Conference - Thursday, June 2, 2016

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See photos of Conference here

Conference – Thursday, June 2, 2016

Very Special Arts / Art / Education / Employment Disabilities 
Conference

Date: Thursday, June 2, 2016
Time: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 
Place: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 310

Conference Registration Form 2016.pdf

Purpose

Creating Art and Crafts Studios; Employment; and Marketing Opportunities; for Professional Artists with Disabilities.

Addressing Access and Barriers

Artists with disabilities deal with barriers to access and entry into the Fine Arts market. This is why CSAC feels that need to present this conference as artists with disabilities are often unable to advocate for themselves. The first barrier is awareness that access to professional artist materials and studios do exist. These resources are limited in numbers due to lack of funds, visibility and knowledge, of benefits reaped on an socio-economic scale. Disability pensions such as ODSP Ontario Disability Support Pension; provide enough to pay for food, clothing and shelter but do not extend to the purchase of professional supplies and housing. disabilities create barriers for developing relationships with professional art dealers, gallery curators and auction houses. The system in which earnings are proportionally deducted by government agencies discourages professional artists from pursuing a professional career path based n the fear of loss of the support benefits of Disability pensions. 

Access / Integration / Employment / Marketing

A Collective and/or Independent Enterprise(s) to represent the work by professional artists with disabilities in visual art and crafts by providing: 

1. Studio art/crafts/products/licensing/CARFAC Fees
2.Marketing products/creating a business plan
3. Network/distribution wholesale
4. Retail sales market 

  • • The Ministry of Economic Development and Ministries of Culture will be included to discuss creating a marketing plan. The Federal Government has been continually successful in the creation and marketing of Inuit Art in Canada.
  • • Collective Needs Assessment (statistics) for the further development of access to professional fine arts and crafts education, studio space, exhibition facilities and marketing. These channels are usually denied to artists with disabilities.
  • • To explore the possibility of forming a coalition or network or collective for artists with disabilities. This action will be discussed and decided upon at the conference. A collective would act to secure the financial commitment of Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments to commit to funding a community economic development project. It could provide:
  • • Create Professional Artists Access, Employment and Infrastructure and an alternative/non-traditional work program and an economic development plan.
  • • Goal to create professional arts training and marketing opportunities for entry into the Public Art Galleries, Retail Art Galleries and Fine Art Markets.

Part Two

Collective Needs Assessment of creation of access to professional fine arts and crafts education, studio space, exhibition facilities and marketing access to the retail market which is accessible to main stream artists in the way of art dealers, reproduction of art images for commercial usage. These channels are usually denied emerging artists with disabilities, The Ministry of Economic Development and Ministries of Culture should be invited to discuss creating a marketing plan which was previously successful in the creation and marketing of Inuit Art in Canada.

Create Professional Artists Access, Employment and Infrastructure viable work program and economic development program - Goal to create professional arts training and marketing opportunities for entry into the Public Art Galleries, Retail Art Galleries and Fine Art Markets.

Part Three

To explore the possibility of forming a coalition or network or collective for artists with disabilities. This action will be discussed and decided upon at the conference. A collective would act to secure the financial commitment of Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments to commit to funding a community economic development project; to provide the coordinators; for development for professional artists with disabilities; accessible professional fine arts studios and a marketing plan for the distribution and sales of fine arts and crafts.

Target audiences for the conference:

          1. • Artists with special needs
            • Special Needs/Disabilities Educators currently providing support to artists with disabilities
            • Occupational Therapists, Physio therapists, Art therapists currently employed in support services to artists with disabilities
            • Provincial Ministries of Education, Economic Development Employment and Infrastructure
            • Organizations delivering services to artists with disabilities
            • Art and disability organizations/advocates
            • Federal Govt. Employment Agencies and Arts agencies 

            Successful Models of Arts and Crafts Studios and Marketing

            • Able Arts, Japan   – Ellen Anderson
            • Koboshu, and L'art Brut Japan   – Mayuko Ueda
            • Creative Growth, Oakland, California   – Ellen Anderson
            • Exceptional Children's Foundation, Los Angeles, California   – Anne Guven
            • Crafts Studio, Day Break, L'Arche, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada   – Debbie Dew
            • Peel District School Board, and Post 21 program Peel District   – John Patrick, Ryan Machete
            • Dorset Fine Arts, Canada 

Conference Schedule
Limit of 50 registered spaces

Metro Hall
55 John Street (South-east corner of King and John, two blocks east of Spadina)
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6

Public transit: subway to St. Andrew, then walk through "PATH" to Metro Hall or walk above ground 2 blocks west.

Accessible entrances and ramps
The primary accessible entrance to Metro Hall is the John Street main entrance. There is a single door that is accessible by a ramp from both the north and south sides of the building. The East Rotunda/Metro Square entrance door is also fully accessible. There is an intercom at both these doors that can be used to contact the Security Desk for assistance. See map for locations.

Wheel-Trans
The John Street main entrance is the Wheel-Trans drop-off and pick-up location.

Parking
There is parking in the Metro Centre parking lot off Wellington Street. See map for location. For more information please call 416-408-3913 or visit www.impark.com.

Security Desk
Should you require accessibility information or assistance, please call Metro Hall Security at 416-397-7201. For general inquiries, please call 311.

Additional information
There is an elevator in the concourse that is accessible to travel to and from the Metro Centre concourse.


Registration Form: Click to fill out, save and send/print, email/mail.

Conference Registration Form 2016.pdf