INNOVATION & RESILIENCE
IN CANADA’S CULTURAL SECTOR
IN CANADA’S CULTURAL SECTOR




CAMMAC
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 LearningLink to website
VIBE Arts for Children and Youth
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 LearningLink to website
Classic Studios
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 LearningLink to website
Tom Thomson Gallery
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 LearningLink to website
Echo Women's Choir
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 LearningLink to website
Suzuki Music
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 LearningLink to website
Les mots s'animent
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 LearningLink to website
COSIMU
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 LearningLink to website
Elektra Women's 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 LearningLink to website
Arts Council Wood Buffalo
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 groupsSource: Survey
Link to website
On Stage Dance Studio
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 LearningLink to website
Vancouver Visual Art Foundation
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 LearningLink to website
A Cappella Plus Choir
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 LearningLink to website
Kathryn Patricia Cobbler
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 LearningLink to website
AVIVA Young Arts Program
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 LearningLink to website
Patricia Coulter
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 LearningLink to website
Hands on Media Education
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 LearningLink to website
Michelle Massaro/St. Joseph Catholic High School
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 LearningLink to website
Place des Arts
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: ResearchLink to website
Jeunesses Musicales
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
Link to website
Caitlyn Belanger
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 LearningLink to website
Oliver Hockenhull
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 LearningLink to website
The Academy
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 LearningLink to website
OrKidstra
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 LearningLink to website
Ottawa Art 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 LearningLink to website
Prince Edward Island Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
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: SurveyLink to website
Arts Council Wood Buffalo
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 LearningLink to website
Zuppa Theatre Co.
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 LearningLink to website
Visual Arts Mississauga
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 LearningLink to website
Okanagan Children's Choir
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: SurveyLink to website
Music & Beyond
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 LearningLink to website
Maggie Music
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 LearningLink to website
Brockton School World Music
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 LearningLink to website
Art Gallery of Hamilton
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 LearningLink to website
École Alternative de la tortue-des-bois
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education
Created podcasts with students from kindergarten through to grade 6.
Source: Canadian Network for Arts and LearningLink to website
Queer Songbook Orchestra
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
Discipline(s): multidisciplinary, arts education
New building. Some in-person arts education classes.
Source: ResearchLink to website
actOUT! Kitchener Waterloo Children's Drama Workshop
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: SurveyLink to website
Vancouver Cantata Singers
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 LearningLink to website
Nanaimo Sings
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 LearningLink to website
Mike Cope
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 LearningLink to website
Lynette Sawatsky
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 LearningLink to website
Aviddiva
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 LearningLink to website
Remai Modern
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 LearningLink to website
Yellowhouse Art Centre
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 LearningLink to website
Artists Rendering Tales Collective Inc.
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 LearningLink to website
Queer Songbook Orchestra
Discipline(s): music, arts education
Livestreamed concerts for kids, emphasis on a topic (queerness) enhanced by art
Equity seeking: 2SLGBTQIA+Source: Research
YouthLEADarts
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 LearningLink to website
Diance Moran
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 LearningLink to website
Oakville Symphony
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 LearningLink to website
Calgary Philharmonic
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 LearningLink to website
Seven Oaks School Division
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 LearningLink to website
Intruments of Change
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 LearningLink to website
The Arts Council
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 LearningLink to website
New Brunswick Drama Festival
Discipline(s): theatre, arts education
Online pivot; created virtual resources; guiding teachers and students through the process of creating their own plays
Source: ResearchLink to website
Sandwich Secondary School
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 LearningLink to website
Graffiti Art Programming Inc.
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 LearningLink to website
Barbara Maye
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 LearningLink to website
Shauna Carpinelli
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 LearningLink to website
Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic Elementary
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 LearningLink to website
Orpheus Choir
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 LearningLink to website
Heather Martens-Rempel
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 LearningLink to website
Sparkin' Art
Discipline(s): media arts, arts education
Created a digital choose-your-own-adventure with non-urban youth.
Source: Canadian Network for Arts and LearningLink to website
FAQs about new subscription service
Arts Research Monitor, BlogBelow are answers to some key questions about our new subscription service (via Substack). Statistical insights on the arts will now be distributed as a “newsletter” at statsinsights.hillstrategies.com. Through a subscription model, I will continue t… View this resource
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BlogAt the outset of the pilot year of Arts Insights Canada, our national Advisory Panel identified key themes where research could be particularly useful for Canada’s arts sector: Reconciliation Precarity Benefits, impacts, and outcomes of the arts Equi… View this resource
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Art and the World After This
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BC Everyday Creativity & COVID-19
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