ARCA

Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference
Conférence des collectifs et des centres d’artistes autogérés

Bulletin 14-04-2010

Survey on Employment Standards

We are currently processing the data on employment standards collected in the fall of 2009 with our colleagues of the Independent Media Arts Alliance. It is a significant mass of information, and the study will first assist us in better understanding our network. It will also obviously allow us to identify major problems in employment standards, so as to raise our funders’ awareness to this situation, and to subsequently attempt to correct it. The study will also facilitate comparisons with other sectors of artistic and cultural activities, and with the general workplace.

In order to rigourously process and interpret the collected data, and to make maximum use of it, we are presently arranging to work with a statistician. We are hoping to publish the results of this study in early June. Once again, we wish to thank everyone who took the time to answer the survey, and we assure you that the data will be processed with the utmost confidentiality.

Launch of the Handbook of Management Skills for Artist-Run Centres

With joint support from arca and the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC), the Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec (RCAAQ) recently published an English adaptation of its Dictionnaire de compétences des travailleurs culturels des centres d’artistes autogérés. Originally published with the support of Emploi-Québec and of the Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en culture (CQRHC), this Handbook of Management Skills for Artist-Run Centres is now available to our peers in English Canada.

The Handbook is a guide intended for the Boards and the staff of artist-run centres, and it describes the specificities of artist-run centres as well as their modes of operation and governance. It elaborates on a number of issues, including job descriptions and sharing of responsibilities, evaluation tools, descriptions of specialized skills, drafting job postings, etc. It takes into consideration the values of our network: participatory management, an openness to new ideas, long term engagement, collective interest, trust, freedom and conviviality.

The hard-copy Handbook, accompanied by a CD, is available in RCAAQ’s online bookstore for $60, but we are happy to offer it for free, in PDF format, to any artist-run centre belonging to an association member of arca. To get your copy of the password protected PDF, simply send a quick email to info@arccc-cccaa.org, identifying your organization.

Assistance to Artist-Run Centres at the Canada Council for the Arts

We are hoping to soon hear the results of the consultation on the Assistance to Artist-Run Centres’ program at the Canada Council. This consultation, undertaken last fall with an advisory committee formed of a dozen people from our network, should be reflected in the application form for the next competition, due on October 15, 2010. We will provide you with details as soon as possible.

Visual Arts Alliance

Formed in December 2007 following the Visual Arts Summit, this Alliance is starting to bear fruit. The first part of the Research Agenda, devised by its members, is presently being developed. It consists of a critical analysis of the existing literature on visual arts in Canada (including media arts and crafts), as well as major comparative documents from abroad. Realized by Guy Bellavance, sociologist and researcher at INRS, this analysis will allow us to identify and eventually fill in gaps in existing research on visual arts.

Other topics are also under discussion, including an advisory committee on visual arts in Canada; an event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 1941 Kingston Conference; a revision of definitions used by Statistics Canada for our sector; a “Day on the Hill” this coming fall; as well as the necessary preparations for a possible Canadian election.

Many members of the Visual Arts Alliance have important meetings coming up before the summer:

RCAAQ’s Res Artis Conference

You have until June 30th to take advantage of the early bird registration fee for the Res Artis Conference in Montreal, October 6-10. Organized by RCAAQ, this conference will gather the members of the international network Res Artis and those of the Canadian network of artist-run centres under the theme The Americas: Independent Artistic Practices in the Era of Globalization. This will be an exceptional opportunity to network with organizations from all over the world.

In order to make the most out of this occasion, we suggest you visit the Res Artis website, identify members who have interests similar to yours, get in touch with them and plan a meeting in Montreal in October.

We will also take advantage of this event to hold a meeting more specifically dedicated to the representatives of Canadian artist-run centres, as we did in Ottawa after Hot Buttons / Points chauds in November 2008. We will provide you with details shortly.

Organizations and individuals operating in the field of residencies that have a special interest in local initiatives, self-management, artist-run culture and the development of art networks in the Americas are welcome to register. The Conference is limited to 250 participants. It is therefore suggested that you register as soon as possible. For more information on the conference and to register, please visit http://resartis2010.rcaaq.org/index.php.

Governor General’s Awards

We offer our congratulations to all the winners of the Governor General Awards in Visual and Media Arts, with special gratitude to Tom Sherman, who, in his acceptance speeches during the press conference and at the official ceremony at Rideau Hall, underlined the importance of the Canadian network of artist-run centres. Thank you, Mr. Sherman!

On behalf of the Board of arca, the Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference, I wish you a joyous spring!

Daniel Roy
Director

On behalf of the members of the Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference:

Association of Artist-Run Centres from the Atlantic (AARCA)
Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec (RCAAQ)
Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario (ARCCO)
VERRUE (Manitoba)
Plains Association of Artist-Run Centres (PARCA)
Alberta Association of Artist-Run Centres (AAARC)
Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres (PAARC)
The Aboriginal Region / La Région autochtone
Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones (AGAVF)


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