Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International

Where

Canada

When

2016

Who

The Canada Council for the Arts

Key objectives of the measure:

The Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International program from the Canada Council for the Arts encourages social and community environments that support the development of Aboriginal arts and artistic practices. It aims to foster unique artistic relationships and networks through inter-nation collaborative exchanges among Aboriginal artists, across all disciplines.

The objectives of this program are to:

ensure the transmission of artistic knowledge and expertise to cultivate the vitality of Aboriginal arts;
foster the development and ongoing skills enrichment of Aboriginal arts professionals;
encourage interaction and expertise-sharing between Canadian Aboriginal artists of various communities and also with international Indigenous communities; and
support the inter-nation and intergenerational transmission of Aboriginal artistic knowledge and expertise.

Scope of the measure:

International

Nature of the measure:

financial

Main feature of the measure:

The Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International program provides support for Aboriginal artists to travel to other Aboriginal communities to collaborate in a traditional or contemporary artistic practice. This is a multidisciplinary program that is open to individual Aboriginal artists, arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations.

In general terms, the program supports collaborations that are:

- Creative: Two artists or groups of artists creating a work together.

- Developmental: The development of artistic skills and techniques among participants, the advancement of traditional or contemporary artistic knowledge, and the formalized exploration of artistic themes.

- Exploratory and Research: Artistic research with Aboriginal communities to recover, examine, and authenticate traditional histories and artistic practices (while respecting each Aboriginal nation’s affirmed protocol).

One example of this program’s reach took place in 2011, when Iroquois Arts received a grant through the program to create new music in a workshop format with the Akamba Women Singers from Kyanzasu, Kenya.

For more information, please see: http://canadacouncil.ca/council/grants/find-a-grant/grants/aboriginal-peoples-collaborative-exchange-national-and-international-project-grants

Results expected through the implementation of the measure:

The Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International program is expected to help create unique artistic relationships and networks through inter-nation collaborative exchanges among Aboriginal artists, across all artistic disciplines. Other expected results include:

The efficient transmission of artistic knowledge and expertise to cultivate the vitality of Aboriginal arts
The development and ongoing skills enrichment of Aboriginal arts professionals
Greater interaction and expertise-sharing between Canadian Aboriginal artists of various communities and also with international Indigenous communities
Better inter-nation and intergenerational transmission of Aboriginal artistic knowledge and expertise

Financial resources allocated to implement the measure:

The total grant amount for the Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International program in the 2013-14 fiscal year was $235 400 CAD.

Main conclusions of the evaluation of the measure:

The Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: International program was evaluated within a broader program evaluation of the Council’s suite of 15 Aboriginal Arts programs. This specific program was not evaluated individually. The conclusions were not specific to this program, but addressed questions about the entire suite of Aboriginal Arts programs.

Indicators used to determine impact:

Generally, for the evaluation of all Aboriginal Arts programs, the following relevant indicators were used:Artists can better express their artistic and cultural identities.Opportunities for artists to engage with communities are supported.Communities hold events to showcase Aboriginal art.Artists collaborate with other artists.Artists participate in gatherings, festivals, and exchanges.Artists have access to knowledge to support their practice.Artists access skill development opportunities.Works of art support cultural identity.Career opportunities for Aboriginal artists are enhanced.Artists collaborate with artists in other communities.Aboriginal art in all forms is present in the public environment.Arts organizations of all kinds engage with Aboriginal artists.

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