In late 2020, Atlantis secured funding from Canada Council’s Sector Innovation and Development Fund for the project East of Where. East of Where aims to conduct sector-wide research, and facilitate resource sharing on equity policies between Atlantic ARC’s.
East of Where references East of There, a symposium Atlantis co-hosted in 2013 on ARC’s independent publishing practices. This project took a regional scope, examining the shared experiences of Atlantic provinces which are always referenced in relation to neighbouring provinces to the west. East of Where also references Mary MacDonald’s 2012 W(here) Festival, which examined regional art practices and asked “Where is here exactly?” In an effort to find our footing in the region, we investigate how local arts communities in the Atlantic provinces interact and inform the Atlantic artist-run sector.
East of Where is a project comprised of three phases:
An Atlantis-led conversation at the 2019 Atlantis/APAGA conference on equity practices in the arts
Sponsorship of HR/equity/anti-racism/anti-oppression workshops for our membership (more details below on how members can access funds)
Facilitated policy development and sharing for our membership
Phase 2: Workshops for Our Membership, Round 2
Having the Round 1 of HR/equity/anti-racism/anti-oppression workshops for our membership happen early 2021, we are now offering Round 2 for Atlantis members to access funds.
How to Access Funds
Ensure that your membership to Atlantis is in good standing, send in a membership form and outstanding payments to aarcatlantic@gmail.com. *note: 2020-2021 membership fees are being waived on request for members who have lost revenue from COVID-19. Please email aarcatlantic@gmail.com to request a fee waiver.
Write up a brief description of what you will use the funds for
Who will you hire to teach the workshop?
Who will the workshop be offered to?
What will funds be spent on?
Facilitator fees (all facilitators must be paid CARFAC fees at minimum)
other expenses such as space rental, supplies, meals, transportation, ASL interpretation, etc.
Email your request to: aarcatlantic@gmail.com
Atlantis’ Board will notify you of the approval of your funding request, then you can hold your workshop
After your workshop is finished, send Atlantis an invoice for your actual costs, and a brief (1-2 paragraph) description of how it went, and we will send you an e-transfer or Paypal to reimburse for those expenses.
Contact aarcaatlantic@gmail.com or your Atlantis regional board rep if you have any questions. All funds must be used by March 2022.
Workshop Request FAQ:
Q: How much funding can I request?
A: Most funding requests are approximately $1,000 and awarded on a first come first served basis. Requests above $1,000 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Q: What were the funds in Round 1 used for?
A: Organizations who accessed funds in Round 1 conducted anti-oppression, anti-racism, de-escalation, harm reduction, and Indigenous cultural diversity training.
Q: Can I access funds in Round 2 if my organization accessed funds during Round 1?
A: Yes, if your Atlantis membership is in good standing, you may also access the Round 2 funds.
Suggested Workshop Leaders and Facilitators
These suggestions are put forward by Atlantis’ Board of Directors as 2SLGBTQIA+, QTIPOC and IBPOC educators and consultants who have experience and expertise working with artist-run organizations and co-ops, and have worked with some of Atlantis’ members before
Nova Scotia:
Carmel Farahbakhsh carmel.facilitation@gmail.com - offering QTBIPOC-led anti-oppression and anti-racism training specifically geared towards artist-run centres. Support with policy development and trauma-informed approaches to event and program planning. (offers online training)
Kate McDonald (The Magic Project) magicproject91@gmail.com - offering Queer, African-Nova Scotian-led anti-racism workshops and facilitated conversations, anti-racism and safer/brave space policy advisory and development.
The Youth Project https://youthproject.ns.ca/education/ - offering professional development education and policy development services for individual cultural workers and educators on youth-centred approaches to safer spaces and inclusivity (specifically for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth)
Ashanti Leadership http://www.ashantileadership.com/ - offering Black-led education and consultation on human rights, policy development and BIPOC-centred board development (online work/training confirmed available)
Digital/Canada-Wide:
Future Ancestors Services https://www.futureancestors.ca/ - offering Black and Indigenous-led consultation, research board development and policy development, anti-oppression and anti-racism training. Specializes in online training, bilingual.