by / par Inga Petri
Special Report: Presenting and Aboriginal Communities
2012/06/06 11:40:30 AM in Updates/Mises à jour by Inga Petri
This Supplementary Report on Presenting and Aboriginal Communities presents information we have gleaned during the first year of this project.
Special Report on Aboriginal Presenting (PDF) – Amended on Aug. 22, 2012
This information is based on our Overview of the History of Presenting in Canada, Dialogue sessions at Breakout West 2011 (Whitehorse, YK) and the Impact 11 Conference (Kitchener, ON) as well as data from the national Survey of Performing Arts Presenters that allows us to better see how presenters serving Aboriginal communities differ from other presenters.
I am thankful to the artists and presenters who generously have shared their experiences.
Now, over to you:
- In what ways do these findings mirror your own experiences?
- What are your stories of bringing Aboriginal performing arts to audiences in your community; and of bringing Aboriginal audiences into your venues?
- What is next for you – as an artist, a producer, a presenter, an audience member, a donor – in contributing to the rich, diverse cultural fabric of Canada?
I look forward to your stories, comments and observations.
We are grateful for the comments shared on this supplement by the Canada Council for the Arts’ Aboriginal Arts Office. In keeping with the project’s iterative design, we are sharing the amended report with you – I updated the linked document above.
I look forward to your comments and further inputs as we head toward publishing a final report of findings in March 2013. I expect those working within the multitudes of Aboriginal communities will point us to other important activities and events worth reflecting in this work.
The data points presented are unaffected, but we more clearly articulate some points and we were encouraged to expand on the historic context. We also received reference to a number of contemporary Aboriginal artists which gives greater depth to this report; and we corrected an arguably significant oversight by referencing the partnership between the Four Host First Nations and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Also, it is worth noting an important limitation: we did not collect any data or conduct any research that allows us to reference First Nations, Metis and Inuit arts practices separately within this supplement.
Canada Council for the Arts has recently published two important reports exploring various facets of Aboriginal arts. Here are links to these new resources:
Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada Today: A Knowledge and Literature Review – http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/art_abo/hb129665365781446818.htm
We Have to Hear Their Voices: A Research Project on Aboriginal Languages and Art Practice – http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e/research/art_abo/rt129794248372046175.htm
Happy perusing!