Community Arts Exchange 2020-2021

Community Arts Exchange Reunion

Jumblies Community Arts Exchange connects community-engaged artists and community arts projects and organizations across the province and country. We are thankful for all the relationships that have been formed and nurtured through this program. To show our appreciation to all involved, including our multi-year funder the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we are holding a virtual REUNION, a gathering of Community Arts Exchange artists and partners from June 11th to 13th.

Learn More about the Reunion

Jumblies Community Arts Exchange grew from our cross-country relationships and mentorship. Jumblies has been supporting artist visits back and forth between Toronto and more distant partners for years, including during our 2015 Train of Thought tour. In 2016/17, thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Inspirit Foundation funds, we were able to pilot and develop a more structured Youth Artist Exchange program.

Starting in Spring/Summer 2018, we revived this successful program – now open to participants of all ages – thanks to to a 3-year Grow Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This enables us to support 36+ Ontario artists spending time in community arts contexts with Jumblies and Ontario partners, with a priority on including Indigenous artists and others seeking to overcome barriers (e.g. related to culture, geography, ability, finances) to pursuing their community arts aspirations.

Exchange artists are subsidized to attend Jumblies Artfare Essentials, and to spend time with a community arts partner located outside their home. They can also receive other support and mentorship and an invitation to participate in/contribute to evaluation processes and a final gathering.

While our OTF funds gives us a focus on Ontario exchanges, we hope still to have opportunities for Canada-wide exchanges in the coming years.

Our Ontario Community Arts Exchange has been continuing through pandemic times mostly by virtual means. This has included virtual and real visits, tours, workshops and creative collaborations with Northern Ontario partners, including Thinking Rock Community Arts, AlgomaTrad, Aanmitaagzi, and Ottawa Valley Creative Arts. and Studio Dreamshare.

During the winter, in partnership with MABELLEarts, we offered an online adaption of our Artfare Essentials workshop (‘The Art Of Community’), involving participants from Toronto and around Ontario.

In the spring, we are continuing with online connections: more workshops, mini-artist commissions and a final virtual gathering in June to conclude 3 years of Ontario Trillium Grow Grant funding.

Staff:
Miranda Bouchard: Northern Ontario Coordinator (April 2020 onwards)
Joanna Prescod: Toronto Coordinator (Sept 2020 onwards)

Activities July 2020 to June 2021

The Art of Community (Nov. 2020 – Feb. 2021): 3 iterations of our foundational Artfare Essentials workshop, adapted to an online format, delivered to artists from Toronto, around Ontario and beyond, including 6 ‘virtual site visits’ to Toronto and Northern Ontario community arts parners.

“Cutlery Companions”and other items from online Art of Community, by M. Bouchard

Nipissing First Nation Residency, with Aanmitaagzi, Nov 2021:
a week of physically-distancing creative explorations for 2 Jumblies Toronto artists and 6 artists from Nipissing FN and North Bay, at Big Medicine Studio.

mini-tipi. part of Nipissing First Nation creative process, photo: A. Marcus Raja

BESA (Oct-Nov. 2020): a new musical and movement work composed by Martin van de Ven, choroegraphed by Michelle Silagy and including performers from Toronto and Ontario for the virtual Vancouver Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival.

‘Besa’ movement troupe performing with small objects in Zoom

Ottawa Valley Workshop, Killaloe, Ontario (Aug. 2020): a live COVID-mindful residency with Ottawa Valley Creative Arts (OV-CAOS) and Studio Dreamshare, with one visiting Jumblies facilitator and 8 local artists from youth to elders.