An Update from our Project Director, Natalie Álvarez
TAIP’s summer newsletter is an opportunity to reflect on the momentum that has been building across the partnership over the past few months. What began as a shared ambition to rethink how we understand and document the civic impacts of the arts is increasingly taking shape through new collaborations, rich conversations, and the collective energy of this extraordinary community.
In June, our cluster co-leads gathered in Montréal to share the first insights emerging from their literature reviews and environmental scans. It was an inspiring opportunity to see connections taking shape across our four research clusters and to begin identifying the questions that will guide our work in the years ahead. Shortly thereafter, we met with the Canada Council's National Research Group, bringing together research funders from across the country to explore shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration.
We are especially excited to be collaborating with arts organizations across Canada on our first impact data projects. Funders have a wealth of data on arts’ impact with limited capacity to synthesize and analyze it. Through this pilot project with funders, TAIP intends to build capacity in funders’ abilities to track and communicate the civic impacts of the arts to their communities and provincial governments.
As our network continues to grow, so too does our commitment to creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue among researchers, artists, cultural leaders, and communities. We are thrilled to join forces with our newest partner organization, Culture pour tous, a leader in cultural mediation and civic participation across Quebec and francophone Canada. In the months ahead, much of our attention will turn to the focus group discussions that form the heart of TAIP's first phase.
We are especially excited to invite into these conversations voices that have too often been excluded from defining cultural value and impact. By listening across diverse artistic practices, communities, and lived experiences, we hope to build impact frameworks that more fully reflect the ways the arts contribute to civic life in Canada. Thank you for being part of this growing community. We're excited for what lies ahead and look forward to sharing the next chapter of TAIP with you.
Warmly,
Natalie