SWAP IT! event aims to satisfy community's needs

>> by Samantha Mehra
On September 25th, the first SWAP IT!, an arts resource-sharing event hosted by The Alliance of Independent Mid-Career Dance Creators (AIM-CDC), took place at Dancemakers Centre for Creation. The purpose of the initiative was to bring members of the dance community together to exchange skills, props, time to donate towards administrative work, transportation, and other valuable assets that might aid another artist/organization/company in artistic or other endeavours. Dancemakers donated its space for the event. To make these exchanges, the participants' needs and desires are first recorded, and then times are allotted for arranging the "swaps" between artists. Inspired by a similar event, "Sweet and Tender", which takes place in European arts communities, SWAP IT!'s exchange initiative intends to lessen the burden on artists and their costs, while simultaneously aiding them in building relationships within the artistic community. SWAP IT!'s initial event attracted approximately twenty participants. Members of the AIM-CDC include Kate Alton, Susie Burpee, Tanya Crowder, Allison Cummings, Susanna Hood, Meagan O'Shea, Sasha Ivanochko and Heidi Strauss.