Ontario will soon have a new tool to assess the health of its arts and learning sector. Thanks to a three-year, $541,000 Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Canadian Network for Arts & Learning will conduct a three-year research project, resulting in a comprehensive online map and database of arts education programming happening across the province. Along with listing detailed information about programming in schools, community centres and professional arts organizations, there will also be data on attendance, demographics and other vital information.
“One of the main goals for this project is to create an up-to-date central database showing not only community arts and learning programming, but also the arts-based education happening in schools and professional arts organizations,” said Lawrence O’Farrell, Board Chair for the Canadian Network for Arts and Learning. “The data will reveal the excellent work being done, and also guide decision-makers in addressing inequalities in access to arts education across the province. We are grateful for the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation for this project.”
With a focus on programming for children and youth of all ages as well as life long learning, data will be collected on hours of instruction, art forms taught, number of arts consultants or teachers in each program and issues affecting the delivery of arts and learning in each sector.
Schools will have access to a searchable database showing educational programming available from arts organizations and artist-educators who are qualified to work in schools. The public will be able to use the map to discover local events and community and professional arts education programs and private instructors available to them. The map and database will also be a valuable resource for arts education organizations and artist-educators who are looking to connect with peers across the province for partnership and mentorship opportunities.
Research will be conducted electronically, over the phone and at in-person events, including a series of 15 community-based networking events and an October 2017 conference in Ottawa. The Canadian Network for Arts and Learning is also working towards expanding the research nationally.
The Canadian Network for Arts & Learning/Le Réseau canadien des arts et de l’apprentissage (CNAL/RCAA) was formally established in 2009 to address the need for a broader national voice for arts and learning in Canada. CNAL/RCAA is a dynamic non-profit organization that strongly believes that the arts are the gateway to creativity and are fundamental to the education of the fully realized individual. We are dedicated to building a world where the arts are integral to the learning process, both in school and throughout life. Please visit www.eduarts.ca.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation: A leading grantmaking foundation in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investment in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. Please visit: www.otf.ca