photo by Alexa de Repentigny-MacAulay

Last Saturday, I drove to Montréal and attended Engrenage Noir/LEVIER’s “Community Art: About? With? For? Community? /”L’Art communautaire: Sur? Avec? Pour? Une communauté?” workshop. It was an amazing opportunity for participants – artists, psychologists, directors, government grantors, art therapists, students, community arts practitioners – to really delve into the questions and ethics around community arts engagement. Notes from this workshop will be posted in French and English on the Engrenage Noir/LEVIER blog.

…At a truck stop on the way to Montréal, I was reading in the November edition of More Magazine about The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and the new “Michaëlle Jean Foundation.” In an engaging interview with Linda Lewis, editor-in-chief of More and Sylvie Poirier, editor-in-chief of Vita (More‘s French-language counterpart), Michaëlle Jean explains, ” The new Michaëlle Jean Foundation is going to [be] … especially focused on youth initiatives using the arts as tools for individual and social change…” Sounds like a great funding opportunity! …read the link in More here and in “PM announces legacy gift to Michaëlle…”

…I returned from the road trip on Sunday, and tuned in to CBC Radio 1’s program, In The Field, where l listened to Peter Sheldon’s documentary Etched in Stone about artists in Cape Dorset. (November 16, 2010 broadcast, part two) The documentary touched upon the successes and challenges of this famous arts community and the new directions that artists, particularly the next generation, are taking at the Kinngait studio. This segued to our post on Monday, when we shared an opportunity for the Kitchenuhmaykoosib  Inninuwug First Nation community in North Ontario: “Opportunity: Community Art Program Development ”  I love that funding is opening up to develop “a Cultural Strategy and Action Plan that focuses on using the creative arts as a tool for addressing critical social concerns and for fostering community well-being”

…back at the office & looking forward to the next road trip!…Seanna Connell, project director

Read Engrenage Noir/ LEVIER’s profile here on ArtBridges / Lisez notre profil/mini profil d’Engrenage Noir / LEVIER.
Veuillez s.v.p visiter la carte Google pour l’information de contact.
Please see ArtBridges’ Google Map for contact information.