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ABOUT WORKING IN THE ARTS (2022–2023)
Working in the Arts: Resources and Pathways for Newcomers is a series of training sessions, and access to information and resources, to help support newcomer and immigrant artists and arts professionals achieve career success in Toronto/GTA and beyond.
This program aims to streamline the pathway to careers in the arts and culture sector by providing relevant information for:
- settlement and employment service providers looking to better equip their clients.
- arts organizations seeking to engage newcomer and immigrant artists and arts professionals.
- newcomer and immigrant artists and arts professionals looking to build awareness and knowledge about careers and career resources in the arts and culture sector.
This pilot initiative will focus on settlement organizations, arts organizations, and newcomer artists and arts professionals in Toronto/GTA, with relevance for communities and organizations across Canada.
WorkInCulture is pleased to be working in partnership with Airsa, the Immigrant Writers Association, the Institute for Creative Exchange, Paralia Newcomer Arts Network and the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council to develop and deliver Working in the Arts.
Interested in receiving updates on upcoming Working in the Arts training sessions and resources?
Please sign up here to be added to the Working in the Arts mailing list.
TRAINING SESSIONS
Working in the Arts' free series of informational webinars took place on the first Thursday of the month from February to May 2023.
Watch the session recordings below in the Resources section!
Session 1: Overview of the Arts & Culture Sector and Career Opportunities for Newcomers
Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023
Session 2: Grants & Funding Opportunities for Newcomers
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2023
Session 3: A Panel Discussion with Newcomer & Immigrant Artists
Date: Thursday, April 6, 2023
Session 4: A Panel Discussion with Newcomer & Immigrant Arts Administrators
Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Session 5: Ditch the Elevator Pitch: Hone Your Authentic Story & Creative Career Path
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2023
RESOURCES
Resources and information on careers in the arts will be shared here throughout the program. Stay tuned for video interviews with Local Art Serving Organizations (LASOs) and newcomer-focused and/or serving arts organizations, recordings of the webinar sessions, and more.
Interviews
Newcomer Resources & Reflection with Neighbourhood Arts Network and WorkInCulture
On Toronto Newcomer Day, the Toronto Arts Foundation's Neighbourhood Arts Network and WorkInCulture collaborated to provide newcomers with information about each organization's programs and offerings for artists and arts workers.
In this video conversation, Zyrelle Endozo, Mentorship & Programming Coordinator, Neighbourhood Arts Network; Stephanie Draker, Program Manager, WorkInCulture; and Naomi Stokes, Project Support Assistant, WorkInCulture, review these programs, discuss ways to support newcomer artists, and reflect on their own experiences as arts workers in the GTA.
Blog Posts
Resilience, Determination, and Passion – Journey of Immigrant Women Artists in Canada
What is it like to be an immigrant woman artist or arts administrator in Canada? In this blog post, produced by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council in collaboration with WorkInCulture, artists Jieun Kim and Lulu Ladrón de Guevara and arts administrator Sair Raut share their journey and perspectives on working in the arts sector in Canada. Read more.
Having lived in various parts of the world from Bahrain to Oman to the UK, Sally Sampson's multicultural experiences have deeply influenced her perspectives. Her diverse background not only enriches her work as an artist, but also drives her vision for Re-Present Studios. Determined to be a catalyst for change, Sally is committed to ensuring every artist has a platform to share their authentic voice and she's eager to foster collaboration and bridge cultural gaps in the Canadian arts scene and beyond. This 3 part blog series narrates Sally's journey navigating the arts and culture sector in Canada, as an immigrant, an artist and an entrepreneur.
Blog no. 1 : The Long Road to Re-Presentation
Stay tuned as we release the next two blogs in the upcoming months.
Webinar Recordings
Overview of the Arts & Culture Sector and Career Opportunities for Newcomers
This webinar provides an overview of career pathways in the arts and culture sector in Toronto/GTA for newcomers and immigrants looking to start or build a creative practice, provide arts management/administrative/office support for arts organizations, or explore entrepreneurship or social enterprise.
Panelists: Yazmeen Kanji, Advocacy & Outreach Lead, BIPOC TV and Film; Jacoba Knaapen, Executive Director, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA); Flora Shum, Outreach Co-ordinator, CARFAC Ontario
Moderator: Diane Davy, Executive Director, WorkInCulture
Download a compilation of resources shared during this session.
Grants & Funding Opportunities for Newcomers
This webinar provides an overview of the grant and funding landscape for the arts and culture sector, highlighting the major granting and funding bodies as well as opportunities available to newcomer and immigrant artists and arts professionals specifically.
Panelists: Kadija de Paula, Interim Strategic Programs Manager, Toronto Arts Council; Inés Aguileta, Programs Manager, Neighbourhood Arts Network
Moderator: Fanny Martin, Creative Director, Art of Festivals
Download a compilation of resources shared during this session.
A Panel Discussion with Newcomer and Immigrant Artists
This webinar features a panel of newcomer and immigrant artists speaking about their experience pursuing a career and supporting their artistic practice in Toronto/GTA. The panel will discuss artistic communities and networks, types of training and education available, resources for those building or supporting an artistic practice, and more.
Panelists: Sebastián Oreamuno, Artist and Academic; Kareen Weir, Artist and Writer; Betty Xie, Filmmaker, Fundraising Consultant and Coach for Creatives
Moderator: Stephan Dyer, Comedian, Keynote Speaker and Corporate Leadership and Communication Trainer
Download a compilation of resources shared during this session.
A Panel Discussion with Newcomer & Immigrant Arts Administrators
This webinar features a panel of newcomer and immigrant arts managers/administrators speaking about their experience pursuing a career in Toronto/GTA. The panel will discuss the range of roles that exist across different arts organizations and companies, skills-building considerations, resources to sustain and grow an arts administration career, and more.
Panelists: Yash Chhabria, Digital Asset Coordinator, Stratford Festival; Andreja Kovač, Artistic and Managing Director, Crane Creations Theatre Company; Cecília Garcia, Senior Program Manager, North York Arts
Moderator: Parul Pandya, Founder and Community Consultant, Community Impact Consulting
Download a compilation of resources shared during this session.
Ditch the Elevator Pitch: Hone Your Authentic Story & Creative Career Path
In this webinar for newcomer, immigrant and refugee creatives, career coach Betty Xie discusses how to hone your story and creative career path. Honing in on your authentic story has a ripple effect in gaining internal clarity for your career move and positioning yourself externally to potential employers and projects.
Presenter: Betty Xie, Filmmaker, Fundraising Consultant, and Coach for Creatives
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
Working in the Arts is based on recommendations from a 2021 WorkInCulture needs assessment that explored the challenges, barriers and opportunities of Navigating a Career in the Arts for Newcomers.
The needs assessment found that while settlement organizations (70+ in the GTA) are generally the first point of contact for immigrants and provide a wide range of helpful resources and support, they often lack insight into the arts and culture sector and opportunities for careers in the arts. At the same time, the arts community has a range of services and programs that can help immigrant artists and arts professionals navigate the Canadian arts and culture ecosystem and provide career support, but they often lack contact with newcomers.
In response, Working in the Arts brings together both settlement and arts sector organizations to create more efficient wayfinding and to enhance the resources each offer to support newcomers and immigrants who seek to pursue a career in the arts.
HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM DEFINE "NEWCOMERS"?
WorkInCulture appreciates that newcomer or new Canadian status and definitions may differ depending on a number of factors, including age, time in Canada, immigration/permanent resident status, reasons for migration, and other personal experience.
WorkInCulture embraces a broad definition for newcomers or new Canadians as immigrants or refugees who are still adapting to life in Canada. To access and benefit from WorkInCulture's training and resources, newcomers do not have to adhere to a specific time period of being in Canada. These resources and training may also benefit those who have obtained permanent resident status and/or Canadian citizenship yet continue to encounter barriers to their career success in arts and culture.
In other instances, such as government programs, settlement services, and funding or grant-based programs, there may be more, stricter eligibility requirements when it comes to newcomer status. In many cases, these initiatives require recipients or applicants to have lived in Canada for less than 5–10 years. Additionally, some granting programs require applicants to have permanent resident status, or application pending, in addition to having lived in a city/Canada for at least 12 months in order to be eligible. For these external resources, WorkInCulture and their partners will endeavor to clarify eligibility as part of any training and hosted information.
If you have any questions about Working in the Arts: Resources and Pathways for Newcomers, please contact:
Stephanie Draker
Program Manager
stephaniedraker@workinculture.ca
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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