yael explained to us that they had never before combined the Art & Social Change-related courses into a concise program.
Through our research at ArtBridges and our individual academic backgrounds, we have become familiar with a few programs and classes being offered by academic institutions in Canada within the Arts for Social Change field.
In fact, a few of us from the ArtBridges office took York University’s “Community Arts for Social Change” class with Professor Deborah Barndt. This foundation-level course is open to all York U students, but it’s also a part of York U’s Certificate in Community Arts Program (CAP), which is a joint program offered between the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Our colleague, Alexa de Repentigny-MacAulay, went on to complete the certificate program!
As a student auditing the Community Arts for Social Change course, I personally found real value in the reading material—for its exploration of issues dealing with social justice, ethics, best practices, tools, etc. in the context of art-making and arts & community engagement. The class also opened my world to connections with people working in community arts initiatives all across Canada.
If you know of/are enrolled in an academic course or program in Canada that focuses on Arts for Social Change or Community-Engaged Arts, write in and tell us about it!: info[at]artbridges.ca We’d love to keep learning and help spread the word at the same time!
Seanna Connell, Project Director
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