“The Toronto Arts Foundation is very excited to launch the Neighbourhood Arts Network as part of the on-going Block by Block Program, in partnership with Art Starts Neighbourhood Centre and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, on January 27, 2010.
…The Neighbourhood Arts Network will raise the profile of under the radar art and become the place to go for information about community-engaged art-making. Through our website Network members will be able to connect with others who share their interests, post their own profiles, access a wealth of information about the field, and share information about events and other opportunities. The website will gather a wealth of information about current practices and practical tools to help strengthen the work.”
http://www.torontoartsfoundation.org/Our-Programs/Arts-Network
The Toronto Arts Foundation is very excited to launch the Neighbourhood Arts Network as part of the on-going Block by Block Program, in partnership with Art Starts Neighbourhood Centre and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, on January 27, 2010.
During the past few months, with assistance from the Government of Ontario, the city of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and the many Friends of the Foundation, the Toronto Arts Foundation conducted 25 in-depth interviews and met with over 120 individuals through 6 design meetings. These meetings, along with information gathered from past consultations, reports and symposiums, helped to determine how the proposed Neighbourhood Arts Network could best serve artists, arts organizations and other community stakeholders while acting as a catalyst in neighbourhood revitalization.
Creative initiatives are taking place all over Toronto…in parks, apartment buildings, public spaces, libraries, theatres, storefronts and street locations. These locally-rooted projects and programs involve residents and artists while enlivening and animating communities. The outcomes vary in style and presentation –mosaics, murals, theatre productions, dance shows, media arts, music recording, storytelling, poetry, painting, and photography. Participants come from all walks of life, ages and backgrounds. The results astound the on-looker while bolstering confidence and skills in the participants.
The Neighbourhood Arts Network will raise the profile of under the radar art and become the place to go for information about community-engaged art-making. Through our website Network members will be able to connect with others who share their interests, post their own profiles, access a wealth of information about the field, and share information about events and other opportunities. The website will gather a wealth of information about current practices and practical tools to help strengthen the work.
In addition, the Neighbourhood Arts Network will sponsor in-person training sessions, neighbourhood meet-ups and symposiums. The group will be an important voice and advocate for community arts and link local work with similar-minded work being conducted in communities around the world.
By creating services and support for community-engaged artists, the Network will make it easier to connect individuals, libraries, community and health centres, business improvement associations and many others with the transformative power of art.
The Neighbourhood Arts Network has been made possible by support from the Government of Ontario, Ontario Trillium Foundation, City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and by the many Friends of the Foundation.
http://www.torontoartsfoundation.org/Our-Programs/Arts-Network
