Community Working Group Nominations Open

Community Working Group Nominations Open

Nominations Open: July 17, 2023
Nominations Deadline: August 16, 2023
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Calgary Arts Development is opening up nominations for inclusion in our Community Working Group (CWG) on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Three new Indigenous members will be appointed to the CWG through a community nomination process.

We recognize that the application process can create barriers to access for many applicants who are interested in applying. Our calls are written in English, shared online and require applicants to email their applications in English. This creates technological, language, communication and cultural barriers, to name a few.

In recognition of these barriers to access, eligible applicants can request assistance to help reduce some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting an application. More information on the types of assistance available can be found in a more detailed Application Assistance section below.

Commitment to Equity

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Métis of Region 3 as well as many First Nations and Inuit peoples from across Turtle Island.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to the process of eliminating institutional racism, ableism and barriers in our programs, policies and practices by centring the creativity and leadership of those communities most impacted by structural inequities. You’ll find our full Commitment to Equity statement on our website.

Who Are We

Calgary Arts Development is Calgary’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.

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 a creative life. We foster a sustainable and resilient arts sector, and support arts-led city building.

Purpose

The Community Working Group (CWG) for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility is part of a broader initiative to identify and remove systemic barriers in our work at Calgary Arts Development (CADA). The CWG is a paid collective of artists who will help build collective capacity in the arts sector for equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) and is centred on equity-seeking communities, specifically Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, Deaf, Mad or disabled and 2SLGBTQIAP+.

This group facilitates discussions among affinity groups and working pods between members, prioritizing the need for trust, learning, sharing and building capacity for change in our work and in our communities. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Helping to advise and co-design Calgary Arts Development’s EDIA procedures, policies, statements, granting requirements and other various EDIA needs as determined by staff and community working group members.
  • Continue relationship-building with community.
  • Instigate changes.

Composition

The CWG is composed of up to 15 individuals. They are people who are practising artists or arts workers (including organizational directors and or administration) and who are also deeply involved in social justice, change-making or equity organizing within their own communities.

Calgary Arts Development recognizes that EDIA work has been ongoing in the community and the working group is an important step and opportunity to connect this work with our own institutional commitment to EDIA.

Appointment of the New Members to the CWG

Calgary Arts Development, in consultation with CWG members, will appoint three new Indigenous members of the working group through a community nomination process. Indigenous artists and arts workers may self-nominate, or be nominated with consent by an arts or non-profit organization where an important part of their work involves using the arts and engaging artists to address social issues*.

To nominate, please provide the information below through the following options: 

A Nomination from an Organization
  • Name of the nominee.
  • The nominee’s connection to the organization.
  • The Treaty 7 First Nation or Calgary Indigenous Community that the nominee is a member of.
  • If applicable, provide a brief background of the nominee that describes the nominee’s current and past work related to EDIA, social justice, community organizing or any related work.
  • Description of the nominee’s artistic practice and engagement with the community.
  • Note on how the nominee would like to contribute to the group and to the discussions around EDIA.
  • One (or more) important reason(s) why the person is being nominated.
  • Confirmation that the person has agreed to be nominated.
  • Description of how the nominating organization can connect to or support the work of the working group (e.g., if the nominee is a staff of the organization, will the person’s participation in the working group be on paid time?).
  • Contact information for the organization and the nominee.
Self-Nominations 
  • Your name.
  • Your background in the arts sector.
  • The name of the Treaty 7 First Nation or Calgary Indigenous Community you are a member of.
  • If applicable, describe your current and past work related to EDIA, social justice, community organizing, etc.
  • Describe your artistic practice and engagement with the community.
  • Describe how you would like to contribute to this group/ to the discussions around EDIA.
  • Provide one (or more) reasons why you want to be part of the working group.
  • Your contact information.

Nominations will be reviewed by Calgary Arts Development, in consultation with the CWG members. Appointments will be made to reflect representation from Treaty 7 Indigenous Communities to ensure the group includes the necessary experiences and skills to meet the current EDIA needs of Calgary Arts Development.

Nomination Form

This form has closed for submissions.

Time Commitment and Compensation

The CWG collaborates closely with Calgary Arts Development on short-term and medium-term initiatives. As a result, Calgary Arts Development will be asking for a one-year commitment of about 10 to 12 hours per month. The CWG convenes virtually on the first Monday of every month, from 5 – 7pm. Members can choose to dedicate extra hours based on their individual availability. Compensation for members will be provided, with a monthly payment of up to $500, which will vary based on the number of hours committed by each member.

Application Assistance

Calgary Arts Development is committed to open, fair and transparent processes. We will work one-on-one with applicants who experience barriers to access to develop accommodations that suit their unique abilities and situations, and continually seek to learn and address inequities in our programs and processes.

We recognize that our processes may contain barriers to access for many artists or organizations who are interested in applying. Our programs are written in English, shared online and require applicants to submit online applications and reports in English. This creates technological, language, communication, and cultural barriers, to name a few.

In recognition of these barriers to access, eligible applicants can request assistance to help alleviate some of the costs associated with preparing and submitting an application.

Who Can Request Assistance?  

Individuals who self-identify as: 

  • An individual who is Deaf, hard of hearing, has a disability or is living with a mental illness.
  • An individual facing language, geographic or cultural barriers.

To receive assistance, you will need to provide: 

  • The name and contact information of someone who can help you (this could be a trusted friend or family member, or a professional service provider). We may be able to make recommendations depending on the service being requested.
  • The amount you are requesting, including the service provider’s hourly rate.

Types of Assistance 

General Transcription or Editing Services & Organizing of Support Materials

  • Applicants who identify barriers within the writing process directly due to a physical or learning disability or due to living with mental illness. Maximum Contribution: $75

Language Translation

  • Applicants writing an application in another language who require translation into English, including American Sign Language. Maximum Contribution: $150

Nomination Deadline

Nominations will be accepted until 4:30pm MT on August 16, 2023. Contact sayonara.cunha@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with any questions.

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*Examples of organizations who work with artists on social issues:

Disability Action Hall
ActionDignity
Calgary Women’s Centre
Basic Income Calgary
CommunityWise/Anti-Racism Organizational Change
Act2endracism

 

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More Information

Our Commitment to Equity

Our commitment to Indigenous reconciliation, racial equity, disability justice, and gender and sexual diversity.

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Districts 5 and 6 as well as many First Nations and Inuit from across Turtle Island.

We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.

Please see our full Commitment to Equity, including the sections on our aspirations, accountability, current initiatives and EDIA history.