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Artist Repertory Project - Artist questionnaire online Diversité artistique Montréal (DAM) is presently working on an online artist repertory project, where professional artists of diverse origins and of all disciplines are invited to fill out a questionnaire that details their professional profile and artistic disciplines. Once the selection process completed, this repertory will be installed on DAM's website in June, 2008 in order to increase the visibility of these artists. This project is offered free of charge and created in collaboration with CAM (Conseil des arts de Montréal) and CRI (Conseil des relations interculturells) . For those who have not yet participated, now the questionnaire is online and easier to fill out! For more information, please see direct link below: In a city like Montreal, where many members of different ethnocultural communities live and whose numbers swell each year with new immigrants who increase the vitality of the community, it behoves us to determine what status these people hold in Montreal's artistic society. During the past few years, this concern has been the subject of many meetings and discussions at all levels, bringing together members of the political, educational and economic sectors to deliberate on ideas and solutions. These discussions have also provided a type of wake-up call to all who participate. Artists who are not Canadian, French or British remain less represented than the general artistic population of Quebec and their average income level also remains less than their Quebec counterparts. According to the 2001 Canadian census, 3,000 immigrant artists live in the Montreal region, or 16% of the general artistic community of Montreal, and the same census notes that the total ethnocultural community of Montreal represents 28% of its overall population. Furthermore, the average income of ethnocultural artists in Montreal is pegged at $23,000, which is 23% less than the average Montreal artist. (Diversity in Canada's Art Labour Force, an analysis on the census data of 2001 - Strategies for the Arts - Vol. 3, no. 3 - Hill's Strategies Research Inc. February 2005) Therefore, it must be recognized that the artists from ethnocultural communities are vastly underrepresented in terms of access to artistic organizations and support mechanisms in comparison to their actual numbers within the artistic community of Montreal. A quick glance at the programs of Montreal cultural organizations, both large and small, indicate much further the lack of support that is in place for these ethnocultural artists. As we believe that the diversity of cultural expression is an immensely important contribution to the evolution and growth of the cultural community of Montreal, we created the organization - Diversité artistique de Montréal - in order to eliminate this imbalance. Background Cognoscente of the vast demographic diversity which characterizes Montreal, in 2003 the Conseil des arts de Montréal undertook a project of recognizing this diversity in the arts and promoting the inclusion of these artists and the public of these ethnocultural communities. This initiative immediately created a consultation committee whose purpose was to establish parameters and recommendations which would form the basis of the conference held at the Saidye Bronfman Centre March 30th 2004, under the auspices of the Conseil. The theme of this conference was "Artistic Diversity in Montreal: a richness to share" (La diversité artistique de Montréal: une richesse à partager) and offered an opportunity for more than 200 people from the artistic and cultural milieus of Montreal to discuss the question of cultural diversity within the arts. One of the primary results of this conference was the creation of a Delegation for the Cultural Diversity of Montreal (Délégation sur la diversité culturelle dans les arts) (Delegation). The mandate of this committee, which is composed of thirty people from different disciplines within the artistic community, was to identify means by which the culturally diverse artists, their communities and their organizations could be more involved and included in the general artistic community of Montreal. The work of the delegation produced many concrete results. In February 2005, the Delegation presented a brief to the Office of Public Consultation of Montreal, for the public hearings on the Cultural Policy for the City of Montreal. This brief contained many elements of information on the artistic ethnocultural community including the systematic obstacles which affect these artists and their communities. The voice of the Delegation was certainly listened to and many recommendations contained in the final report from the Office of the Public Consultation reflected those presented by the Delegation. In September of the same year, the Delegation proposed these same recommendations to the Conseil des arts de Montreal. Among the recommendations presented were: to put a cultural policy in place on equality and diversity, ensure representation of persons from ethnocultural communities on all juries and committees, and to hire a person who would be responsible for communicating with and supporting the artists from the ethnocultural communities. The Conseil agreed with these proposals, and as a result, in the ensuing months there will be a cultural policy created which provides for the promotion of cultural diversity, the hiring of a liaison and development officer for cultural diversity, and the creation of a consultative committee for cultural diversity. Following these accomplishments, at a meeting in January 2006 the Delegation decided that it was time to evolve further in order to expand its impact. A Founding Committee was created in order to formally incorporate the new organization under the name of Diversité Artistique Montréal or D.A.M. Mission/Mandate After intensive discussions over the past two years, the members of D.A.M. have outlined the mandate of the new organization as follows;
In order to achieve this mandate, the members of the organization commit to the following objectives:
Administrative Committee At the meeting of January 16, 2006, when the Delegation decided to incorporate as the Diversité artistique de Montréal (D.A.M.), a founding committee for the new organization was created. This committee currently serves as the provisional Board of Directors until the first Annual General Meeting or Founding Meeting, at which time there will be a formal election of a first formal Board of Directors. The founding committee members are:
To become a member of D.A.M. Any person who supports the mandate and objectives of D.A.M. may become a member of the organization. As a member, you show your support of the cause our organization endorses, - the recognition and inclusion of professional artists from ethnocultural communities into the Montreal cultural network. As well, by joining our organization, you will have the right to vote at Annual General Meetings, for motions affecting the organization and the Board of Directors. In order to become a member of D.A.M., please download the form, fill it out and return it with your payment to the address below:
Diversité artistique Montréal Links
Information
Monika Majewski, |
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