Overview of Discussions from the Neighbourhood Arts Network Design Meetings

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Services

Advocacy

Most participants felt The Network can play an important role as an advocate for the field. By being able to represent a diversity of practice and being a voice for a variety of supporters and practitioners, the Network can help foster a greater understanding of the breadth and depth of community-engaged arts. In general this will help raise the profile of “under the radar art.”

Some participants pointed out strong connections between community-engaged arts and community development work. They wished to connect with agencies and funders outside of the arts circuit and spoke of this work as part of a larger social change movement.

Many of the attendees expressed the complexity of their practice – combining principles of community development and arts – and the need for more people and organizations to understand the transformational power and value of their work. They called upon the Network to lobby and educate: the general public through the media; politicians at all levels; schools and school boards; BIAs and local businesses; and funders.

Practitioners, busy with the day to day work of delivering and planning programs, are not able to focus on advocacy. If the Network could develop clear and simple tools about the value of community arts these could be used by members in their own communication and outreach efforts. A common message delivered by the members will be an effective tool.

Participants saw the Network as a way to capture the health and development of the field. They asked for compilation and analysis of statistics which in turn would be used to make a case for increased support for the field.

Network can help distribute information that impacts the field – changes in policy, budget cuts or special initiatives such as Beautiful City Bill Board Campaign. When necessary the Network could speak out for its members on important issues.

The Network could provide community arts practitioners with the kind of advocacy available to other disciplines through groups such as TAPA and CARFAC. Participants called upon the Network to link with other networks and advocacy groups to strengthen the arts and community development. There was a suggestion to link to Arts Vote.

Network

In addition to the website, which was seen as a very important networking tool, participants felt in person networking opportunities could assist them. Networking events requested included: city-wide symposiums, festivals of community arts, workshops, forums, speaker series and simply “time to just talk and connect to inspire and inform each other about our work.” The time frame for networking events varied from monthly meetings to yearly events. There was a suggestion to hold events for networking at a neighbourhood level to better connect local artists, groups and agencies.

The Network was asked to identify best-practice models and have a bank of speakers for presentations on various aspects of community-engaged art-making. Participants spoke of a need for mentoring and professional development. The following was suggested: project open houses; city wide tours of community arts locations; skills exchange to assist community arts groups to build infrastructure; workshops to share techniques and approaches to working with different populations.

Participants requested links to non-arts groups and agencies interested in using the arts

e.g.: groups working in settlement, housing, mental health. Although this information might be available on the Network website, the Network could take a more active role by running meetings to bring arts and non-arts groups together.

Access

Participants listed a multitude of groups and individuals they wished to access: volunteers, city councilors, funders, artists, media, interns, mentors, consultants and experts (lighting designers, book keepers, etc.).

The Network was called to provide links and information about:

• Spaces and venues for the arts
• Housing for artists (Artscape)
• Permits and local service (City of Toronto departments)
• Health services for artists (Arts Health Network)
• Alternative financial sources such as micro-credit lending
• Translation services
• Job opportunities (Work in Culture)

It was suggested that the Network research and secure privileges for members e.g.: discounts from suppliers, use of Arts Junction, and insurance coverage. These would be good incentives to join.

Community arts groups and artists are concerned about financial support and funding and there were many calls for access to information about fund raising, grant writing and grant program deadlines.

Community arts groups want access to information that will assist them in their growth and stability; information such as how to incorporate as a not-for-profit and examples of by-laws

The participants were interested in finding out about the range of activities happening at a local and city level. They requested involvement in and access to mapping processes. There was also a call to capture the history of the field as it is emerging and to profile key figures in the community arts field (now and in the past),

Values

The following values were identified as being important for the development of Network Services:

• Create a united strong voice
• One-stop shopping
• Privacy – who gets access to member info
• Timely, useful, and up-to-date
• Link community arts to social change, community and economic development work
• Recognize different challenges faced by different practitioners
• Be able to talk to a person not just the website
• Show the work is inspiring and engaging
• Multilingual
• Responsive
• Celebratory
• Quick and easy – informal meetings
• Don’t reproduce what already exists

Website

Connect

There was an overwhelming consensus that connecting to arts organizations, individual community artists, government agencies, funders, and social service agencies is of utmost priority. However, due to the large amount of information this would generate, it is essential to categorize this information in a way that will be easy and fast to search. Some of the suggestions for categories include:

• Organizations looking for artists to partner with
• Artists looking for organizations to partner with
• Arts Disciplines
• Volunteers, interns
• Types of social service agency- do they work with newcomers, seniors and so on
• Funders
• Toronto Public Libraries and Toronto District School Board plus government bodies
• Politicians
• Media contacts

Other suggestions for connection were to research and statistics on community arts in downloadable documents, to potential venues, and to professionals i.e. consultants, lawyers, grant-writers, event planners, etc. who might offer their services at a discounted cost (or not), but they would need to understand the particular needs of a community arts organization. Professionals could also be rated and commented on through the website.

The following were suggested as ways to connect through the website:

• Tags that will easily allow you to navigate through different categories, i.e. you are interested in newcomers, so you click on the tag “newcomer” and it shows you everything with that tag.
• An easy-to-search database with parameters, i.e. you could search by location, discipline, and age group, to narrow it down quickly.

• Member profiles that have at least the following: contact info, neighbourhood, discipline, and the types of people they work with (or are interested in working with).
• Links to member websites and member email addresses, as well as to their Facebook, Twitter and so on.

Inform

People want to know about each other’s work! Listings of past, present and future projects, calls for submission, calls for participants, as well as “lessons learned” (a.k.a. best practices) so that we may assist each other.

Also on the hotlist is helpful information:

• What is “community arts”? What does the field look like in Toronto? How can we support community arts and/or get involved? Who are the key players?
• Neighbourhood demographics and information about underserved communities
• Downloadable administrative documents (contracts, photo/video release, job descriptions, pay scales, etc.)
• Evaluation tools (could also be a downloadable document)
• Anti-oppression and diversity guidelines

The following were suggested as ways to be informed through the website:

• An interactive events calendar. This could be organized in a few ways: a traditional Google-style calendar, or listings like LiveTO, or as a map showing locations of events/activities. Grant deadlines could also be incorporated into the calendar. The calendar could alert you through an automatically generated email based on your stated interests/preferences.
• Regular (weekly or bi-monthly) emails sent out by coordinator profiling different projects, people, organizations, events and so on. This could include the “lessons learned” piece, inspirational stories, or dissemination of the community arts toolkits.
• Blogs written by coordinator or community people
• Links to other useful websites, like Work In Culture and CARFAC

Interact

Interactivity through the website is very important and will facilitate the collaboration that is at the core of our mandate. This was stressed over and over in all design meetings.

The following were suggested as ways to interact through the website:

• Craigslist-style message board to post items for sale, bartering, mentorship opportunities, calls for volunteers, submission, resource sharing, etc.

• Map showing locations of organizations, activities, projects, events, funders, demographics, etc. You could click on a neighbourhood, choose some parameters if you wanted, and zoom into the organizations etc. that fit those parameters and immediately contact them- easy, visual, fast.
• Match-making service: website automatically connects you to what you are looking for. You need a skilled volunteer events planner for a two-week job promoting your community music festival? A skilled events planner with some time on their hands wants to get involved in community arts? Match made!
• Suggestions: you like this organization? Then you might be interested in these ones too! .
• Chatrooms, forums, webinars, web-based projects, podcasts
• Q & A section where you can get advice from those working in the field
• Live feeds of symposiums & events
• Videos, music, photos
• Audio component for the visually impaired
• Use symbols as much as possible to aid those for whom English is not a first language
• Advocacy section where people can report on policy, politicians, supportive campaigns

…and very important: Members can give feedback to the Network about what’s working and what’s not, suggestions for improvement, etc.

Values

The following values were identified as being important for the development of the Website:

• Useful
• Active
• Members able to customize the type and amount of information that gets sent to them
• Easy-to-download formats
• Simple
• Easy to search
• Representative of the entire community
• Comprehensive
• Up-to-date
• Visually appealing

Membership

Process

Participants felt it was important to develop terms of use, mission statement and values so potential members know what they are joining. Some felt there should be “a gatekeeper” and potential members should demonstrate a commitment to community-engaged art making (a screening process); others asked for members to define their own interest and share their expectations of the Network; others suggested it be open to all.

Participants called for non-intimidating, easy process in order not to scare off potential members. An application form was suggested where members contribute their own information; a contact person could assist applicants in uploading their information. Payment, if there is to be a fee, should happen when signing up.

The success of the Network depends on an active and involved membership. Members must maintain their own profile but some worried that members would not enter information needed to be useful for networking. Suggestions to help with this problem included: reminder emails and profiles deleted if not updated.

It was suggested that organizational and individual profiles indicate the following:

• arts discipline
• size of organization (if applicable)
• programming focus
• years of practice
• locations of work
• services provided
• examples of work

Network should recruit through active outreach including:

• using the media (local papers and TV and radio
• booths at festivals
• links on website of like-minded groups\
• create flyers and stickers
• FB, Twitter, etc.
• general word of mouth between practitioners

Cost

The call for a free network was equal to the call for a fee “in order to create a sense of value.” If there is a fee, participants felt it should be fair in order to make the Network accessible (tiered or scaled system). I

It was suggested that the Network be:

• Free to all for all time
• Free as an introductory offer for limited time
• Free membership but charge for services
• Free for students
• Bursaries for individuals
• Waive fees in some cases
• Make it possible to pay through volunteering or bartering
• Make it low for everyone – individual and organizations (amounts suggested varied from $10 to $100)
• Charge according to level of operation or need
• PWYC
• Organizations pay more than individuals and according to size of their budget
• Members of organizations who are members get a reduced membership
• Founding members might get “special rates” into the future
• “Pay for as much as you use” system
• Pay through bartering

It was suggested that what is charged depends on what is offered and the benefits must be well articulated. At this point value is not proven.

The Network should not plan on sustaining itself through membership. Other sources of revenue suggested include:

• Fees for services
• Fees to attend workshops and symposiums
• Revenue through advertising but careful of contact info privacy
• Patrons of arts groups
• Sponsorships

Types

There were many suggestions that the Network be open to all –“everyone working, living and interested.” There should be two sections to the website: member only pages and a public section accessible to all.

Suggestions for membership types fell into five broad categories:

• Individual artists (could include art therapists)
• Organizations (for profit and not for profit arts groups)
• Organizations (Community groups, agencies working with the arts, cultural centres)
• Associate (for supporters)
• Student (for students studying community-engaged arts or community development)

There was a suggestion that other Networks become members. The Network could explore how connection to other networks could provide partnering, resources and support. This could also apply to Professional Associations.

The question of schools and teachers becoming members raised the topic of the difference between community arts and arts education. It was suggested that professor and university/college students in programs connected to community development, cultural studies, etc may be interested in joining.

Values

The following values were identified as being important for the development of Membership Structure:

• Accessible and affordable membership.
• Secure and confidential
• Fair and reasonable
• Easy sign up process
• Momentum (Network will be valuable only if there are enough members)
• Relevant and up to date services and information