« To mark the end of Art Place, a three year pilot project in community engaged arts, AOE Arts Council is hosting a two day symposium on community arts engagement. The symposium will provide artists, arts groups and community leaders with the tips and hands-on learning they need to develop co-creative projects with community members. Each event day will feature a panel discussion and an afternoon of hands on learning, with Naomi Tessler on March 31 and Alisdair Macrae on April 1. See below for schedule details.

Price includes: morning and afternoon sessions, coffee and snacks, lunch and a copy of the symposium workbook with case studies and worksheets!

Keep an eye on this page as we update it with panelists, outlines and workshop details!

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 – Sat, 1 Apr 2017
Ottawa City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON
$35-80
Register now!

Friday March 31

Developing a community engaged arts project
9AM-12PM: Panel and roundtable discussion by artists and community leaders

Gerald Dragon of Sandy Hill CHC
Gerald Dragon has been a staff member at Sandy Hill Community Health Centre (SHCHC) since 2011. In that time, he has been fortunate enough to help organise several community-engaged arts projects. This arts-based community development approach has allowed him to witness transformational change in individuals and communities. He looks forward to sharing some of his insights in to how arts-based community development can be used create inclusive spaces, raise awareness and express diverse opinions.

Micheline Shoebridge of MASC
Working With Communities To Build Successful Community Engaged Arts Programs: Micheline Shoebridge developed Awesome Arts en folie as a community engaged arts program that allows participants of all ages to explore issues important to their community through the arts. To date it has offered 16 separate programs and provided 790 individual workshops to 1450 children, youth and seniors. Recently, Awesome Arts en folie merged with MASC to expand its program offerings.

Christine Mockett, textile artist

1PM-4:45PM: A presentation and hands-on workshop with theatre artist Naomi Tessler, Branch Out Theatre
Where to begin?: Naomi Tessler will present how she began her community engaged arts projects and how she creates one. In an applied theatre workshop, participants will have hands on activities to reflect on the stepping stones of building a community arts project. Participants will critically reflect on the challenges in project building, management and leadership and support the group in working collaboratively to rehearse transforming potential blockages to a thriving community arts project.

Saturday April 1

Building a career in community engaged arts
9AM-12PM: Panel and roundtable discussion by artists and community leaders

Kathy Armstrong of Boabab Drum Dance Community
Engaging Communities with Your Music: An Entrepreneur’s Perspective: Kathy will highlight aspects of a career in the arts that engages with participants in a variety of settings using an entrepreneurial model. Using first-hand examples in educational, community, social service and health contexts, Kathy will share the rewards and challenges of creating a career path that reflects your passion and skill set.

Kelsey Walsh of Dandelion Dance
Mentorship, risk-taking, and collaboration have brought Kelsey Walsh to the role of director of the Dandelion Dance Performance Company. Kelsey will share the steps she took as student, artist, and now artist-educator, in shaping her career in community-engaged arts and she will also shed light on how the Dandelion approach opens a myriad of career opportunities – within sectors such as arts, education, social work, community development, childcare, not-for-profit, etc.

Adam Brown, performative and sculptural artist
Subverting Expectations: Taking your arts practice from the studio to the community can be as exciting as it is challenging. Adam Brown will discuss three recent collaborative building projects with groups of youth that highlight the ways social arts practice has shaped his understanding and approach to art and art making.

Claudia Salguero, visual artist and art-based faciliator
Making the Move to Arts Facilitation: Being an Arts-based Facilitator is a passion that comes with challenges, learning experiences and rewards. Beyond creating beautiful community artwork, it is about the process, the human interaction and the impact it has on each participant and on the community. Claudia Salguero will give participants an inside look into making the shift from a private art practice to a public one.

1PM-4:45PM: A presentation and hands-on workshop with Alisdair MacRae
Coming into a community and working with them to create an arts project doesn’t always go the way you expect it will. Each community has specific needs and perspectives which will influence the creative process. In his presentation, Alisdair will talk about his experience creating art in a local skateboard park and then lead a workshop where participants will create a mock community engaged arts project. Participants will learn how to develop a project around a socially relevant issue, consider resources, plan a budget, and develop project management skills. »

For more information, please visit the event page and artsaoe.ca