Arts and Equity Toolkit
The Arts and Equity Toolkit aims both to provide a means of support to those who are working to build more inclusive and equitable communities and to act as a starting point for future
dialogue about equity in the field.
The Arts & Equity Project is a research and educational initiative of Toronto Arts Foundation and the Neighbourhood Arts Network, with support from Manifesto Community Projects. Launched in the spring of 2011, the project was made possible through the Ontario Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Strategic Investment Fund. The Arts & Equity Project focuses on arts and community groups who are working to reduce barriers to community participation and collaboration. The project set out to learn from, document, and share the experiences of these groups.The Arts & Equity Project began through consultations and research interviews with arts and community groups, community engaged artists, cultural workers, and community-based social service workers. We wanted to develop a better understanding of some of the challenges they face in relation to equity and professional development, as the kinds of strategies they use to address these concerns. Based on what we learned, we created a series of participatory workshops.
The workshops brought people together to examine community arts, equity, and engagement in a collaborative way. They were designed to address some of the common questions and concerns that practitioners identified during the consultations. The workshops provided a space for in-depth exploration of common challenges through discussion, problem-solving, and arts-based activities. They also enabled practitioners to develop stronger networks for peer-to-peer learning, support, and potential partnerships.
Toolkit
Utilizing learning generated through the interviews, consultations, and workshops, we developed this Arts and Equity Toolkit. The toolkit includes three primary components: a reflective section that examines issues and provides a set of principles for working towards community arts equity; examples of equity in practice that
zoom in on the work of a variety of local practitioners in relation to 6 priority issues; and a set of practical resources connected to each of the six priority issues. The toolkit aims both to provide a means of support to those who are working to build more inclusive and equitable communities and to act as a starting point for future
dialogue about equity in the field.