THE HORIZON initiative, funded by the Toronto Arts Council (TAC), is a two-year exploration and ideation project to better understand the perceived needs and expectations of artists from arts organizations. There are ten partner organizations predominantly non-collecting contemporary art and film/video organizations—are collaborating: 

1. Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre

2. Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography

3. Le Labo

4. Mercer Union

5. The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery

6. Sur Gallery

7. Tangled Art + Disability

8. Whippersnapper Gallery

9. Xpace

10. YYZ Artists’ Outlet

YEAR ONE DEC 2018 TO DEC 2019

The objective in year one is to hear from a variety of stakeholder perspectives, in order to explore and gain insights on key topics and themes on the needs of artists. Each partner organizations will host a focus group and/or town hall and invite the public, subject matter experts and artists to participate. Quantitative and qualitative data from each event will be collected, analyzed and presented back to the partner organizations at the end of year one. 

YEAR TWO DEC 2019 TO DEC 2020 (EXTENDED TO AUG 2021)

The partner organizations will use the findings and recommendations, from year one, to inform the creation of their contributing projects in year two. Each partner's project will address any topic(s) and sub-themes they choose to within the context of the HORIZON's overarching objectives. For example, funding barriers, housing (affordable studio space), employment in art institutions, artist health, arts advocacy/policy, arts education, sustainable art productions and operations. 

OVER ARCHING TOPICS & SUB-THEMES: RE-IMAGINING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AS KEY INTERMEDIARIES, TO SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT ARTISTS NEEDS IN TORONTO

1. The social impact of art on social systems; considering art as shared-value and shared-cost, for a healthy society

2. Artist accessing resources and opportunities to help overcome barriers

3. Exploring the basic needs of artists

4. Politics of art advocacy, best practice

DISCUSSION FRAMEWORK

• MICRO Artists/community – collective grassroots advocacy

• MESO Institutions/organizations – roles of intermediaries

• MACRO Public/private – policy and infrastructure funding

OUTPUT/OUTCOMES

The HORIZON's intent is to ignite constructive conversations on the needs of artists through listening to key challenges, the discovery of new ideas, and opportunities for non-collecting contemporary arts organizations. The project is striding to achieve art sector measurable impact. Its aspiration includes identifying success indicators for artist run organizations. A final report will combine year one and year two, key insights, recommendations and artist success indicators. The report will be available to all stakeholders.

Whippersnapper Focus Group

Whippersnapper Gallery is a tiny artist-run centre committed to cultivating inclusive spaces for emerging visual and media arts, community arts, and experimental forms of exhibition making since 2005. We provide artists and cultural producers with a flexible platform to expand the parameters of their professional practice. Three main challenges and opportunities are: (1) Small size (Space), (2) Small team (Capacity), and (3) Lack of consistency. The focus group explored how to create and leverage impact for their members, while supporting community arts, in a small, but might spaces.

The focus group was held on Nov 30, 2019 and hosted 9 participants in total that represented their constituents in the Kensington Market, where their one-room space (without a bathroom) is located. The main HORIZON topics/sub-themes covered was:

Artists Accessing Resources and Opportunities to help overcome barriers; to support emerging artists, community art, programming and, Whippersnapper’s business model.

The facilitator had the following overarching questions to guide the conversation:

1. Introduction: allowed participants to reflect on their position (settlers) land acknowledgement

2. What kind of support are most needed for emerging artists?

3. As an artist-run centre, what is within Whippersnapper’s scope to provide?

4. How can we create a nimble business model to keep these small spaces alive?

5. How can we advocate and support small organizations/spaces?