Culturally Based Training and Indigenous Spaces

There are many systematic barriers for Indigenous artists and organizations to overcome towards creating and producing self-determined work. Funding opportunities for Indigenous training organizations have suffered especially, even before the Covid pandemic. Mainstream training funding often excludes Indigenous organizations, and Indigenous artists are forced to work within colonial structures and evaluation frameworks.

In order to disrupt this cycle, thinking about different models and systems to support self-determined work can empower Indigenous artists to move forward. The speakers in this session will share the ways in which they are creating new models and enhancing current western approaches to building a new future that offers culturally based training for Indigenous artists. By focusing on how to support training and professional development, Indigenous artists and organizations can be uplifted through self-determination and agency.

This conversation with Santee Smith, Rose C. Stella, and Brefny Caribou was facilitated by Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan.

The Indigenous Creative Spaces Project brings together a network of communities to support the development of Indigenous sovereign creative spaces across Ontario. Guided by an Indigenous Advisory Circle and supported by ArtsBuild Ontario, the project aims to build a framework of knowledge and experience within a cultural and historic context, and determine the needs and recommendations for future infrastructure and sustainable development across the arts ecology of Ontario.

As part of the overall project, this series of online dialogues has been facilitated with Indigenous communities across Ontario, and we welcome you to today’s discussions from whichever territory you arrive.

Please note the information shared in public dialogues may not be extracted for any reasons other than personal knowledge.