Despite being a vital component of human culture and development, learning in, through, and about the arts is consistently being impeded by a variety of barriers, ranging from a lack of funding to public percepDons and mindsets.
The Canadian Network for Arts and Learning (CNAL) is working to unite local, regional, and naDonal arts and learning communiDes with the aim of transforming the arts educaDon landscape and culDvaDng a more creaDve, innovaDve, and prosperous Canada.1 Part of their networking task involves the development of an online map that will showcase and connect the diverse arts and learning enDDes across the country. A three- year iniDaDve funded by the Ontario Trillium FoundaDon is currently underway to start the mapping process in Ontario.
To gather feedback pertaining to the usefulness and funcDonality of the map, CNAL is conducDng a series of Eduarts hubs across Ontario that bring together various stakeholders within arts and learning. Each hub involves arts workshops and/or presentaDons, followed by an audio-recorded focus group discussion.
Findings from the five focus group discussions from Year 1 of the project are summarized in this report. Participants provided insight into the status of arts and learning in their communities and discussed how the map might benefit their particular contexts. Practical suggestions and strategies to improve the map and promote the growth of the arts sector were also discussed at length. The information gained through the hubs is continuously being used to inform and develop the map.
The Year 1 hubs aimed to gather insight from various stakeholders in the arts regarding the status of arts and learning in their communities, the issues and barriers they face, and how the proposed online map might help them achieve their goals.