INNOVATION & RESILIENCE
IN CANADA’S CULTURAL SECTOR
IN CANADA’S CULTURAL SECTOR
Alianait Festival
Alianait Arts Festival: Sounds of a virtual North
Adapting through pandemic restrictions, Alianait decided to take the festival fully online for th…
re:Naissance Opera
Orpheus VR project: Pushing the limits of opera
Orpheus VR “stemmed out of my own love for video games,” said Debi Wong. As a more traditiona…
Strata Festival of New Music
The Strata Festival’s Student Composer Symposium: Training young artists during a challenging time
Artistic Director Paul Suchan noted that the inaugural Student Composer Symposium was delivered …
Festival of Literary Diversity
The Festival of Literary Diversity: Nimble and expansive thinking
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the FOLD quickly transitioned to a virtual festival in May. …
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra: Pay-It-Forward Subscriptions and Seniors Outreach Program
Through its Pay-It-Forward Subscriptions and Seniors Outreach programs, the Newfoundland Symphony…
artsPlace and Enza Apa
Curbside Museum: A simple idea that grew thanks to an effective collaboration
artsPlace hosted artist Enza Apa’s travelling exhibition “Good Luck/Bad Luck/Who Knows?”, w…
Woodland Cultural Centre
Preserving and promoting Indigenous history, art, language, and culture through popular virtual tours
The Woodland Cultural Centre innovation is timely as a result of the high profile of issues relat…
Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance
IPAA Tech Bundles: Enhancing cultural sovereignty through technical infrastructure
IPAA’s Tech Bundle project was initiated in January 2021 to provide a kit designed for online s…
Musée d'art de Rouyn-Noranda
Musée d’art de Rouyn-Noranda: Virtual museum
The Virtual MA project consists of a gallery of virtual exhibitions whose objective is to make th…
Kiran Ambwani
Kiran Ambwani’s Can-Asian Artistic Resilience project: Photography in solidarity with the Asian community
From the beginning of the lockdown, Kiran Ambwani wanted to use her Can-Asian Artistic Resilience…
BEING Studio
Artist Connect from BEING Studio: The valuable presence of disabled artists
Between January and March 2021, BEING Studio held an online symposium entitled “Artist Connect…
Théâtre Cercle Molière
Théâtre Cercle Molière’s Festival théâtre jeunesse: Making theatre and connecting youth virtually
In 2021, TCM was determined to offer at least one version of the Festival théâtre jeunesse, des…
Hill Strategies Research
Summary of 12 key themes
The artists and organizations profiled in this project actively sought out changes and innovation…
Eastern Front Theatre
Eastern Front Theatre: Micro digitals, macro impact
At the height of the pandemic, EFT developed three short-term goals: to help theatre artists get …
Prince Edward Island Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
Prince Edward Island’s Department of Education and Lifelong Learning: Teaching and modelling resilience through the arts
This is a story about two champions in arts education, their journey during the first 18-months o…
Okanagan Children's Choir
Okanagan Children’s Choir: Digital composition project
Okanagan Children’s Choir Artistic Director Frances Chiasson continued with her organization’…
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal: It takes a village… to be resilient
The OSM team set up continuous programming, which was primarily online, knowing that the concerts…
STEPS Public Art
STEPS Public Art: Social innovation for neighbourhood support and engagement
STEPS conceptualized the pilot 2020 Main Street Challenge and subsequent I HeART Main Street 2021…
Queer Songbook Orchestra
The Queer Songbook Orchestra’s QSO Kids project: A renewed focus in an uncertain landscape
In 2020, QSO Artistic Director Shaun Brodie had to grapple with the new landscape of touring, and…
Yukon Transportation Museum
Yukon Transportation Museum: A new spin
During the pandemic, when no one could pay those artifacts a visit in person, the board and staff…
Fredericton Playhouse
InterMISSION Residency Program: Respond first, finetune later
In June 2020, with touring at a standstill and the venue sitting dark, the organization had an op…
Laïla Mestari
Fille de foin/Hay Girl, a bold partnership between Laïla Mestari and the LOBE artist centre
The partnership between Laïla Mestari and the LOBE artist centre is an example of audacity, resi…
Carving On The Edge Festival
Carving on the Edge Festival: Community-centred digital practices in a remote and Indigenous context
The Carving on the Edge Festival transitioned the in-person Festival experience to an online form…
Tangled Art + Disability
Tangled Art + Disability’s Crip Times: A podcast series that enhances awareness and engagement
Reflecting on having to close its space and halt its programming as a result of COVID-19, Tangled…
ALAVIVA
ALAVIVA and Maelström créatif: Mixing business with pleasure
Maelström créatif, an initiative of ALAVIVA, connects artists and cultural organizations with p…
Afros In Tha City
Afros In Tha City Media Collective: Centering Black voices and experiences in Calgary and beyond
In the context of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, the writing collective signif…
Dancemakers and Luke Garwood
Liveness Residency: Pushing the medium of livestream
In March 2021, with the organization in the midst of a major transition, Dancemakers invited danc…
rice & beans theatre
rice & beans theatre: Yellow Objects
Originally a stage play, the text of Yellow Objects was transposed into a digital installation to…
Video Pool Media Arts Centre
Video Pool Media Arts Centre: Nurturing community of care to impact change in the artist-run centre model
Like many artist-serving organizations, Video Pool Media Arts Centre (VP) faced challenges to con…
Tupiq A.C.T. (Arctic Circus Troupe)
Tupiq Arctic Circus Troupe: Circus for social change
When the troupe could not tour its circus production to Nunavik as planned, it decided to convert…
