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To Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis and Inuit)1 artists, collectives and arts organizations
(including collaborations with non-Aboriginal artists and organizations)
{Re}conciliation:
Articulations through artistic expression of conciliation
and reconciliation
Call for proposals to create new artworks reflecting the
conciliation and reconciliation experience in Canada
Deadline for submissions
Complete proposals must be received via e-mail by 11h59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 24, 2015
at [email protected].
Maximum amount
$75,000
Timelines
Successful candidates selected: September 1, 2015
Successful candidates contacted: early September 2015
Artworks completed: September 1, 2016 (dissemination activities may continue after this date)
Final report submitted: October 31, 2016
The Canada Council for the Arts, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, and The Circle on Philanthropy
and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada are inviting Aboriginal artists, collectives and arts organizations in
Canada (including collaborations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists or organizations) to
submit proposals for projects that investigate and share knowledge on how the arts can contribute to
the ongoing process of conciliation and reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Peoples
in Canada.
“Reconciliation is about forging and maintaining respectful
relationships. There are no shortcuts.”
– Justice Murray Sinclair
“Collective efforts from all peoples are necessary to revitalize the
relationship between Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian society –
reconciliation is the goal. It is a goal that will take the commitment of
multiple generations but when it is achieved, when we have
reconciliation – it will make for a better, stronger Canada.”
– Excerpt from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada2
1
Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 defines “Aboriginal peoples of Canada” as including Indian, Inuit and Métis
peoples. http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-16.html
2
http://www.trc.ca/websites/reconciliation/index.php?p=312
The Canada Council for the Arts, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on
Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada are taking up the challenge to think beyond the 2015
conclusion of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
We recognize the important role that art and culture can – and do – play in the ongoing search for a
renewed relationship between Aboriginal Peoples of this land and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
For First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, having a connection to culture can provide a sense of
shared identity and community. Canadian society has changed greatly over the past few decades. The
work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
before it, pointed to a new direction, hence the chance for a new relationship between Aboriginal
Peoples and Canadian society. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities alike all have a stake in
addressing reconciliation and conciliation. By fostering critical and creative collaborations between
artists and communities, this initiative seeks to provoke that discussion. The time for creative, crosscultural and mutual dialogue is now.
The {Re}conciliation call for proposals looks to the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit
Peoples to incorporate art in any and all forms as a process for dialogue, education, understanding, and
ultimately, change in Canadian society.
Background: a difficult (and modern) history
Indian residential schools
The first residential schools were created by the Government of Canada following passage of the
Indian Act in 1876. The last residential school closed in 1996. During this chapter in Canadian history,
more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were forced to attend these schools, some of
which were hundreds of miles from their home. We are only now beginning to truly understand the
widespread and devastating abuse many of these children suffered, and the ongoing effects it has had
on individuals, families and communities.
The 60s Scoop
The 60s Scoop refers to the forced adoption of as many as 20,000 First Nation/Métis children in
Canada between the years of 1960 and 1990. Coined the “60s Scoop” because the highest numbers of
adoptions took place in the decade of the 1960s, children were forcibly removed from their homes and
communities without the knowledge or consent of families and bands and were adopted into nonAboriginal families. Victims and families of these children have fought for decades to find their family
members and seek redress from the government.
Incarceration rates for Aboriginal Peoples
An October 2012 report by Canada’s Office of the Correctional Investigator found that, although
Aboriginal People constitute only 4% of the Canadian population, they represent 23% of the federal
prison inmate population, with an increase of 40% between 2001 and 2011. The report also found that
Aboriginal People are sentenced to longer terms, spend more time in maximum security or segregation,
are less likely to be granted parole, and are more likely to have their parole revoked.
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Missing and murdered Aboriginal women
The RCMP recently released a report on murdered and missing Aboriginal women in Canada covering
the period between 1980 and 2012. The report found there were 1,181 investigations of Aboriginal
females murdered or missing during the period, including 1,017 homicide victims and 164 missing.
Many have called the ongoing vulnerability of Aboriginal women and girls a “national tragedy”.
The cumulative impact of these and many other tragic histories is a legacy of unresolved trauma passed
from generation to generation that has had a profound effect on the relationship between Aboriginal
Peoples and other Canadians.
In “thinking beyond”, how might artists, thinkers, survivors, activists, and members of the Aboriginal
and general public continue the work of truth-telling, bearing witness, and reckoning that must take
place in Canada? How might critical and creative collaborations contribute to the reconfiguration – or
even replacement – of the notion of 'reconciliation' that has dominated the national discourse?
Scope and objectives
We recognize that cultural self-determination by Aboriginal Peoples contributes to the ongoing multidimensional, multi-generational renewal of relationships between Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian
society. Together we can and must move forward to a new relationship that acknowledges the past,
confronting difficult and disturbing histories while advancing towards a future of shared possibilities
and mutual respect.
By supporting a series of individual or collaborative art projects, the Canada Council and its partners
seek to encourage innovative artwork and dissemination activities responding to the impacts of trauma
experienced by Aboriginal Peoples while also exploring the challenges and the possibilities of creating
new dialogues and discourses of conciliation and reconciliation.
The objectives are:
•
To use the arts as a vehicle of understanding and relationship building between Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal communities in Canada
•
To support the creation and dissemination of artworks in any and all art forms, disciplines or
genres that articulate critical and creative responses of the Aboriginal community to cumulative
trauma
•
To investigate the potential of conciliation and reconciliation using art to engage Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal audiences in Canada
•
To build audience development and community initiatives within the healing process, challenge,
provoke, reflect and witness through an artistic lens
•
To articulate the challenges and the possibilities of creating, through the arts, new dialogues and
discourses about conciliation and reconciliation.
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Eligible candidates
•
Individuals of Aboriginal Heritage who are 18 years and older:
o
o
o
o
o
must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
professional artists
cultural professionals (for example, curators, scholars, producers)
cultural carriers (for example, Elders, knowledge keepers)
cultural connectors (for example, traditional educators, language holders)
•
Collectives composed of a majority of Aboriginal individuals (see above)
•
Organizations whose artistic direction, creative/editorial control and financial accountability/
responsibility are fulfilled by Aboriginal staff or board member(s):
o
o
o
non-profit organizations (registered or not registered)
for-profit publishing houses and magazines
other similar organizations
Ineligible candidates include Crown corporations and federal, territorial, provincial, or municipal
governmental organizations.
Eligible projects must:
•
•
•
•
comprise the creation of new, original artwork(s) in First Nations, Inuit and Métis customary and
contemporary artistic and cultural practices, in any combination of art forms, disciplines or genres
be led by First Nations, Inuit or Métis individuals, collectives or organizations (collaborations with
non-Aboriginal artists or arts organizations are eligible and encouraged as long as the participants of
Aboriginal Heritage remain the leads)
be in an Aboriginal language, or in English, or in French, or a combination (for artworks involving
language)
demonstrate a high level of engagement with Aboriginal and/or non-Aboriginal audiences by
including public engagement activities and dissemination strategies for the artwork(s).
Ineligible projects include capital or infrastructure projects, student works and artworks that have
already been completed even if they have not been presented yet. Projects currently funded through, or
waiting for the results of an application to, one of the Canada Council’s or the J.W. McConnell Family
Foundation’s granting programs are also not eligible.
Access Support
Individuals who are Deaf or have disabilities may apply for additional funds to cover expenses for
specific services and supports that are required to carry out the project. The Canada Council may
contribute toward the access-related expenses.
Eligible expenses for access support may include, but are not limited to, the following:
•
•
•
•
Sign language interpretation
A personal attendant
A guide
Rental of specialized equipment.
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The Canada Council will not contribute to the following expenses:
•
•
•
Major capital expenses (e.g. purchase of wheelchair, vehicle, computer, renovations, etc.)
Services and supports for which an individual is already receiving funding
Services and supports that are not directly tied to the activities supported by the initiative.
Access Support requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not shared with the committee.
Please communicate with the contact person for this call for proposals if you have any questions about
access support.
Evaluation of the proposals
The Canada Council will create a committee comprised of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal professional
artists and cultural workers who will refer to the following criteria to determine a ranking of proposals:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Artistic merit and suitability of the proposed project and artistic process
Ability of the candidate(s) to carry out the project
Support material
Budget and timeline that demonstrate the feasibility of the project
Quality and appropriateness of public engagement and dissemination activity
Appropriate use of ceremony, protocol and customary practices within the specific region in Canada
(if applicable)
All candidates will be notified of their results by email. Successful candidates will be invited to a
gathering at Wasan Island in Muskoka in late September 2015 (all expenses covered by McConnell
Foundation), where they will engage in dialogue about their proposed work in collaboration with leaders
from Aboriginal, philanthropic and arts communities. These discussions are meant to provide a chance
for the successful applicants to meet the other artists/teams, and to discuss concepts and contexts of
conciliation and reconciliation.
The Council retains complete discretion in deciding which proposals meet the requirements for this
initiative and what evidence will be considered adequate to indicate compliance with these requirements.
In addition, the Council reserves the right in its sole discretion to:
•
•
request, in writing or orally, clarification or additional information regarding a proposal
withdraw the Call for Proposals at any time.
Additional information for individuals and collectives
Canada Council for the Arts grants and awards are taxable. If you have any tax-related questions,
please contact the Canada Revenue Agency or your provincial or territorial revenue department.
The Privacy Act gives individuals the right to access and request correction of personal information
about themselves. The Canada Council for the Arts will protect personal information as required by
the Privacy Act. The information will be stored in a series of Canada Council for the Arts data banks
described in Info Source, a government publication that is available on the Internet. All other
information may be accessible to others under the Access to Information Act.
The Canada Council will share information regarding successful candidates with its partners on a
confidential basis.
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Ownership and presentation of the works
The artwork must be independent, with the artist, collective or organization retaining ownership and
rights. The artist, collective or organization has the right to present, at any time, the work at any
presentation venue (such as a festival, gallery, theatre or performance space) and receive any fees or
royalty payments that ensue, however support by the {Re}conciliation initiative with the Canada
Council for the Arts, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on Philanthropy and
Aboriginal Peoples in Canada must be acknowledged in all print and video material, including social
media and related technologies.
The Canada Council for the Arts, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on
Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada will have the non-exclusive right to present the work
of the successful proposal at venues/locations for limited durations without further remuneration to
the artist, collective or organization retaining ownership and rights. In addition, the Canada Council
for the Arts, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal
Peoples in Canada will have the right, in perpetuity, to disseminate the work at any Canada Council
event or location, including the web and social media.
Acknowledgement
Successful candidates must acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the J.W.
McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in
the credits, promotional material, or any other descriptive text associated with the project.
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Call for Proposals – Submission Requirements
Complete proposals submitted via email only at [email protected].
Section A – Profile of the candidate
a) Complete the Identification of Candidate form.
b) Provide a biography or artistic résumé with relevant professional experience for all main
project participants (list of past projects in chronological order, etc.)
Section B – Summary of the proposal (maximum of 100 words)
Section C – Project description
Clearly describe the project and the artistic concepts behind it. Place particular emphasis on the
requirements as stated in this call for proposals. Include an estimated timeline for delivery of the
project (maximum of 2500 words).
Section D – Public engagement activities/Dissemination strategy
Section E – Suitability of the candidate
Describe why you are best suited to deliver this project, including past experience and, if any, past
collaborators (maximum of 2000 words).
Section F – Budget
Complete the Budget form. Successful candidates will receive a maximum of $75,000 to cover
eligible expenses. Your budget must demonstrate the feasibility of the project being completed
on time and provide details of associated costs.
Note: Costs that appear in any other current funding request or that have already been funded by the
Canada Council for the Arts, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and The Circle on Philanthropy
and Aboriginal Peoples are not eligible.
Section G – Access support (if applicable)
Individuals who are Deaf or have disabilities and who wish to apply for additional funds to cover
expenses for specific services and supports must complete the Access Support form.
Section H – Audio-visual support material
Provide samples of your previous artistic work in one of the following ways:
•
web links (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) in your submission email to [email protected] (do NOT
attach audio-visual support material files to your email)
OR
•
files submitted through an FTP portal. Contact [email protected] for details.
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Image files must be:
•
JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) or PDF format
•
RGB colour mode
•
no larger than 1.5 MB each
Audiovisual files must be:
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viewable with VLC media player (for more information, consult www.videolan.org/vlc/)
•
a maximum 60 FPS
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a maximum resolution of 1080P (or frame size of 1920 x 1080)
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no larger than 4 GB each
Questions about this Call for Proposals?
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414
in English
Steven Loft
Coordinator, Aboriginal Arts Office
Extension 5212
[email protected]
in French
Claude Schryer
Coordinator, Inter-Arts Office
Extension 4204
[email protected]
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
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