Metcalf Foundation

We have a special Art After This conversation this time around between David Maggs and our Performing Arts Program Director Michael Trent. "We are so conditioned to do — to produce, to work, to make things happen. We never get to stop, slow down, be curious, inquire, discover, reflect, find out, test, evaluate, and explore further." Having spent a lot of time looking outward to understand how best to support the performing arts sector in a disrupted world, we felt it was timely to look inward too and place our next moves in a context of how we’ve been working in the sector over the past few decades.

📣 Announcing the Hub's latest event: a conversation with Alex Sarian (president and CEO of Arts Commons) on the future of arts and culture in Canada, moderated by Elamin Abdelmahmoud! 📣 🗓️ October 17, 2024 | 🕝 6:30 PM ET |📍Rosalie Sharp Pavilion at OCAD U (115 McCaul Street, Toronto) | 🎟️ Free Admission Join us for a conversation about the possibilities for reinvention at a time of crisis for arts and culture. According to Alex Sarian, president and CEO of Arts Commons in Calgary, the crisis is one of immediate relevance, but decades in the making as the sector grapples with dwindling audience sizes, shifting trends in philanthropy and complex social challenges. In his new book, The Audacity of Relevance, Sarian engages in dialogue with leaders from across industries to paint a potential future for arts organizations—a future built on measuring success by how positively it can influence the local communities in its surroundings. The Cultural Policy Hub is pleased to welcome Sarian to OCAD University for an in-person conversation that builds on those in his book. Sarian will be joined by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, host of CBC's Commotion, to discuss what the sector can do to reinvent itself in this transformational moment. Get your free tickets here! https://lnkd.in/gXs-hUEr OCAD University | Toronto Arts Council | Ontario Arts Council | Conseil des arts de l'Ontario | Ontario Trillium Foundation | Patrimoine canadien -- Canadian Heritage | Metcalf Foundation | City of Toronto | Power Corporation of Canada | Azrieli Foundation | ECW Press | Alex Sarian | Elamin Abdelmahmoud | Kelly Wilhelm | Miriam Kramer | Ana Serrano | Samuel La France | Alycia Shanika [Image Description]: A poster for the Hub's talk featuring Alex Sarian and Elamin Abdelmahmoud, featuring the speakers' headshots on a black background and text describing the event.

Take a look at our latest biennial report, along with a few words from me on my early days at the Metcalf Foundation.

Applications are now open for the Catalyst and Transformation (CAT) Fund! Project grants up to $15,000 are available for Ontario arts organizations to explore new operational directions and possibilities, and up to $25,000 to implement significant changes like rebuilding, restructuring, or reforming the way the organization works and operates. ⁠ The CAT Fund is administered by Work in Culture and funded by the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, the City of Toronto, the Metcalf Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council | Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, and the Azrieli Foundation, with support from Toronto Arts Council. Register for the info session on Oct 24: https://lnkd.in/ee3-KsA2 Learn more and apply by Nov 8: https://lnkd.in/erTy3-tM

In the Metcalf Foundation's latest biennial report, I was provided with an opportunity to take the long view and reflect on my tenure.

Featuring reflections from Sandy Houston after over two decades of leadership, a message from our new President & CEO Jamison Steeve, and highlights from our Environment, Inclusive Local Economies, and Performing Arts programs — in our latest biennial report, we share the long view of where we've been and where we're going.   Explore the report: https://lnkd.in/gy3adSzu

There’s been a lot of talk lately about cultural nonprofits hitting a crisis point. In this new David Maggs series, we share how we're working beyond the bad news. "The work ahead features an urgent task to do two essential things at once: Chart a path towards systemic changes in how cultural nonprofit sectors function and fulfill their mandates, while carrying the precious cargo of the importance and power of the arts to higher ground."

Applications are open for Maytree Policy School 2025!   Are you a policy professional who is in a position to influence the public policy direction of your organization and interested in enhancing your effectiveness in the policy process?   Is your organization ready to become more engaged in influencing public policy?   If yes, consider applying to Maytree Policy School.   Beginning in January 2024, the 20-25 individuals selected for the six-month online program will have the opportunity to enhance their organization’s policy work through connecting with policy leaders in a participatory learning environment that introduces tools and resources for effective policy work.   Application deadline: October 21, 2024   Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gHSBCrds

How do we create meaningful and relevant cultural experiences when algorithms shape our world? Sarah Bay-Cheng, Dean and Professor at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design - York University, shares her perspective on the relationship between art, technology, and audiences.