Summary of Notes: Visual and Digital/Multimedia Arts, Museums, and Heritage Institutions Sectors Roundtable

The purpose of the summary of notes is to document key takeaways from the roundtable on visual and digital/multimedia arts, museums, and heritage institutions sectors roundtable held on September 3, 2020. The sector-specific roundtable was comprised of approximately 15 representatives of major associations and groups with representation from across different disciplines, regions and intersectional identity communities. The goals of the roundtable are to:

• Ensure various stakeholders representing different sectors and industries are heard, having an opportunity to express their thoughts/ideas.
• Understand on-the-ground impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for sectors and organizations.
• Have constructive discussions to help identify potential avenues that could help accelerate recovery.
• Build a common understanding of the kind of support needed, and the role of government(s) therein.

At the start of the roundtable, the representatives shared their general experience on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their sectors and organizations. The introduction was then followed by three segments around the recovery framework:

1. Resilience and Sustainability;
2. Diversity and Inclusion; and
3. Environmental Sustainability.

Resilience and Sustainability

To stimulate the discussion in the first segment, the following question was asked: What would organizations need to move towards a more sustainable/adaptable business model to prevail through similar situations in the future?

Key ideas and takeaways included:

• Financial support for artists and workers who are more vulnerable than organizations, especially during the pandemic (e.g. core funding, multi-year investments to communities, annual investments to Canada Council for the Arts, basic income guarantee for all Canadian citizens).
• Core and multi-year funding for unincorporated groups, collectives and initiatives, with a priority for initiatives that are led by and engage with members of equity-seeking groups.
• Increase program flexibility to remove obstacles to entry for applicants; for example, through the creation of micro-grant programs, in order to allow for organizations with meaningful cultural impact to benefit from operational funding.
• Amend the Copyright Act to include the Artists’ Resale Right as an economic marketplace solution for individual artists.
• Significant opportunities to discuss needs and challenges within the visual and digital/multimedia arts, museums, and heritage institutions sectors.
• Seek opportunities to leverage Federal investment effectively with other levels of government.
• Support and professional development opportunities for resources.
• Building and promoting cohesion and collaboration across communities to better coordinate efforts and share resources between larger and smaller organizations.
• Review of Canada’s National Museum policy to set a vision for museums in line with government and societal priorities, for example by supporting organizations that are committed to furthering the goal of societal relevance, public engagement and bringing the past into a vital relationship with the present.
• Tools and skillsets that will measure success and identify areas for improvement through consideration of, among other things, cultural impact.
• Review and change of decision-making structure on a holistic level.
• Support to operate and maintain infrastructure in the long-term.
• Digital support (e.g. skills development and improved access to the Internet, especially in rural and remote areas).
• Engagement opportunities around policies.

Diversity and Inclusion

To stimulate the discussion in the second segment, the following question was asked: What diversity and inclusion opportunities can be leveraged from the present circumstances for positive change?

Key ideas and takeaways included:

• Institutional partnership program that will help build trust where there is a gap.
• Resource and skillset support in Indigenous communities.
• Leadership and communication development opportunities for resources.
• Increase in diversity within leadership groups.
• Fellowship programs that will help develop and refine leadership skills.
• Creation of a body or entity that will centralize and address diversity and inclusion challenges.
• Opportunities for representatives from across different equity-seeking groups to be part of the Boards of Directors of industry associations and organizations, or other decision-making levels.
• Update of the application system to include a section for applicants to express diversity or inclusion issues.
• Opportunities for representatives from across different equity-seeking groups to become partners.
• Programs for applicants from different equity-seeking groups to be included in larger or mainstream institutions.
• Mentorship programs for equity-seeking groups.
• Greater accountability of organizations receiving federal government funding to be more diverse and inclusive (e.g. in the composition of their Board of Directors, more equal or equitable partnerships with smaller organizations).
• Increase investment in arts and heritage infrastructure needs of Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities.

Environmental Sustainability

To stimulate the discussion in the third segment, the following question was asked: What environmental sustainability opportunities can be leveraged from the present circumstances for positive change?

Key ideas and takeaways included:

• Use existing programs to support green architecture and greening initiatives.
• Funding is often project-based and tied to building or doing something new, so consider funding that is about sustaining and transforming.
• The rise of digital experiences presents an opportunity to think about new ways of doing things that have less impact on the environment (for example, virtual participation requires less travel).
• Opportunities for individuals from different cultural backgrounds to voice their opinions and apply their knowledge related to environmental sustainability; for example, learning from Indigenous peoples’ relationship to the environment.
• Review and reframe of decision-making structure to better support green initiatives.
• Leverage cultural organizations to bring about cultural change for a positive impact on climate issues.