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CPPAMO Audience Building Workshop Four: Connecting with Aboriginal and Ethno-Racial Audiences

Friday, January 28, 8:30am – 5pm
Markham Theatre
171 Town Centre Blvd.
Markham, ON, L3R 8G5
For directions please click here.

The fourth in a series of audience-development workshops, this session offers a full day of talks and discussions that will focus on the interests of presenters and performers in working together to increase diversity on stages across Ontario and in engaging audiences from Aboriginal and ethno-racial communities. Topics that will be covered are educational practices, cultural “mapping,” developing organizational mandates, reciprocity in relationships, information sharing and gathering trends, outreach strategies, and our speakers’ experiences with specific festivals and institutions that feature Indigenous artists.
In particular, the morning panel will focus on what presenters need to do to set up a season’s schedule and the criteria used to select performances. This session would be part of a full day meeting with performers and will also address how performers can build a relationship with presenters.
The afternoon panel features a number of performers who will make presentations on how their companies create their work, the influences (traditional, modern, contemporary) on their work and how it fits into, influences and is an integral part of Canadian culture today.

Schedule and Confirmed Participants:

8:30 – 9:00 am             Registration
9:00 – 9:30 am             Introductions by Charles C. Smith, CPPAMO Project Lead
9:30 am – 12 noon      Panel 1: Working With Presenters to Support Diversity in Performances and Audiences: Interests and Expectations
– Ken Coulter, Theatre Manager, Oakville Theatre
– Cheryl Ewing, Event Manager, Ontario Contact
– Eric Lariviere, General Manager, Markham Theatre
10:30 – 10:45 am        Health Break
10:45 am – 12 noon   Panel 1 Continued
– Costin Manu, Manager, Marketing, Programming and Development, Rose Theatre
– Jen Dodd, Managing Director and Camille Turner, Artist and Curator, Subtle Technologies
– Mimi Beck, Curator, Danceworks
Noon – 1:00 pm           Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 pm             Panel 2: What Presenters Need to Know About the Development of Performances by Aboriginal and Ethno-racial Artists
– Sandra Laronde, Artistic Director, Red Sky Performance
– Lata Pada, Artistic Director, Sampradaya Dance
– Brainard Blyden-Taylor, Artistic Director, Nathaniel Dette Chorale
– Julia Chan, Artistic Director, Diasporic Dialogues
3:00 – 3:15 pm             Health Break
3:15 – 4:45 pm             Workshops To Discuss Strategies on How Presenters and Performers Can Work Together
4:45 – 5:00 pm            Closing Comments

We will keep you updated on changes to the schedule and speakers.

We will be charging a registration fee to cover the cost of food/beverages and workshop materials:
$25 – General registration
$15 – CPPAMO roundtable members/students
Free for students (with a valid student ID) who provide their own lunch.

Please share this link with your colleagues and those who share our professional and artistic interests.

For more information and to register: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1178991395

You may contact cppamo@gmail.com for more information.

Bios of presenters:

Ken Coulter – Theatre Manager, Oakville Theatre
Ken Coulter is General Manager of the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts in Oakville, Ontario. A long time member of CCI, he has been in the presenting business for 30 years.Renowned for innovation and creativity in the areas of programming and marketing, the Oakville Centre’s programming engages community audiences while presenting some of Canada’s leading artists: Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks; Catalyst Theatre’s The Blue Orphan; Smith Gilmour’s Chekhov’s Shorts; as well as famous international acts (Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Anne Murray, Don Rickles, Jann Arden, Smothers Brothers, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ladysmith Black Mambazzo, Jesse Cook, Harlem Gospel Choir.)

Always an innovator and forerunner in the presenting field, Ken is recognized for:
• Advancing research on the intrinsic impact of the arts and its application to engaging audiences
• Developing a “Beyond the Mainstream” series that features more challenging work for audiences.
• Implementing an “After Show Artists Chat” program that enriches and deepens the audience engagement experience.
• “Pay –What – It’s – Worth” performances developed to provide access to all citizens to attend performance at OCPA and in other venues around the community.

He is president of the Ontario regional network of Presenters and Theatre Managers, Community and Cultural Impresarios (CCI) where he currently chairs a three year study on understanding the (non economic) benefits of performing arts centres. He is former Treasurer & Board member of Canadian Arts Presenters Association (CAPACOA) and has authored two business plans for Oakville’s theatre.

Eric Lariviere – General Manager, Markham Theatre
Eric Lariviere is General Manager of Markham Theatre for Performing Arts(Ontario, Canada). Since his arrival in May 2009, he has repositioned andexpanded the Theatre’s programs and services with the result ofsignificant participation and audience growth, and created MarkhamTheatre Discovery, a new umbrella to develop and sustain education andcommunity outreach initiatives. Before Markham, Eric wasPresident and artistic director of Daytona Beach International Festival,the Official American Festival Residency of the London SymphonyOrchestra (UK). Under its leadership, the event blossomed into thelargest international and orchestra Festival in Florida. He was pivotalin launching a comprehensive strategic planning process andorganizational transition that led to repositioning the Festival into amajor cultural destination attraction. He was also responsible forbuilding new capacities in marketing, development and financial control.In additions, he implemented strategies to diversify funding and developkey partnerships, with the result of significant organizational andprogrammatic growth. In terms of audience development, his marketinginitiatives to increase visitors were frequently acclaimed by VisitFlorida, the state’s recognized authority in tourism promotion.

Prior to his work in the United States, Eric was General Manager ofSociete du Centre Pierre-Peladeau, in Montreal. During hisnine-year tenure, he positioned the Centre as one of the primeperforming arts venues in Downtown Montreal and was responsible forbringing the 25th Edition of the International Performing Arts for YouthConference. Eric’s experience also includes work with theMontreal Symphony Orchestra as well as various cultural projects. Arecognized leader, Eric has served on multiple panels and juries inCanada and the USA and was successively President of the Canadian Arts Presenting Association and President of the Volusia County CulturalAlliance. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors andExecutive Committee of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. A native of Canada, Eric studied cello at McGill University andearned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Universitedu Quebec a Montreal.

Cheryl Ewing – Event Manager, Ontario Contact
Cheryl Ewing has over twenty years experience in senior management in the arts and brings a broad perspective to the sector, having worked in municipal, educational, for profit and not-for-profit organizations. Cheryl has hands on experience in young audience development and has been instrumental in the development of the national program eyeGO to the Arts as well as the young audience development program at Guelph’s River Run Centre. She is author of Raising the Curtain, a manual for young audience presenters based on her own experiences. In addition, Cheryl is event manager of Ontario Contact, a conference that brings touring artists together with presenters. An active volunteer within Waterloo Region she curates a contemporary dance series and serves on the boards of Dancetheatre David Earle and JM Drama/Registry Theatre and is on the founding board of a new arts enabling organization, Creative Waterloo Region.

Costin Manu – Manager, Marketing, Programming and Development, Rose Theatre
With a 35-year career in the entertainment field, Costin has produced countless shows, from musicals and comedies to big events and ceremonies. He has managed different theatre venues in Canada and the USA and also directed nearly seventy theatre productions including several world premieres. He has also presented and programmed numerous events and concerts at different venues with his work spanning two continents after having performed, directed and presented in Europe, the USA and across Canada.
In addition, he has worked extensively as an actor in theatre, film and television.
Camille Turner – Artist and Curator, Subtle Technologies
Camille is a media artist and a founding member of Year Zero One, a network for the dissemination of new media art. She has been involved in the annual Subtle Technologies Festival from its inception 14 years ago. With a solid background as both artist and curator, her contribution to the Festival has been to commission, produce and present new works that bring science and social science into the realm of art.
Jen Dodd – Managing Director, Subtle Technologies
Jen has an extensive background in public events and community outreach. After a Ph.D in physics, she went on to create public events on science, including working at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics as Festival Programming Manager.

Mimi Beck – Curator, DanceWorks
Mimi Beck is the Curator of DanceWorks, Toronto’s longest running dance series, where she has presented diverse and innovative programming for over twenty-five years. Her contribution to the discipline of dance is considerable and in raising the profile of dance artists, it is nothing short of formidable. She has presented the choreography of over 270 dance artists on the DanceWorks Mainstage Series and introduced many emerging choreographers through CoWorks Series events.

DanceWorks began as a collective of independent dance artists in 1977 and has grown to become Toronto’s leading presenter of independent dance. Strong in the belief that dance has the power to illuminate, engage and transform all who participate, DanceWorks offers seasons of eclectic, exhilarating choreography programmed to intrigue, challenge and enthral. DanceWorks adds to your theatrical experience with danceflics, Carol’s Dance Notes and post-performance conversations with artists. DanceWorks is the administrator of the CanDance Network and Dance Ontario Association.

Sandra Laronde – Artistic Director, Red Sky Performance
Founder and Artistic Director of Red Sky, Sandra Laronde is an award-winning director, producer, choreographer, actor and dancer. Sandra’s vision for Red Sky is to create a leading international company that shapes contemporary world Indigenous performance, and to make a significant contribution to the artistic vibrancy of Canada and the world. Currently, she is also the Director of Indigenous Arts at The Banff Centre, a globally respected arts and cultural institution. She divides her time between Banff, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario. Sandra is originally from the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, northern Ontario.

In 2006, Sandra was awarded the Ontario Good Citizenship Medal that pays special tribute to those Ontarians whose lives exemplify excellence and achievement in the finest order. In addition, she received the 2006 Paul D. Fleck Fellowship in the Arts from The Banff Centre. In 2004, she was one of 225 Canadians chosen to participate in the Governor-General’s Canadian Leadership program, which celebrates promising leaders who are making a significant impact on Canada. In the same year, Sandra was also the recipient of Toronto City Council’s 2004 Aboriginal Affairs Award for her contribution towards improving the quality of life for the Aboriginal community of Toronto. She is also listed in the Canada’s Who’s Who that features notable living Canadians.

Lata Pada – Artistic Director, SAMPRADAYA Dance Creations
Artistic Director of an award-winning professional dance company recognized for its innovation and excellence in dance, Lata has lived in Canada since 1964, and has had an extensive career as a bharatanatyam soloist, including a command performance for the President of India in 1992. She has trained in bharatanatyam under India’s distinguished gurus – Kalaimamani K. Kalyanasundaram and Padmabhushan Kalanidhi Narayanan and her solo performances have been featured in important dance festivals and venues worldwide.

Lata holds a Masters in Dance from York University and is an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Program of Dance at York University. She was conferred the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian award in January 2009. She has the distinction of being the first South Asian artist to receive this prestigious honour. Lata has received several awards and honours for her contribution to the arts in Canada, including the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Toronto Sanskriti Sangha, the 2003 Professional Woman of the Year Award from the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, the 2000 New Pioneers Award, the 1995 Mississauga Arts Award, and the Nrithya Seva Mani Award – Best Teacher Award – by the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana 2006.

Lata’s career spans an impressive spectrum of performance, choreography, teaching and research. Her choreographic versatility is seen in the exploration of the classical idiom of bharatanatyam in its interpretation of classical and contemporary themes. Lata brings a contemporary worldview to her award-winning creations, which have been recognized for their distinctive, intercultural and multi-disciplinary choreography. As noted by the Toronto Star, Lata is a Canadian artist whose ‘ clear direction in dance makes her one of the few who can successfully translate a thousand year-old tradition into 21st – century realities”.

She is a founding member of the South Asian Advisory Committee at the Royal Ontario Museum. She currently serves on the Advisory Committees of York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, Centennial College and the Canada Dance Festival as well as on the Advocacy Committee of the Canadian Dance Assembly. Lata is a member of the International Dance Council (UNESCO), the World Dance Alliance and CADA (Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists) and is also a founding member of the newly formed SADAC ( South Asian Dance Alliance of Canada).

Brainard Blyden-Taylor – Artistic Director, Nathaniel Dette Chorale

Brainerd Blyden-Taylor is the Founder, Artistic Director and conductor of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Canada’s first professional chamber choir dedicated to the creation and performance of Afrocentric music of all styles. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, Mr. Blyden-Taylor immigrated to Canada in 1973. He founded The Chorale in 1998, in response to a musical void in Canada; there had never before been a professional ensemble dedicated to the dissemination of Afrocentric choral music. The response that The Chorale has received in Canada and the United States since its inception has certainly given credence to Brainerd’s vision.

Brainerd works frequently as a guest conductor, having appeared with organizations such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, Nova Scotia Youth Choir, Ontario Youth Choir and the New Brunswick Choral Federation Youth Sing. He has recently completed a 25-year tenure with The Orpheus Choir of Toronto, and he has also worked as a conductor, artistic director and artistic advisor for the Nova Scotia Mass Choir and the Algoma Festival Choir.
He is currently a member of the teaching staff at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. He is also a Master Teacher with the Toronto Board of Education, coaching teachers and students in conducting and choral technique. In constant demand as a Clinician, Adjudicator and Lecturer, engagements this season include the Conference on Black Musics in Canada – York University, Toronto; Canadian Rocky Mountain Festival – Banff, Alberta; Tempo 2003 Manitoba Music Conference; Minister’s Conference & Organist and Choir Director’s Guild Workshop – Hampton University, Virginia; Festival 500, Newfoundland; Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival; National Association of Negro Musicians Conference – Detroit, Michigan; and Manitoba Choirfest.
In addition, Brainerd is an active church musician, serving currently as Music Director of St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, North Toronto. Toronto.

Julia Chan – Artistic Director, Diasporic Dialogues
ulia Chan’s curiosity and love of the arts is expressed through her variedprofessional experience spanning film, television, publishing, literatureand theatre. She has been working for Diaspora Dialogues since 2007 and hasrecently assumed the role of Artistic Director. She holds an MFA inScreenwriting from York University, is a graduate of the prestigiousCanadian Film Centre’s Writers’ Lab. As a screenwriter, her short film InShadow (produced through the CFC’s Short Dramatic Film Program) was screenedat the Sundance Film Festival, among others, and garnered an award for BestShort Screenplay at the International Cherokee Film Festival. She has alsobeen a reader and analyst for a diverse clientele of film funders,production companies and individual writers and producers for several years.Julia’s writing has been supported by the Toronto Arts Council and recentlyappeared in subTerrain.

CPPAMO Audience Building Workshop Two: Connecting with Aboriginal and Ethno-Racial Audiences

CPPAMO Audience Building Workshop Two: Connecting with Aboriginal and Ethno-Racial Audiences

Tuesday, November 23rd, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
First Floor Board Room, Center for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Avenue,
Toronto, ON
M5T 2C7

The second in a series of audience-development workshops, this session offers a full day of talks and discussions that will focus on Indigenous arts and cultural workers, and from organizations that have worked with them. Topics that will be covered are educational practices, cultural “mapping,” developing organizational mandates, reciprocity in relationships, information sharing and gathering trends, outreach strategies, and our speakers’ experiences with specific festivals and institutions that feature Indigenous artists.

Schedule and confirmed participants:

8:30 am – Registration
9:00 am – Introductions by Charles C. Smith, CPPAMO Project Lead
9:30 am – Panel 1: Aboriginal artists and communities – Nick Ashawasega (Nation Talk), Sara Roque (Ontario Arts Council)
10:45 am – Health break
11:00 am – Panel 2: Partnering with Aboriginal artists and communities – Melanie Fernadez (Harbourfront Centre), Jennifer Green (Soundstreams), Andrea Fatona (Ottawa Art Gallery)
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:00 pm – Spotlight on information gathering practices of immigrant, ethno-racial and Aboriginal communities – Nadia Caidi (Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto)
4:00 pm – Wrap up

We will keep you updated on changes to the schedule and speakers.

We will be charging a registration fee to cover the cost of food/beverages and workshop materials:

$25 – General registration
$15 – CPPAMO roundtable members/students
Free for students (with a valid student ID) who provide their own lunch.

To register, please visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/799378964. Registration closes on November 15th.

Please share this link with your colleagues and those who share our professional and artistic interests.

You may contact cppamo@gmail.com for more information.

Bios of presenters:

Nick Ashewasega is an Account Manager with a focus on Special Projects for NationTalk.ca, a leading Aboriginal Newswire, Event and Employment listing service operating across Canada. With nearly one million page views per month and a subscription base that includes 600 First Nations; 1000 media contacts (Aboriginal and non-aboriginal); and more than 10,000 personal subscribers including key decision makers from all industries. Nick has used his talents over the years at NationTalk to build relationships and create many partnerships with Aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canada. He has advised on partnerships with TD Canada, Marriott Canada, and Noront Resources with NationTalk, amongst others. As well, he has conducted close to 20 interviews with community members, politicians and industry leaders from across Canada such as; National Chief Shawn Atleo, Toronto Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman, award-winning recording artist Crystal Shawanda, and many more. Another endeavour he is collaborating on includes BuyAboriginal.com and TheNativeStore.com, these being platforms for both Aboriginal businesses and product suppliers to connect with the right people.

Sara Roque is a multi-talented Metis filmmaker, writer, arts administrator and activist who has been involved in a number of community-based arts and Aboriginal history projects. Past administrative work includes development coordinator at The Centre for
Indigenous Theatre in Toronto; programmer at Te Waiariki Purea Trust, a Maori arts and cultural organization based in Rotorua, New Zealand; and co-founder of the O’Kaadenigan Wiingashk Collective, which is dedicated to raising the profile of Indigenous artists and training in the Kawarthas region. Roque holds an Honours BA in Indigenous Studies from Trent University. In 2008 she was appointed the Aboriginal Arts Officer at the Ontario Arts Council. She believes that cultural understanding and sovereignty is fostered through the arts and honors the vision and hard work of the many cultural emancipators before her.

Melanie Fernandez is currently Director of Community and Education Programmes at Harbourfront Centre and Artistic Director of the summer festival season. She is responsible for community cultural development initiatives, the multidisciplinary festival activities, life long learning programmes and volunteer services. During her tenure many new programme initiatives such as the city-wide Planet IndigenUs (an international exploration of contemporary aboriginal arts), Culture Shock: Voices of an Emerging Generation Youth Arts Festival, Learning for Living, Carnivalissima, Masters of World Music, Luminat’eau, What Is Classical?, and many other programmes have been launched. For six years she worked as Community Arts Officer at the Ontario Arts Council. During this time, Melanie led a comprehensive policy review of community arts in the province that resulted in new definitions, directions and programs. Following this position Melanie was Head of Education at the Art Gallery of Ontario. In addition, she taught a course in community arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design for five years and has written extensively in the areas of cultural diversity and cultural production, aboriginal cultural production and community arts. Melanie has served on numerous Boards and advisory committees including: Cultural Pluralism in the Arts (University of Toronto), Community Arts Ontario, A Space Gallery, Art Starts Neighbourhood Cultural Centre, the Canadian Commission of UNESCO, and Canada Council for the Arts Racial Equity Committee, Toronto Arts Council, etc.

Jennifer Green is the General Manager of Soundstreams, an international centre for new directions in music. She serves on the Executive Committee for the Emerging Arts Professional Network and has served on the Dance Committee for the Toronto Arts Council, the Finance Committee for Opera.ca and as a jury member for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards (dance). She was the founding Board President of Fu-Gen Asian Canadian Theatre Company. Jennifer has over 10 years of experience in arts management, including organizational development, strategic planning, financial management, arts marketing, fundraising and tour management. Jennifer has enjoyed working with Kaeja d’Dance, Toronto; Upper Canada Playhouse, Morrisburg; The Regent Theatre, Picton; the Princess Court Theatre, Kingston and the Weave Shed Arts Centre, Cornwall. She holds a B.A in Theatre/English from St. Lawrence University in New York and an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Toronto (with a special interest in the role of volunteer boards in Canadian Theatre and a passion for political theatre).

Andrea Fatona is the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Ottawa Art Gallery, Ontario. She was formerly the Programme Director at Video In, Vancouver, Co-Director of Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver, and Artistic Director of Artspace Gallery, Peterborough, Ontario. She is a regular contributing editor to Fuse magazine, Toronto. Fatona holds a master’s degree in Cultural Studies and Critical Pedagogy from the University of Toronto, where she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree. Her areas of specialization are culture, communication and critical education.

Nadia Caidi is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, which she joined in 2000. She holds an MLIS and a Ph.D. from the Department of Information Studies, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also holds an MST in Communication Studies from the Universite Stendhal Grenoble 3, France. Her primary research interests are information policy and community informatics. She is also involved in cross-cultural and comparative studies, researching the influence of culture on the production, distribution and use of information and its technologies. Recent research has focused on understanding better the ways in which
information fits in the lives of vulnerable communities, specifically newcomers and immigrant groups, and Aboriginal communities in remote and isolated areas of Northern Ontario. She has received numerous grants to examine how groups and individuals seek, use and share information in their everyday lives, and how these information practices in turn enable inclusion, participation and engagement in the broader society. More information about Prof. Caidi’s research is available at: http://www3.fis.utoronto.ca/faculty/caidi/home.html

Audience Building Workshop One: Ethno-Racial Communities and Audience Segmentation

When: Tuesday, June 29th, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Hart House Debates Room, University of Toronto

Developing Strategies for Building Audiences from Aboriginal and Culturally Diverse Communities will involve CCI and its members from Markham, Toronto, Ontario Contact, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Kingston and Ottawa in a series of educational workshops aimed at producing concrete strategies for implementation by these members and CPPAMO’s Roundtable.

This first workshop will focus on Examining the characteristics of ethno-racial communities and relationship to audience segmentation. This full day session will involve presentations by Professors Myer Siemiatycki, Sandeep Agrawal and Shuguang Wang related to data on immigrant settlement and the capacities and interests of immigrants.   This will be followed by facilitated discussions on the importance and extent of community-based organizations in diverse communities and how to work with them in attracting ethno-racial communities.

In this session, participants will receive information related to the changing numbers and compositions of communities across Ontario related to:

1)      what has happened and will continue to happen in terms of the numerical growth and areas of settlement of these communities;

2)      the implications/significance of these changes in terms of social, economic, political and cultural perspectives;

3)      the key characteristics of these growing communities, particularly in terms of cultural interests/retention and how this might lead to programming, employment and marketing opportunities;

4)      the human capital of these communities and some geographic mapping of them as well.

An all day session (9:30 – 4:30), the presentations will take place in the morning.  In the afternoon, there will be facilitated workshops to carry through this discussion further and to learn from each other what presenters and performers are doing to connect with these growing communities, what’s working and where there is need for assistance.

When:
Tuesday, June 29th, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Location:

Debates Room, Hart House
University of Toronto
7 Hart House Circle
Toronto, ON
M52 3H3

To register for this workshop:

Please visit http://audiencebuilding1.eventbrite.com. Registration begins on Thursday, June 3rd and ends on Friday, June 25th. The cost is $25 general admission and includes refreshments and lunch.

At-the-door registration will be $30 and payments will be taken in CASH ONLY.

Please contact cppamo@gmail.com or 647-296-4117 (Angela Britto, CPPAMO Program Assistant) if you have any questions.

Background on the Presenters:

Myer Siemiatycki is a Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University and served as Department Chair from 1991 to 1996. He received his B.A. from McGill University, his M.A. from University of Sussex (UK), and his Ph.D. from York University (Canada). Myer served as Director of Ryerson’ s M.A. Program in Immigration and Settlement Studies from its inception until 30 June 2008.  Most of Myer’s teaching has been in courses on Local Government (POL 122/222), and Labour Policy (POG319 formerly PPA533), however, beginning in Fall 2008, he is teaching a new Liberal Studies Elective: Canadian Immigration (POL129). His research interests currently focus on the civic participation of immigrants in Toronto. Myer currently serves as Community Research Domain Leader at the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration & Settlement (Toronto). He is a frequent media commentator on political matters.

Myer’ s achievements include: Distinguished Educator Award, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (1992); Ryerson Popular Professor Citation, Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities (2003 thru 2006 inclusive). Active in the Ryerson community, Myer has contributed to organizing such campus events as the Ryerson Union Fair, and Ryerson Holocaust Education Programming.  His publications include:  “The View From Ontario: Immigration, Diversity & Multi-Level Government Response.” Diversite Canadienne 8:1 (Hiver/Winter 2010):  37-41.; Electing a Diverse Canada : The Representation of Immigrants, Minorities, and Women, ed. (with Caroline Andrew, John Biles, and Erin Tolley).  Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008.; “Reputation and Representation: Reaching for Political Inclusion in Toronto.”  In Electing a Diverse Canada : The Representation of Immigrants, Minorities, and Women, ed. Caroline Andrew, John Biles, Myer Siemiatycki and Erin Tolley, 23-45.  Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008.; “Invisible City: Immigrants Without Voting Rights in Urban Ontario,” Our Diverse Cities 4 (Fall 2007): 166-168.; “State and Media Construction of Transnational Communities: A Case Study of Recent Migration from Hong Kong to Canada” (with Valerie Preston). In Organizing the Transnational: Labour Politics, and Social Change, eds. Luin Goldring and Sailaja Krishnamurti, 25 – 39. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2007.; “Contesting Sacred Urban Space: The Case of Eruv.” Journal of International Migration and Integration 6:2(Spring 2005): 255-270.; and “Suburban Success: Immigrant and Minority Electoral Gains in Suburban Toronto” (with Andrew Matheson). Canadian Issues / Thèmes canadiens: Newcomers, Minorities and Political Participation in Canada (Summer 2005): 69-72.  For more information about Myer see http://www.ryerson.ca/politics/facultyandstaff/bio_MyerSiemiat.htm

Dr. Sandeep Agrawal is the director of the graduate program in Urban Development and has been a faculty member in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson University for almost 10 years. Sandeep has a variety of planning experiences in federal, county, and municipal governments in the US. He has also practiced urban planning in Canada and India. Sandeep is a well-published and premier scholar, with over thirty publications. Several of his publications are in the most prestigious journals in the planning, geography and ethnicity areas, including Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, the Canadian Journal of Urban Research and the Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal. The special issue of Plan Canada on “Welcoming Communities:  Planning for the Diversity in Canadian Cities,” guest-edited by Sandeep was released  in February 2009.

Sandeep’s research focuses on Toronto’s ethnic communities and the effects of immigration and multiculturalism on urban structures and public policies. One of his recently completed articles (co-authored with Dr. Qadeer) is about faith-based ethnic communities in the GTA, which explores whether these communities are sites of spatial and social segregation or inclusion. Sandeep is also studying how immigrants fare in the Canadian labour market. Sandeep currently serves on the Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment and is also the Domain Leader of the “Welcoming Communities” domain at CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre in Toronto. He regularly appears in both print and broadcast media. For more information about Sandeep, see http://www.ryerson.ca/surp/faculty_staff/bios/agrawal.html

Shuguang Wang is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at Ryerson University. His research interests include settlement patterns of immigrants in Canada, ethnic economy, and location of settlement services. He is familiar with both the Canadian census and the immigrant landing data system. He has run data workshops for CERIS researchers and the Ontario MIC staff. He has recently completed a demographic analysis for Build Toronto. Among his publications are: (1) What Does It Take to Achieve Full Integration? Economic (Under)Performance of Chinese Immigrants in Canada. In Vijay Agnew (ed.) Interrogating Race and Racism. Toronto : University of Toronto Press, pp172-205; (2) Evaluation of Settlement Services Programs for Newcomers in Ontario : A Geographical Perspective. Journal of International Migration and Integration. 4 (4): 577-606; (3) Economic Impacts of Immigrants in the Toronto CMA: A Tax-Benefit Analysis. Journal of International Migration and Integration, Vol. 1(3): 273-304; (4) Chinese Commercial Activity in the Toronto CMA: New Development Patterns and Impacts. The Canadian Geographer, Vol. 43 (1): 19-35.   For more information about Shuguang see: http://www.geography.ryerson.ca/swang/index.html

Town Hall on Equity and Diversity in the Performing Arts – January 29-30

Cultural Pluralism in Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPPAMO) presents a Town Hall to examine Equity and Diversity in the Performing Arts, taking place January 29 and 30, 2010, at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus.

Friday, January 29th at 7:00 pm – Panel Discussion and Performance

• A discussion on equity and diversity in the performing arts will be chaired by Kathleen Sharpe, president of Canadian Conference on the Arts. Kathleen is currently the Director of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF).
• Panelists include Ajay Heble, artistic director of the Guelph Jazz Festival; Santee Smith of the Kaha:wi Dance Company; Brian Webb, artistic director of the Canadian Dance Festival; and Tim Whalley, Director of the Scarborough Arts Council.
• There will also be a solo dance performance by Kevin Ormsby of Kashedance.

Saturday, January 30th at 9:15 am – Workshop and Development Session

• Workshops offered: Curatorial Competence in Performing Arts, Issues in Employment, Audience
• Building and Marketing, Representations on Boards, Relationships with Funding Bodies
• Keynote address with Sara Diamond, president of OCAD (11:30 am)
• Sampradaya Dance Creations presents SAMVAD (1:15 pm)
• Workshop and Development Session (2:45 pm)

Coffee, tea and lunch are provided. Registration and refreshments hosted by the Doris McCarthy Gallery.

For more information, contact:

Angela Britto
CPPAMO Program Assistant
cppamo@gmail.com
647-296-4117

The CPPAMO Newsletter

This is a monthly digest that will introduce you to, and keep you updated on CPPAMO’s initiatives, and act as a portal to relevant research in the field of pluralism in the arts, innovative artists, and links to interesting talks about pluralism in the arts. The newsletter is intended to be your go-to resource for information on cultural pluralism in the arts.

In order to receive CPPAMO newsletters, please subscribe by sending an e-mail to cppamo@gmail.com with “SUBSCRIBE” in the subject line and you will receive an invitation to join the listserv. The listserv is moderated and is for the purpose of sending out newsletters and CPPAMO updates where posting is restricted to list admins. Your e-mail address will be kept confidential and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Who We Are & Contact Information

Who We Are

Charles C. Smith
Artistic Director of CPPAMO
Lecturer, Cultural Pluralism and the Arts/University of Toronto Scarborough
charlescsmith@sympatico.ca

Angela Britto
Program Assistant
cppamo@gmail.com

 

Contact Information

Mailing Address :
32 Costain Avenue
Toronto, ON
M4E 2G6

416-686-3039
https://cppamo.wordpress.com/
cppamo@gmail.com

Town Halls on Pluralism in Performing Arts

CPPAMO is currently in the process of planning a pair of Town Halls on Pluralism in Performing Arts to take place in 2010. The first will be held in mid-January at the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus and the second in the spring in Kitchener-Waterloo.

These Town Halls will feature performances by Aboriginal and ethno-racial performing arts organizations. These performances will be followed by a facilitated discussion and creative brain-storming on the relevance of these performances to the increasing Aboriginal and ethno-racial diversity of Ontario and their significance to cultural performances organized by performing arts venues. The own Halls will identify the challenges performing arts organizations face on these issues, particularly relating to what steps can be taken to: develop audiences from Aboriginal and ethno-racially diverse communities; promote and market performances to diverse communities; and develop collaborative projects between Aboriginal and culturally diverse performing arts organizations and performance venues.

The discussion of these sessions will be recorded and will form the basis of a report which will be provided to those who attend the sessions and made available to all CCI members as well as others in the broader performing arts communities. This report will enhance the dialogue on pluralism and diversity within the performing arts community and to provide examples of what some performing arts organizations are doing or plan to do to address this matter.  The report will also be provided to funding bodies to influence their discussions on how to support pluralism and diversity in performing arts. 

For more information on how you can participate in the town halls, please contact us.

What is CPPAMO?

What is CPPAMO?

Cultural Pluralism in Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPPAMO) is a movement of Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists working with presenters to empower the performing arts communities of Ontario. CPPAMO seeks to open opportunities for Aboriginal and ethno-racial performers to engage with presenters across Ontario and to enable presenters to develop constructive relationships with Aboriginal and ethno-racial performers.

CPPAMO is supported bv Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists who are involved in theatre, music, dance and literary arts. These artists are members of CPPAMO’s Roundtable and include representatives of Sampradaya Dance, Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Little Pear Garden Theatre Collective, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Sparrow in the Room, b-current, why not theatre, urban arts and backforward collective, Culture Days, Canada Council Stand Firm members, Obsidian Theatre, the Collective of Black Artists, CanAsian Dance and others.

With the involvement of artists from these organizations, CPPAMO is working with CCI and its members to build their capacities, cultural competencies and understanding of pluralism in performing arts so that CCI and its members engage performers from these communities and, thereby, enable audiences across Ontario to access artistic expressions from diverse communities on a regular basis.

CPPAMO aims to facilitate the following:
• Aboriginal and ethno-racial performers will have opportunities to showcase their work to and build relationships with presenters across Ontario;
• Presenters will have opportunities to see and learn about the diverse cultural values, histories and practices of Aboriginal and ethno-racial performing artists and to develop relationships with these performers;
• Education and training programs on cultural pluralism will be set up to provide performing arts organizations with practical guidance on successfully integrating culturally diverse values and principles in their operations, planning, audience-development, marketing, programming and decision-making processes;
• The performing arts community in Ontario will have useful and appropriate tools and guides related to cultural pluralism;
• Diversity practice and implementation will be guided and facilitated by a professional equity/diversity arts specialist with hands-on and ongoing field experience.