{"id":13110,"date":"2013-05-10T05:54:57","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T09:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artbridgesblog.ca\/?p=13110"},"modified":"2013-05-10T05:54:57","modified_gmt":"2013-05-10T09:54:57","slug":"friday-morning-coffee-artbridges-needs-assessment-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artbridges.ca\/fr\/friday-morning-coffee-artbridges-needs-assessment-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday Morning Coffee: ArtBridges Needs Assessment Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"photo<\/a><\/p>\n

ArtBridging Ontario Researcher, Maxine Sidran, shares valuable feedback from her recent Ontario-wide survey to community-engaged arts initiatives that have been previously profiled on the ArtBridges\/ToileDesArts network:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke with 39 of the 132 English-speaking community-engaged arts organizations in the ArtBridges network (30%). My initial approach told them we were looking for input regarding their major challenges and how they might be able to help other groups meet their own challenges.<\/p>\n

Although they were told that the survey would take only 15-20 minutes, many of the interviews ran to half an hour or more, with people happy to talk about their pride in their organizations and their people’s commitment to its goals. They knew the road was hard, but they believed it was worth it, and they were aware of the wide variety of obstacles that stood in their way.<\/p>\n

Funding was by far the biggest concern (21 comments), followed by Time (12 comments). Most of these organizations are run by only one or two full-time staff (the number I heard a lot was one full time and one part-time staff). Many spoke about the difficulty of finding appropriate granting organizations and having the time or expertise to follow up on them.<\/p>\n

There was an interest in collaboration, but time, staff and financial constraints often got in the way. It is clear that we are a community of givers at heart and are looking for ways to make sharing and cooperation possible.<\/p>\n

The smallest groups were proud of the ways they had been able to create something with nothing (bartering, trading, etc.) and had adopted the attitude that there was often a solution if you think outside the box.<\/p>\n

Comments on the need for funding:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cFunding, funding, funding! Those are our top three needs\u201d… \u201cPublic funding is drying up, both provincially and federally, and there are more groups vying for it\u201d… \u201cWe know where the funding is and how to write the proposals, but there is not enough time to do it\u201d…\u201dAn \u201cincubation tank\u201d is needed. Granters want you to have a developed idea. We need help learning what that looks like\u201d…<\/p>\n

Comments on the need for volunteers:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cGrowth depends on volunteers…How do you get people who are right for you, and how do you manage them?\u201d… \u201cIt’s always a scramble. There’s a need for continuity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comments on the need for space:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cIt is holding back growth\u201d… \u201cWe’re a little squished here\u201d… \u201cOur space issues are precarious\u201d… \u201cWe keep small purposely, because space for programs is limited.\u201d\u2026 \u201cWe have to turn people away every week so it’s difficult to dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comments on the need for Board Members:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cA universal challenge. Board members need to really \u201cget\u201d what their job is and not \u201cbuy into\u201d the roadblocks that funders throw up.\u201d\u2026 \u201cLawyers are necessary on a Board, because they cut through to the heart of a problem and are well connected and solution-focussed\u201d… \u201cBoard members with financial expertise\u201d…\u201dWe want to see a PR person, accountant, lawyer and community members there\u201d.<\/p>\n

Comments on increased profile, promotion, etc.:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cWe have no advertising. It’s all word of mouth\u201d… \u201cWe need a publicist who knows mainstream promotion\u201d\u2026 \u201cHow do you convey and present youth artists as talent and not just at-risk youth\u201d… \u201cWe have lots of supporters, but we are preaching to the choir\u201d…<\/p>\n

Comments on the need for partnering and collaboration:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cWe worry that partnerships might skew us away from our mission\u201d…\u201dWe try to facilitate partnerships but it is difficult and challenging\u201d… \u201cIf we do partner, we have to keep our core issues strong\u201d…\u201dWe want to develop a wider creative community locally\u201d… \u201cWe’re interested in partnering across sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comments on sharing resources with others:<\/strong><\/span>
\n11 groups would share resources if they could \u201cafford\u201d it or would receive money\/assistance in exchange.<\/strong>
\n\u201cI try my best to answer \u201chow to\u201d questions from beginning arts organizations, but I find that when the younger group finally gets themselves together, the grant money goes to them.\u201d\u2026 \u201cSome administrators have the attitude, \u201cWe did it on our own, so you go do it yourself, too.\u201d\u201d… \u201cI believe grant applications should have lines for money to cover the cost of \u201csharing ideas.\u201d\u201d\u2026 \u201cWe’re stretched beyond stretched.\u201d… \u201cWe can share information on how to operate outside the cash economy and finding alternate ways to get resources without funding. I want to dispel the assumption that without money you can’t do what you want\u201d… \u201cI feel there is a dynamic opportunity in collaborating with other organizations. Different mandates can come together\u201d… \u201cCan see this happening as a Skype call-in.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n

Maxine Sidran, ArtBridging Ontario Researcher<\/em>
\n May 4, 2013<\/em><\/p>\n

photo credit :\u00a0nyuszika (sxc)<\/small><\/p>\n

For ArtBridges\/ToileDesArts sponsorship opportunities: Simon Constam, Sponsorship Director, simon@artbridges.ca, 905-537-7227
\nReturn to ArtBridges\/ToileDesArts homepage<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ArtBridging Ontario Researcher, Maxine Sidran, shares valuable feedback from her recent Ontario-wide survey to community-engaged arts initiatives that have been previously profiled on the ArtBridges\/ToileDesArts network: \u201cI spoke with 39 of the 132 English-speaking community-engaged arts organizations in the ArtBridges network (30%). My initial approach told them we were looking<\/p>\n

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