8/4/2019 State of the Arts Topic 13: Art spaces: working and/or living and/or collaborating sustainably

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Discussion Report

#13Topic-Artspaces:workingand/orlivingand/orcollaboratingsustainably

WhenIdocollaborations,itmessesmeup.Itsagoodthing.E.Langley

Initiator-KatiaGrubisic

Participants-ChuckChilds,JunePark,ElizabethLangley,AllisonBurns,EliseMoser,Patrick

Goddard,MathieuPerron,LoriSchubert(govt:HelenMeredith,CharlesTaker)

DiscussionKeyPoints

-Whatarethecommunity/communitiesneedsforworkspace,forlivingspace(sharedor

ownedorco-oped)andwhatspecialneedsmightbeidentifiedoranticipated;

-othersimilarprojects:ArtspaceToronto,PALS(CdnActorsEquity),EspaceLibre,BennyFarm,LesEcuries,Griffintownartistrentalapartmentproject;

-existingresources:CaisseDesjardinsdelaCulture,QDFreal-estateconsultant,space

mentors;

-relatedquestions/issues:technical,infrastructuralneeds;municipalandzoningissues;

environmentalissues;attractingdevelopers/investors;theresultsofgentrification;extentof

thebenefittothecommunity;fiscalresponsibilityandperilsofownership/co-ownership.

Thegroupdiscussedthepossibilities,needsandperceivedchallengesinvolvedinfoundingand

sustainingspacesforartiststoliveand/orwork.Thesalientpointthatarosewastheneedfor

timeandsecuritymorethanincreasedfunding,morethanstructuredcollaborations,more

thananystrategicquestions,theindividualartistneedstoknowshewontgetkickedoutofher

studio,heneedstoknowhewonthavetotakeonthreeextracement-layingcontractstomake

hisrent.Theyneedtoknowthecommunityatlargevaluesthem,theirpresenceandtheirwork,

andtheyneedtoknowwhattheartscommunitiesresourcesare,andhowthoseresourcescan

bestbeshared.

Thisissuewasraisedinpartbecauseitseemstimely;Montrealseemstoberidinga

gentrificationwave,andtobeapproachingasocio-economictippingpointatwhichcultural

capitalisbeingsquashedbyapurelyeconomicbottomline.

Thesessiondidnotidentifythatindividualsfeltstronglythattheywantedtospearheadalive-

workartlandiainitiative(despiteourattemptstonominateChuckChilds).However,thefollowingpointsarose:

-Theneedtodoanyinfrastructureorspace/resourcesharinginitiativestoinvolvethe

Francophoneinstitutionsandindividuals;

-theimportanceofforegroundingspecificneedsandmeetingtheminagradual,organicand

collaborativemanner;

-therecognitionthatchaosisaninevitabilityifnotarequirementofcollaboration,andthe

8/4/2019 State of the Arts Topic 13: Art spaces: working and/or living and/or collaborating sustainably

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Discussion Report # p. 2underlyingmantrathatdestabilizationwhatmessesusupiswhywecreate.