How do artist-educators in remote communities search for inspiration from their peers across Canada? How can a teacher find an artist with whom to collaborate? How can parents, students or life-long learners discover all of the arts programs available to them in their own communities?
Our digital world allows for unprecedented access, but online information is segmented, and internet searches favour websites with heavy traffic, leaving smaller organizations and individuals artists at a disadvantage.
The results of four major research studies conducted by The Canadian Network for Arts & Learning uncovered the need for a comprehensive map of the arts and learning sector in Canada.
The collective voices of artists, educators, arts administrators, cultural leaders, policy makers and other arts education practitioners have called for a central, comprehensive resource for information on the work being done and the people doing the work.
In 2016, the Canadian Network for Arts & Learning received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to create a database and map of Ontario. With support from additional funders, The Map has expanded to include all of Canada, and will feature more than 10,000 contacts by the end of the year 2020.
Canada’s Map of Arts & Learning will become the central portal for arts-based education, revealing strengths and gaps helping ensure that all Canadians have equitable access to high quality arts learning opportunities. The Map will also be an important tool in fostering alliances and collaborations among artists and educators.
Data for the map is collected by compiling publicly available information on the Internet into one database. Further details are gathered by email and through self-reporting forms on our website.
Data is also collected in person at our biennial conference and through our Eduarts Networking Hubs series, presented in partnership with community arts organizations and associations.
By connecting diverse arts and learning communities, we will highlight the importance of arts education and increase access to meaningful arts experiences for all Canadians, cultivating a more creative, innovative and prosperous Canada.