INNOVATION & RESILIENCE
IN CANADA’S CULTURAL SECTOR

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CAMMAC

Harrington, QuebecHarrington (Quebec) Project: Short Films
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

CAMMAC created six short films, a documentary and held virtual music workshops, lectures, concerts, a virtual choir and much more.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

VIBE Arts for Children and Youth

Toronto, OntarioToronto (Ontario) Project: VIBE Bloom
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

VIBE launched four new programs in the pandemic including VIBE Bloom, a series of virtual art-making lessons for artists of all ages and experience levels.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Classic Studios

Sherwood Park, AlbertaSherwood Park (Alberta) Project: Classic Studios’ Virtual Ensemble – Count On Me
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The studio created virtual ensemble videos dedicated to front line workers and to put some good vibes into their community.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Tom Thomson Gallery

Owen Sound, OntarioOwen Sound (Ontario) Project: Mural Project
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The Tom Thomson gallery connected a local grade 9 class with an artist to create a mural on “what is essential to you”.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Echo Women's Choir

Toronto, OntarioToronto (Ontario) Project: Online Rehearsals
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The choir moved their rehearsals on-line, created a series of music videos and welcomed many guest artists for workshops from around the continent.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Suzuki Music

Ottawa, OntarioOttawa (Ontario) Project: Virtual Year-End Celebration
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The School created a virtual year-end celebration concert to maintain a feeling of being together while apart.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Les mots s'animent

Montreal, QuebecMontreal (Quebec) Project: Virtual Performances
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

The group had great success after adapting their school performances and theatrical readings to a digital format.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

COSIMU

Montreal, QuebecMontreal (Quebec) Project: Échange interculturel. fonofone
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

Working with an Innu artist, two high school classes participated in an intercultural exchange through new technology.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Elektra Women's Choir

Vancouver, British ColumbiaVancouver (British Columbia) Project: Collaborative Virtual Choir
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Elektra Women's Choir worked with 16 singers from 10 BC high schools to create a digital performance of O Sister, Keep Us Steady Through the Storm.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Arts Council Wood Buffalo

Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, AlbertaFort McMurray Wood Buffalo (Alberta) Project: Buffys 2020: Arts Awards
Discipline(s): dance, media arts, museums and galleries, music, reading, writing, publishing, theatre, visual arts, multidisciplinary, arts education

The Buffys, also known as the Wood Buffalo Excellence in Arts Awards, is an annual program that recognizes and celebrates excellence in various areas of the arts and builds awareness of the incredible contribution artists make to Wood Buffalo. The Buffys invest in the future of our growing arts community by supporting our most exceptional artists through appreciation and employment opportunities, and by connecting artists to the wider community.

Special impacts:

Typically, the Buffys are a live, in-person event featuring live performances and presentations; however, with restrictions due to COVID-19, Arts Council Wood Buffalo adjusted the format of the awards showcase and turned it into an online cinematic experience that was pre-recorded and then broadcast for free on multiple platforms. Historically, the in-person showcase has reached an audience of about 400 people, but by offering it in an online format, the awards showcase reached an audience of over 14,000 households during the event premiere.

This story is special and impactful because the local arts community was featured to a much wider audience, which gave local artists a much wider reach to build their reputations despite restrictions due to the pandemic. After the event, local artists (award nominees, recipients and performers) were able to access the video as a legacy piece for their portfolios and continued promotion of their art forms. The Buffys provides artists with paid opportunities to showcase their work, and by moving the awards showcase to an online format, even more opportunities became available for artists to be paid for their work - this was especially important during a time when paid opportunities for artists had decreased significantly.

This was also the first time that the Buffys reached as far as Hollywood. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented virtually to Tantoo Cardinal, who is an Indigenous Canadian Actress from Anzac (a hamlet just south of Fort McMurray). Cardinal has been in feature films such as "Dances With Wolves," "Unforgiven," and "Legends of the Fall."

Equity seeking: Indigenous Peoples, Racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, D/deaf, disabled, or live with difference, Members of official language minority groups
Source: Survey

Link to website

On Stage Dance Studio

Stratford, OntarioStratford (Ontario) Project: Virtual Dance Recital
Discipline(s): dance, arts education

On Stage created a virtual dance recital, with dancers learning routines at home and sending in videos.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Vancouver Visual Art Foundation

Vancouver, British ColumbiaVancouver (British Columbia) Project: Virtual Art Classes
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The group started successful online art classes in September attracting participants from across Canada, the USA, Costa Rica and Australia!

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

A Cappella Plus Choir

Nanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo (British Columbia) Project: 40th Anniversary Video
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The A Cappella Plus Choir created a video to celebrate their 40th anniversary during COVID.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Kathryn Patricia Cobbler

Ottawa, OntarioOttawa (Ontario) Project: Online Interactive Concerts
Discipline(s): music, arts education

MASC Artist Kathryn Patricia Cobbler switched from in-person to presenting online interactive concerts.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

AVIVA Young Arts Program

Montreal, QuebecMontreal (Quebec) Project: Distance Education – Tripled in size
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The AVIVA Young Arts Program's international family of violinists nearly tripled in size through distance education on web-based platforms.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Patricia Coulter

Cold Lake, AlbertaCold Lake (Alberta) Project: The Last Hurrah: Custom Pieces from Recycled Clothing
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

During the pandemic, Patricia Coulter's practice switched to creating wearable art tote bags.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Hands on Media Education

Laval, QuebecLaval (Quebec) Project: I Belong Project
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

Hands On Media led virtual critical thinking and digital citizenship workshops to special needs adults and others.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Michelle Massaro/St. Joseph Catholic High School

St. Thomas, OntarioSt. Thomas (Ontario) Project: Collaborative Art
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Art teacher Michelle Massaro at St. Joseph Catholic High School led students to individually contribute to grand-scale collaborative art pieces.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Place des Arts

Coquitlam, British ColumbiaCoquitlam (British Columbia) Project: Online Transition: year-long children’s group music programs
Discipline(s): music, theatre, visual arts, arts education

Our year-long children’s group music programs continued with pre-recorded classes which were sent to the parents. With the entire province in lockdown mode, we understood how important it was to provide our students with an outlet for self-expression. Supporting our self-employed teachers and artists through teaching and exhibiting opportunities continued to be a priority for us.

Special impacts:

pre-recorded, virtual classes, free video content, perofmrances, online exhibitions, ceramics at home

Source: Research

Link to website

Jeunesses Musicales

Montréal, QuebecMontréal (Quebec) Project: Digital Ballads
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Pre-recorded virtual performances and music instruction for kids
- Workshops/concerts can have virtual mediation tacked on to deepen the discovery of music in children age 4-12

Source: Research

Link to website

Caitlyn Belanger

Oakville, OntarioOakville (Ontario) Project: Individually Recorded Collaborative Music
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Music teacher Caitlyn Belanger created recordings with Garageband with the tracks that students sent in from home.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Oliver Hockenhull

Sooke, British ColumbiaSooke (British Columbia) Project: A House Made of Dawn
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

This collection of philosophical and creative works reflecting on digital aesthetics was produced during the pandemic.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

The Academy

Montreal, QuebecMontreal (Quebec) Project: C-19
Discipline(s): dance, arts education

The Academy developed online, interactive dance class options for kids, teens and adults in a program called C-19.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

OrKidstra

Ottawa, OntarioOttawa (Ontario) Project: A Heartfelt Note from OrKidstra! | 2021
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Students performed in a video in 14 different languages ​​expressing love and gratitude to all of their supporters.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Ottawa Art Gallery

Ottawa, OntarioOttawa (Ontario) Project: The Land Art Project – Virtual Gallery
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The gallery offered virtual tours and online workshops, and made new instructional videos for their Contemporary Indigenous Arts program.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Prince Edward Island Department of Education and Lifelong Learning

Charlottetown, Prince Edward IslandCharlottetown (Prince Edward Island) Project: Prince Edward Island’s Department of Education and Lifelong Learning: Teaching and modelling resilience through the arts
Discipline(s): arts education, music, theatre, dance
Read the story

The P.E.I. Student Drama Festival took to the stage virtually in 2021, with class performances professionally filmed and edited and then posted online. Usually students from across the Island would rehearse their play or skit at school, and then finish up with a public performance on a professional stage with sets and lights, such as at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Last year's school drama festival was cancelled because of COVID-19. This year, 203 students from grades 3 to 11, from eight schools across the Island put together 24 productions that are now available online.

Special impacts:

This is a story about two champions in arts education, their journey during the first 18-months of the pandemic, and the importance of fostering creativity in students. The story focuses on two arts-based programs: the PEI Student Drama Festival and the ArtsSmarts PEI Learning Experience.

Source: Survey

Link to website

Arts Council Wood Buffalo

Fort McMurray, AlbertaFort McMurray (Alberta) Project: Music Video Collaboration
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

Collaborating with the spoken word band “All Imaginary”, they worked with film students to create an original music video.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Zuppa Theatre Co.

Halifax, Nova ScotiaHalifax (Nova Scotia) Project: Collection of Innovative Shows
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

Zuppa Theatre created a collection of innovative shows during the lockdown with community and school partnerships.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Visual Arts Mississauga

Mississauga, OntarioMississauga (Ontario) Project: A video message from the VAMily
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The group produced a video thanking supporters and celebrating visual art making at home.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Okanagan Children's Choir

Okanagan, British ColumbiaOkanagan (British Columbia) Project: Okanagan Children’s Choir: Digital composition project
Discipline(s): music, arts education
Read the story

For the Okanagan Youth Choir (British Columbia), the project was to develop an awareness of the components of basic choral composition including lyric writing, rhythmic and melodic composition and other musical concepts. Working with composer, Gerda Blok-Wilson, the project was developed over 4 weeks with hour long Zoom lessons. The composer wrote two melodies (words and phrases from key quotations on the theme of "Choir Team"). These melodies were partner songs. The singers were introduced to graphic, rhythmic and melodic scores and created their own compositions using “Choir Team” theme during the Zoom lessons. Some of their compositions were woven into the final piece.

Special impacts:

The project was digital using Zoom, Sibelius Composition program, Audacity and digital recording methods. The project offers lots of flexibility for themes. Its basic approach offers young singers insights into the choral composition world and gives them a different choral music experience. The video has been shared to a few choirs. This method of "workshopping" has the capability of reaching many more young singers and is economically more viable than having the composer come (travel) to the choir rehearsal.

Source: Survey

Link to website

Music & Beyond

Ottawa, OntarioOttawa (Ontario) Project: Free Digital Content
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Festival switched from in-person concerts to digital content, all free of charge and accessible online.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Maggie Music

Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria (British Columbia) Project: Online Classes and Virtual Concerts
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Teachers at Maggie Music have been teaching online for the past 15 months and the students have participated in multiple virtual concerts. '

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Brockton School World Music

North Vancouver, British ColumbiaNorth Vancouver (British Columbia) Project: Music Hall Sessions
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Brockton School World Music program produced 12 videos as part of their 2021 Music Room Sessions.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Art Gallery of Hamilton

Hamilton, OntarioHamilton (Ontario) Project: Artist Led Projects Program
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The gallery transitioned classroom programming to virtual, offering arts-based projects from kindergarten to grade 12.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

École Alternative de la tortue-des-bois

Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, QuebecSaint-Mathieu-du-Parc (Quebec) Project: Balado par les élèves de maternelle à la 6ème année
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

Created podcasts with students from kindergarten through to grade 6.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Queer Songbook Orchestra

Toronto, OntarioToronto (Ontario) Project: The Queer Songbook Orchestra’s QSO Kids project: A renewed focus in an uncertain landscape
Discipline(s): music, arts education
Read the story

Livestreamed concerts for kids, emphasis on a topic (queerness) enhanced by art

Equity seeking: 2SLGBTQIA+
Source: Research

Arts Umbrella

Vancouver, British ColumbiaVancouver (British Columbia) Project: Process innovation during COVID-19
Discipline(s): multidisciplinary, arts education

New building. Some in-person arts education classes.

Source: Research

Link to website

actOUT! Kitchener Waterloo Children's Drama Workshop

Waterloo, OntarioWaterloo (Ontario) Project: actOUT!’s 25th Season
Discipline(s): dance, music, theatre, arts education

Our 25th Season of theatre by & for the Children of the Waterloo Region of Ontario was interrupted by the pandemic. When actOUT! shut down operations on March 13, 2020 we had just finished our run of 'She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition' at the Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre. Disney's 101 Dalmatians KIDS was set to load in the the same space (will young performers ages 6-10 having been in rehearsal since September 2019) and High School Musical JR. was in rehearsal along with our collective creation based on the theme of 'Empathy' known as "The Empathy Project"

As with most of theatre around the world we shut down.

We resurrected our theatre company with a pivot in the fall of 202 to continue our 25th season. High School Musical became a Zoom production, The Empathy Project became BOX: The Empathy Project a production created and performed in Zoom. Other virtual productions including an 'Advanced Actors' (older members of the company) production of an hour long radio play: Sherlock Holmes.

Special impacts:

Pivoting younger performers to the online world presents its own unique challenges. Consider the difficulties of actors becoming their own grips, gaffers, and cinematographers and then consider the age of the performer as pre-teen.

Source: Survey

Link to website

Vancouver Cantata Singers

Vancouver, British ColumbiaVancouver (British Columbia) Project: Moving Stories Project
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Vancouver Cantata Singers created the moving stories project to gather covid stories and pair them with performances of choral music.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Nanaimo Sings

Nanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo (British Columbia) Project: Keep Calm and Signing On: Annual Virtual Festival
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The umbrella organization moved their annual festival online, including a virtual red carpet gala. Fourteen choirs were represented in this project called “Keep Calm and Singing On”.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Mike Cope

Ancaster, OntarioAncaster (Ontario) Project: Drawn to Life: Animation in Nature
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Cartoonist Mike Cope created a special online instructional video series called "Drawn to Life: Animation in Nature.”

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Lynette Sawatsky

Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskatoon (Saskatchewan) Project: Hope Springs: A Collaborative Piano Project
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Teacher and composer Lynette Sawatsky put together a virtual project of 27 students and teachers performing her composition “Hope Springs”.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Aviddiva

Calgary, AlbertaCalgary (Alberta) Project: Broad-MAY: Aviddiva Music
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Every day, the studio features a new video of a student performing a song online.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Remai Modern

Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskatoon (Saskatchewan) Project: Virtual Tours & Art-making Videos
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The gallery led live virtual school art projects, made artmaking videos for families and created 360-degree virtual tours.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Yellowhouse Art Centre

Galiano Island, British ColumbiaGaliano Island (British Columbia) Project: Virtual Pottery & Photography Workshops
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Yellowhouse Art Center facilitated a Pottery workshop via Zoom, with one on one glazing appointments, and more.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Artists Rendering Tales Collective Inc.

Richmond, British ColumbiaRichmond (British Columbia) Project: Spring Into Reading Month
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

The collective pivoted to provide enriching visiting artist experiences to classrooms using digital platforms.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Queer Songbook Orchestra

Toronto, OntarioToronto (Ontario) Project: The Queer Songbook Orchestra�s QSO Kids project: A renewed focus in an uncertain landscape
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Livestreamed concerts for kids, emphasis on a topic (queerness) enhanced by art

Equity seeking: 2SLGBTQIA+
Source: Research

YouthLEADarts

Richmond, British ColumbiaRichmond (British Columbia) Project: Online Program to Address Racism
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

YouthLEADarts created a two week on-line program on racism that took place for 1.5 hours a day.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Diance Moran

Sooke, British ColumbiaSooke (British Columbia) Project: MINDFULNESS in MAY 2021: The Art of Kindness Exhibition
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

B.C. Artist Diane Moran led workshops on mindfulness and presented a student exhibit at a local gallery.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Oakville Symphony

Oakville, OntarioOakville (Ontario) Project: The Elements of Music: Video Series for Schools
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Symphony created a series of videos for region schools highlighting the basic elements of music.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Calgary Philharmonic

Calgary, AlbertaCalgary (Alberta) Project: An Orchestra Adventure (with Maestro Karl and friends)
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Calgary Philharmonic created an online series taking kids through the four sections that make up a symphony orchestra: woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Seven Oaks School Division

Winnipeg, ManitobaWinnipeg (Manitoba) Project: Virtual Support
Discipline(s): dance, arts education

The Seven Oaks School Division community has provided support in dance, music and visual art throughout the pandemic.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Intruments of Change

Vancouver, British ColumbiaVancouver (British Columbia) Project: Virtual Programming
Discipline(s): music, arts education

Instruments of Change shifted to online for community and school programming, including a collaboration with Carnegie Hall.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

The Arts Council

Markham, OntarioMarkham (Ontario) Project: Art Therapy Sessions for Seniors
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The Arts Council is offering Art Therapy sessions for Seniors as a great way to deal with the stresses and challenges of the pandemic.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

New Brunswick Drama Festival

Fredericton, New BrunswickFredericton (New Brunswick) Project: Online pivot
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education

Online pivot; created virtual resources; guiding teachers and students through the process of creating their own plays

Source: Research

Link to website

Sandwich Secondary School

Windsor, OntarioWindsor (Ontario) Project: Mentoring
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Visual arts and photography teacher at Sandwich Secondary led her students to win many local competitions.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Graffiti Art Programming Inc.

Winnipeg, ManitobaWinnipeg (Manitoba) Project: Art Kits for Youth
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

The group assembled and distributed thousands of art kits to youth and community members through schools, community organizations, and door-to-door delivery.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Barbara Maye

Revelstoke, British ColumbiaRevelstoke (British Columbia) Project: Pivot to Online Teaching
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Barbara shifted her weekly classes to Zoom and developed online learning modules resulting in new learners from across the country.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Shauna Carpinelli

Courtice, OntarioCourtice (Ontario) Project: Created to Create – Virtual show
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Art Teacher Shauna Carpinelli led the department to create a series of virtual shows including four promotional trailers.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic Elementary

Courtice, OntarioCourtice (Ontario) Project: Virtual Gallery: #myessential
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Teacher Sarah Almeida at Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic Elementary led an arts project with grade 5 & 6 classes on Google Slide, resulting in a virtual art gallery.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Orpheus Choir

Toronto, OntarioToronto (Ontario) Project: Lost in Translation
Discipline(s): music, arts education

The Orpheus Choir produced several virtual performances including the new commission “Lost in Translation” about digital connections.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Heather Martens-Rempel

Brandon, ManitobaBrandon (Manitoba) Project: Monsters a la Miro
Discipline(s): visual arts, arts education

Heather Martens Rempel led socially-distanced painting classes for grade 3 & 4 students to make mono-print monsters.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website

Sparkin' Art

Gray-Bruce Region, OntarioGray-Bruce Region (Ontario) Project: Release the Fire Within
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education

Created a digital choose-your-own-adventure with non-urban youth.

Source: Canadian Network for Arts and Learning

Link to website