Phase one of mapping study released

>> by Jaimée Horn
The dance section of the Canada Council for the Arts has released findings for Phase One of the Canada Dance Mapping Study. The Literature Review confirms that information is still missing, and that many gaps have yet to be filled before the full spectrum of dance in Canada has been outlined. The findings have, however, provided data about professional dance practices and infrastructure, dance that is of European origin, and the professional landscape in specific parts of the country. As research continues throughout the coming months, dance communities already connected to the study as well as those that have yet to be mapped will help to fill in more of the missing pieces. Read more about the study here.

Canadian wins Dance Your PhD

>> by Naomi Brand
Emma Ware, a biologist at Queen's University, is one of four winners of Dance Your PhD, an annual contest that asks researchers to convert their doctoral dissertation into a dance video. Ware's dissertation, entitled "A Study of Social Interactivity Using Pigeon Courtship", was a moody, black-and-white, contemporary dance video that won in the social science category. The contest attempts to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences and challenges researchers to explain their research to the public in an accessible and creative way. This year's competition had fifty-five entries from Canada, the United States, Europe, India and Australia. The competition is now sponsored by TEDx Brussels, part of a global network of events and speakers based on innovative ideas. The winner of the competition receives $1,000 and a trip to Brussels for the awards ceremony.

Signal Theatre takes part in carbon footprint study

>> by Naomi Brand
Signal Theatre's newest production, from thine eyes choreographed by Artistic Director Michael Greyeyes, is part of an environmental research project led by York University Theatre professor Peter McKinnon. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada–funded study is aimed to determine the environmental impact of a live theatre presentation by measuring and tracking the carbon consumption of Signal Theatre's production and comparing that against a "phantom" production conceived without any consideration for environmental impact. from thine eyes was created with the intention to minimize the carbon footprint in all aspects of its production and was presented at Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre in September.

Trillum Foundation awards funding to micro-finance for artists research project

Elizabeth Chitty / Photo by Brian Yungblut Photography

>> by Samantha Mehra

The Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, Ontario Chapter (CADA-ON), has been awarded a $27,800 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Province-Wide Program. The award supports a research project that aims to discover how micro-finance might support Ontario artists. The project is a collaboration with the Canadian Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC Ontario), Dance Ontario, Ontario Crafts Council, and the Canadian Music Centre - Ontario Region. In a press release, CADA-ON Executive Director Elizabeth Chitty expressed the intent of the project: "This research project will investigate and explore how micro-finance tools work, how they could be used by individual artists in Ontario and what steps will be required to enable their use by artists ... Artists' improved status will enable their greater contribution to Ontarians' quality of life, social and economic health." http://www.cada-on.ca

Creative Trust releases report on audience engagement

>> by Samantha Mehra
Creative Trust has released the results of its first Audience Engagement Survey Report, an initiative made possible by twenty Toronto music, dance, theatre and opera companies. The survey, which included feedback from nearly 3700 arts attendees, gave the companies the opportunity to hear directly from audiences regarding the kinds of activities that would meet their interests. Dance companies/organizations taking part in the study include Ballet Creole, CanAsian Dance Festival, Dancemakers, Fujiwara Dance Inventions, inDANCE and Kaeja d’Dance. The survey, made available online in December 2010, strongly indicated that audiences are interested in learning more about artists and the creative processes behind the performances they attend, particularly through the internet. Additionally, fifty-one per cent of respondents indicated that the main reason for attending performances was to be "inspired or uplifted." The Survey Report was developed as part of Creative Trust’s Engaging Audiences Initiative with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and others.
http://www.creativetrust.ca/resources-2/audiencesandmarketing/

SARP releases final report

by Naomi Brand
The Senior Artists Research Project (SARP) released its final report and recommendations for action, which found that senior artists are at risk.

Some of the SARP findings include:
• 61 per cent of senior artists are at moderate or high financial risk;
• 73 per cent are at moderate or high health risk; and
• 42 per cent are at moderate or high risk with regards to their artistic career or legacy.
The SARP Steering Committee determined that a new organization should be formed to provide needed programs and services.

Initiated in 2006 by a small group of arts organizations, SARP has developed into a three-year research project involving all the major arts organizations in Canada. The project investigated the circumstance, needs and interests of Canadian senior artists. For full report see:
http://www.dtrc.ca/sarp

Survey shows Ontarians think art is important

>> by Samantha Mehra
Most Ontarians believe that the arts are important to the quality of life in their communities and their own personal lives. These sentiments were revealed in the Ontario Arts Council's (OAC) survey "The Arts and The Quality of Life: The Attitudes of Ontarians". Findings show that eighty-nine percent of Ontarians believe that if their communities lost arts activities, community individuals would be losing something of value; ninety-five percent believe that the success of Canadian artists creates pride in Canadian achievement; and eighty-one percent agree that the government should direct public dollars toward the support of the arts. The survey also indicated that most Ontarians place arts facilities on par with public transit (rated as important by ninety-one percent), but less important than parks and green spaces (ninety-seven percent), and sports and recreational facilities (ninety-nine percent). The results also suggested that positive attitudes towards the arts and quality of community lives extend across all regions and demographic groups. The provincial survey, which was conducted by Environics Research Group, is the first of its kind since 1994, when the OAC commissioned a similar survey. It examines the opinions of a probability sample of 1000 Ontarians aged eighteen or older, and is estimated to be accurate within approximately 3.1 percentage points.