Living a Creative Life Congress
Calgary Arts Development is situated on Treaty 7 Territory, home of the Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, Tsuut’ina, Stoney-Nakoda Nations, and Métis Nation Region 3.
Calgary Arts Development is our city’s designated arts development authority. We provide grant investments to hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, and groups. We value relationships, generosity, reciprocity, plain language, and curiosity.
Please join us for the 2018 Living a Creative Life Congress.
Art and Social Change
Date: Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Doors Open & Workshop Registration: 8:00am
Event: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: The New Central Public Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Registration is free—please don’t sign up if you’re not sure if you can attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Contact Kaley Beiseigel at kaley.beisiegel@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions or if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions.
Background
We believe the arts have the power to build our city. Through the arts development strategy, Living a Creative Life, our vision is a creative, connected, prosperous Calgary where every resident has the opportunity to live creatively. We foster a sustainable and resilient arts sector and support arts-led city building.
Strong relationships are central to our work. We honour artists and believe that art is a critical component of public good. We welcome new introductions and partnerships with artists and arts organizations as well as with others whose work may be outside the arts who are trying to make our city great through living a creative life.
We believe in forming deep bonds and meeting people fresh every time in order to develop relationships based on renewal. Our interest is in building trust, being transparent, listening deeply, and maintaining a sense of humility. We make every effort to create safe, inclusive, brave spaces for conversation and for art in all communities in the context of facilities, who participates, who experiences arts, and who benefits.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values at Calgary Arts Development. By adhering to the following three principles—nothing about us without us, one size fits one, and creating a virtuous cycle—we strive to embed EDI in all that we do.
We have been working towards creating shared environments where all people can feel safe, heard, and validated. A sensitivity to the lived experiences of diverse, marginalized and/or equity-seeking people is very important as we continue valuing EDI in all aspects of our work.
We are also committed to advancing reconciliation and right relations with Indigenous communities through the arts. We are dedicated to learning more about research methods respectful of reconciliation efforts and Indigenous ways of knowing. These concepts feel emergent, but will be vital in our new Original Peoples Investment Program, with implications for the rest of our research agenda.
Event Description
The congress will begin with a keynote address by one of Canada’s leading forces in the realm of art for social change—Judith Marcuse—to inspire our thinking for the rest of the day. After hearing Judith, we will see an example of the arts in action, with a brief presentation by the Pembina Institute involving art and climate change.
Participants will be invited to participate in two workshops, one at 11:00am and one at 2:00pm. Selections will be taken at the check-in table on the day of the event, starting at 8:00am. As there is limited capacity in the workshops, you may not get your first choice, but each of the workshops offers valuable information and experience.
Here is a list of the workshops you will be able to choose from:
- Arts, Insight & Action – An Experiential Workshop with Judith Marcuse
- Shared Learnings from CommunityWise’s Anti-Racist Organizational Change Process – Led by Thulasy Lettner
- Smudging, Medicine Wheel Teachings, and Creating a Medicine Bag – Led by Chantal Chagnon
- Beyond Engagement, the Art of Community Building – Led by Marichu Antonio & Cesar Cala
- Inspiring Action Around Climate Change – Led by the Pembina Institute (this workshop is in the morning only)
