Continuing the Work: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and ArtistsInspire
Practicing principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is ongoing. In fact, it is not separate from the goings on of administering a project like ArtistsInspire; it is always there, like that important pair of reading glasses you need to make sure you’re seeing things in the best way possible. Below, we describe a few examples of ordinary AIG events, where principles of EDI and an ethics of care guided the decision-making process.
Connecting with Indigenous Communities
Right from the start of the ArtistsInspire Project (AIG), the team had established a partnership with In Path and the Cree School Board through their Mikw Chiyâm Program (read more on this collaboration HERE). Over the years, this allowed for a number of northern schools to work with local and non-local Artists on a variety of amazing collaborative projects, often partnering an emergent Artist with a more experienced one.
It can be challenging to establish a relationship with a community when there are so many kilometers between us. Sometimes checking in with emails and phone calls and simply reminding people that they can access our funds to work with a local artist goes a long way. We understand that people are busy, and all sorts of things happen both in schools and in communities, so sometimes a plan begins to unfold and then must be put on hold. This was the case with the Kativik School Board, which had a multi-school AIG video project planned for the 2019-2020 school year and then COVID happened… It took a few years to pick up the momentum again. During the 2023-2024 year, a beautiful project took place at Jaanimarik School in the Kativik School Board with Inuit tattoo Artist Ayaan Berthe, who passed on her knowledge of traditional Inuit tattoos to the students.
Making a list of LGBTQ2IA+ Teaching Artists
The impetus behind making a list of LGBTQ2IA+ teaching Artists emerged from a conversation with a school board consultant, who asked if we had such a thing. A few schools and community organizations asked if there were teaching Artists in our roster that had integrated their lived experience as members of the LGBTQIA2IA+ into their workshops. We presented the question to our community by asking if Artists identifying as queer would be comfortable facilitating workshops in identity-affirming ways for the LGBTQIA2S+ community and allies. The response was very positive, and we ended up assembling a list of ten teaching Artists who were comfortable discussing their lived experience with workshop participants.
Knowing in advance that a project touches on aspects of queerness allows for topics to be discussed openly, in a sensitive fashion through the particularities of lived experience. For a young person, this may present a rare opportunity to have the chance to discuss the subject matter in a candid and normative way. It is important to note that teaching Artists are usually not therapists, social workers, or any other form of professional aid, but are working Artists with lived experience. A conversation between the school and the Artist to discuss the details of any project is always needed prior to starting.
The Nuances of Black History Month
We had heard over the years that Black Artists were particularly busy during Black History Month. On the one hand, it is wonderful that schools are interested in deepening their understanding of the lived experience and art forms practiced by Black Quebec Artists, and that this creates opportunities for them. On the other hand, Black Artists might feel as though they must represent some form of Black experience and speak for the community. This risks tokenizing Black Artists, which is not at all desirable. It is a delicate line to walk.
One particular Artist expressed to AIG that they would not be offering any workshops during the month of February as a gesture to demonstrate to schools that they should be thinking about Black Artists throughout the school year. Through our discussions, it became clear that we needed to address the issue of promoting Black Artists during and beyond Black History Month. After discussing the issue with ELAN’s inclusion committee and with Black members of our Artist roster, we worked collaboratively to craft a letter to our school community to express the following:
“As Black History Month approaches, in continuing with ELAN Quebec’s commitment towards equity, diversity and inclusion, we invite you to discover our incredible workshops, featuring professional Black Artists from all over Quebec. Many of our Artists are available during the month of February. We also strongly encourage you to expand your students’ knowledge of Black art forms from around the world and celebrate Quebec’s vibrant Black artistic community at any time during the school year.”
Final Thoughts
Every new situation is potentially a learning experience, and the ELAN ArtEd team strives to approach each new interaction with transparency and sensitivity. We continue to strive for improvement, and remain open to conversations about how we might strengthen our project and support Artists as well as schools. For a conversation with us on this subject, please reach out to Guillaume Jabbour at artedcoach@quebec-elan.org.
Yours,
The ELAN ArtEd Team
Guillaume Jabbour, Barbara von Thaden, Christie Huff, Rain Huff & Louise Campbell
