Original Peoples Investment Program 2024

We will work one-on-one with assessors who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their unique abilities and situations. Some examples of accommodation are:

• Language interpretation during meetings.  
• Translation of written materials.
• Transcription of verbal meetings or audio and video recordings into a written document. 
• Access to a loaner laptop from Calgary Arts Development.
• Support for other expenses that are necessary to attend any required meetings (like childcare coverage, or parking costs for any in-person meetings, if applicable).

Our team is available to answer questions and offer support during the assessment process. Please contact the program specialists as early as you can to ensure they can provide the best support possible.

If you have any questions, please contact either of the program specialists responsible for this program, Richelle BearHat at richelle.bearhat@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.264.5330 ext. 125, or Morgan Possberg at morgan.possberg@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or 403.264.5330 ext. 230, as soon as possible.

Committee Membership is made up of Individual artists and arts workers with experience and knowledge from a variety of artistic disciplines and practices, who actively participate in, experience and advocate for the work of the arts community. 

Anyone can ask to participate on a Calgary Arts Development assessment committee by completing the assessor nomination form or by emailing grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Assessment committees are chosen to represent the broad diversity of Calgary and its artistic communities, including nation, artistic discipline, gender, sexuality, age, religion, beliefs, nation, physical and neurological identities, and more.

• Five to Seven-Member committee for each stream.
• Representation from Blackfoot, Tsuu’tina, Stoney Nakoda, Métis, Inuit and other First Nations.
• Representation from Two Spirit, transgender and Indigiqueer peoples.
• Representation across artistic disciplines and practices.
• Representation from artist peers and community members.
• Representation from different generational groups

Qualifications

• Relevant skills, experience and knowledge that will accommodate the range of applicants to be juried.
• A generous spirit, exceptional listening skills and a willingness and ability to embrace change, complexity and different viewpoints.
• An openness to productively and respectfully check in with bias.
• An understanding and awareness of Calgary and region, and an insight into our social and cultural climate.
• Respect of peers in the community.
• The ability to function well within a committee structure.

Assessors are responsible for participating in training sessions, the full application review process, and any scheduled assessment meetings with the rest of their committee members.

Participation in each part of the assessment process is mandatory to ensure all perspectives are present throughout the process and applied fairly to each application assigned.

TIME COMMITMENT:

Between September 3 – 10, 2024: Assessor training.

• Participate in one online training and orientation session, hosted by Calgary Arts Development, in preparation for the review process.

End of September – Mid October: Review process.

• Review each application assigned in full.
• Submit initial scores online in the grant interface, according to the program considerations outlined in the program guidelines.

End of October: Assessment Meetings.

• Attend up to four (4) assessment meetings to discuss each application as a committee.
  • Assessments will likely occur remotely using online meeting tools, such as Zoom.
  • Meetings will not exceed six (6) hours, including regularly scheduled breaks.
  • Throughout the assessment meetings, assessors will have an opportunity to update their initial scores.
• Review the overall scores for the applicants and make final recommendations for funding.
• Final funding decisions will be at the discretion of Calgary Arts Development staff.
• Applicants will be notified of grant results in late November 2024.

October 2024 – March 2026: Experience Arts Events.

• As part of your participation in the assessment process, Calgary Arts Development will provide up to two tickets anonymously on your behalf to up to three public events or programming that Calgary Arts Development has directly funded. This is to ensure that you’re able to experience the arts within the local community. Beyond participating in the assessment process, we hope that you will advocate for the arts in Calgary and encourage your respective communities to participate in Calgary’s vibrant arts sector.

Calgary Arts Development will provide an honorarium to assessors as a gift to recognize their time. Since gifts and honoraria are considered taxable under Canada Revenue Agency, Calgary Arts Development will be required to issue a T4A tax form to assessors for the full amount of their honorarium for the year in which the payment was received (for any honorarium amount over $500).

Honorarium rates for this program are as follows:

• Reading Fee: $10 per application
• Meeting Fees:
  • Training and Orientation session, $100 per training
  • Assessment Meetings, $300 per meeting

The honorarium will be provided to assessors after the reviewing process is completed.

Assessors will report to Calgary Arts Development staff. All deliberations of the assessment committee and all records, material, and information obtained by a member and not generally available to the public shall be considered confidential.

Adhering to the Confidentiality Policy, assessors shall maintain the confidentiality of their deliberations and shall safeguard such records and information from improper access.

Assessors are required to declare conflicts of interest according to the Conflict of Interest Policy. Calgary Arts Development thinks of conflicts of interest as close family members, people who are involved in the activity being applied for or where there is a real or perceived financial benefit. If in doubt, assessors are encouraged to talk with Calgary Arts Development staff. If a committee member has applied to the program or declared a conflict of interest, they will not assess those specific applications or be present for any discussions of those applications.

Calgary Arts Development reserves the right to remove individuals from the process or assessment committee if they do not adhere to the terms of reference, program guidelines, group agreements, conflict of interest policy, or confidentiality policy, show a high degree of unchecked bias regardless of bias training, or if their conduct is otherwise counter to the stated values and expectations of this program.

Original Peoples Investment Program Guidelines
Group Agreements
Conflict of Interest Policy
Confidentiality Policy
Assessor Nomination Form
Equity Priority Group Descriptions