2023 Equity & Access in the Arts grants

Through Connections & Exchanges: A Ten-Year Plan to Transform Arts and Heritage In Edmonton, the EAC commits to supporting Edmonton-based artists and collectives from communities that face barriers to access. This includes, but is not limited to, groups whose members are treated differently because of systemic barriers that disadvantage people based on their Indigenous heritage, racialized backgrounds, Deaf or disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and/​or immigration status. In 2022, 50% of artists and collectives funded by EAC self-identified as Indigenous and/​or equity-seeking (that includes our two deadlines for Individuals & Collectives and one for Equity & Access).

This year, the EAC is supporting 59 artists and collectives through our Equity & Access program. 

Stream 1: Exploration & Experimentation of the Equity & Access in the Arts program supports an individual artist to work on creation, experimentation, or research activities. In this cycle of the program, 21 artists were recommended for funding, for a total of $105,000:

• Asiah Holm will create content for an album that will include original compositions and spoken word poetry.
• Brittany Leitheiser will engage with theatre professionals and attend performances to learn more about set design and experiment with ideas for the play she is developing.
• Catalina Morales Velez will write the second draft of her fictionalized autobiography about a woman and her cat navigating loss and death in a foreign land, and her inward quest for rebirth.
• Charlene Artist will explore the complexities that arise when examining her identity and how it intersects with her artistic expression through her abstract expressionist paintings.
• Christine Ha will explore ways in which printmaking as artistic practice can be accessible, sustainable and in relationship with our environment.
• Cynthia Decore will create a collection of short fiction that blends Disability Justice and horror to explore themes of marginalization and vulnerability in capitalist spaces, apathy abetting exploitation, and experiences of housing insecurity.
• dee mccleneghan will design and fabricate a series of aprons based on fairy tales and myths.
• Erica Cawagas/​Lolasnotes will transcribe a repertoire of 30+ traditional Filipino rondalla arrangements into sheet music, making this music more accessible to musicians.
• Garfield Morgan will produce two and three-dimensional art with used clothing items which will be used to explore and highlight themes associated with the fast fashion industry.
• Jacky Benjamin Tollestrup will develop a paper-making and manipulating practice while delving more deeply into the intellectual milieu of queer figuration and the notion of ​‘indecency.’
• Jason Pultz will create a series of large format black and white acrylic creature portraits.
• Jeannette Sinclair will use narrative from her auto-ethnography/case study to create the foundation of a manuscript that will include photographs, poetry, and short stories to bring life to the work for future publishing.
• Julio Munhoz will research the music scene in Edmonton through the viewpoint of music supporters, independent musicians and music enthusiasts, trying to understand how music shapes and is influenced by the community.
• Juwayriya will create a collection of oil paintings to re-visualize the ancient art form of illuminated manuscripts.
• K’alii Luuyaltkw will create an anthology of poetic works from a child of the Nisga’a Nation in her search for justice, love, and reclaimed identity.
• Madhushri Deshpande will explore ways to fit Tri-Kala Jathis (syllables in three speeds), which is the nritta (purely technical movements) part of Bharatanatyam, into kritis where there is an emphasis on the lyrics to set a stage for experimental choreographies.
• Maryam Lary will explore mixed media art using string art combined with Arabic calligraphy and various painting techniques to give hope and inspire thoughtfulness.
• Nozomi Kamei will research Japanese Canadian history and cultures in Alberta and expand her photography skills.
• Oliver Lessard will undertake screenplay revisions for a feature film project set in the world of strip mall Taekwondo studios.
• Sam Schembri’s visual art project will follow the theme of identity in relation to multimedia and journey through experimentation to discover aspects of the self, focusing on local queer icons.
• Turtlescanpaint will expand her work as a landscape painter by experimenting with other mediums, such as oil paints.
  

With funding from Stream 2 of the Equity & Access in the Arts program, artists and arts professionals may receive support to pursue mentorship, attend a residency, or other forms of professional development. It is not necessary for an application to Stream 2 to be connected to a specific work, but receiving mentorship, attending a residency or professional development may be directed towards potential future work. 

11 artists were recommended for Stream 2 funding for a total of $98,880.

Read on to learn about the successful applicants from Stream 2:

• Braxton Garneau will take an online course with established contemporary stained glass artist Jarod Crews to incorporate stained glass into his artistic practice.
• Busyrawk will attend the Lightbox Expo from October 27 – 29, 2023, in Pasadena, California, for workshops, networking, and inspiration from veterans and other aspiring designers.
• Carly Neis will continue developing her skills as an accessibility coordinator to better support the disabled community and explore access in arts practices through mentors in the disability community.
• Cherelle George will delve deeper into Afro-Caribbean dance in Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, under the guidance of dance educator and Knowledge Keeper Miriam Scott, as well as Kieron Sargeant and Shola Roberts.
• David Jay (The Spaniard) will study Flamenco guitar and rhythms at Taller Flamenco in Seville, Spain, from January to March 2024.
• Jennifer Walker will participate in the Highlights Whole Novel Workshop in November 2023, in collaboration with award-winning writers, to edit works-in-progress.
• Josh Sahunta will undertake immersive production training with mentors Gethin Williams and James Earp, refining skills and unleashing creative potential in a dynamic learning environment.
• Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet will work with mentor Michelle Schultz to develop skills and knowledge to build a sustainable career as an artist.
• Qudsiyyah Bhayat will create large calligraphy compositions with help, guidance and feedback from her mentor, in order to learn the process from start to finish. This will involve online lessons and an in-person visit to Istanbul.
• Romar Dungo will work with several mentors to hone his on-screen acting and dancing skills and seek training from diverse working Canadian professionals to create a film reel.
• Sandra Olarte will work with a collective of aerial artists to improve their movement, expression, and artistry skills through dance and movement coaching with Jeannie Vandekerkhove and Deviani Andrea.

Stream 3 of the Equity & Access in the Arts program is intended to support artistic projects that are materially ready for production and/​or presentation, or projects that involve individual and/​or collective creation leading directly to production and/​or presentation.

In this cycle of the program, 27 artists/​collectives were recommended for funding, for a total of $597,974.

Read on to learn about the successful applicants and the exciting projects they are pursuing:

• Althea Cunningham will work with Mac Brock and Kat Evans to present The System, a multidisciplinary piece of theatre, at the Riser Edmonton festival.
• Beatrice Love will record a six-song EP and have two songs released to radio in Canada.
• Callum McKenzie will mount a solo exhibition featuring artwork informed by a recent residency at SNAP Gallery. The work exhibited will explore the inextricable entanglement of the artist’s neurodivergence, queerness and gender nonconformity.
• Daniel Foreman will create, produce, and present the short film Daughters of the Wolf, a supernatural thriller about a young Indigenous woman facing life-threatening challenges to ensure the wellbeing of her family.
• D’orjay and The Lovely Luvies Fam will create marketing/​band assets to support the release of two singles from their upcoming album in the hopes of increased reach, airplay, and engagement within the country music genre.
• Dwayne Martineau will create a multi-faceted solo exhibition for the Art Gallery of St. Albert featuring the new evolution of a previous work and the creation of two new bodies of work.
• Gabriel Esteban Molina will continue the development of his Memory Palace project for presentation next spring/​summer in London, England. Gabriel will develop new prints, new installations and videos, and AR and VR applications.
• Heather Bouchier, Kateao Nehua-Jackson, Jamie Medicine Crane, and Hinauri Nehua-Jacksonq will host a five-day, first-of-its-kind Indigenous fashion week with performances and networking events that includes an all-Indigenous lineup of designers, models, hair, makeup, photographers, live performers, vendors and artisans.
• Heather Shillinglaw will complete the creation of her piece titled ᒥᐦᑯᐯᒪᐠ ᒥᔪᑭᐣ mihkopêmak miyokin — red willow grows well (sturgeon river), for exhibition at the Art Gallery of St Albert in fall 2023.
• Josh Languedoc, Danielle LaRose, and Sheldon Stockdale are forming an Indigenous theatre collective and will be workshopping ​“The Eyes Of Spirits”, Josh Languedoc’s first full-length play.
• Jyn-Ting Ying will create an Electro-acoustic concept album where the main subject of the lyrical content centres AAPI experiences in North America.
• KATIITI will host an event in celebration of the Antidote of Oppression Project. It is a one-night event on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, showcasing artist’s work, an Unpacking Black Trans Legacy documentary screening, album launch and performances by Black Trans artists.
• Kena Leon will produce her first multi-disciplinary work, Queer Chords. The project has been selected as part of RISER Edmonton’s production stream for 2024, where Kena will undergo a full year of creative and administrative mentorship.
• Lebo Disele will use her grant for phase one of staging ​“Ogboingba Tries to Change her Fate” (Ogbo), in preparation for production in 2024. ​“Ogbo” is an adaptation of a traditional story, ​“The woman who tried to change her fate,” from the Ijaw people of modern-day Nigeria.
• Leo Gonzalez, Cecilia Ferreyra, Kena Leon, and Tyler Baker will produce Ay Candela!, a Cuban dance adaptation of Chicago that tells the tale of Candela, a famous Afrocuban dancer and star of Tropicana Club in Havana, and her biggest fan Lily.
• Lorraine Altmiks will offer a monthly speed drawing workshop at Alberta Avenue Community League from October 2023 until March 2024. These workshops are meant to assist in creative flow, taught from a neurodivergent perspective.
• Mama C, Jessica Holtby and Robert Tyndale will host Seeka Fest, a two-day, family event dedicated to celebrating and educating Edmontonians about the diversity within the Black community through music, art, workshops, and social engagement.
• Marla Palakkamanil will present a solo Kathak production, ​“Angikam”, an allegorical presentation of her journey in discovering her identity, striking a fine balance between her Eastern roots and Western influences.
• Little Tipi Family will craft traditional mini Nakota Sioux tipis to educate and share traditional tipi teachings, in addition to sharing her story of healing from residential day school.
• Naomi Jichita, Aaron Addorisio, Robyn Slack, Laena Anderson, and Navan Forsythe of the alt-folk-rock band Payphones will record, produce, promote, and distribute the single ​“Happy Here”.
• Nauzanin Knight will develop a scripted children’s 2D animation series titled ​“Happy, Pappy?” The series has been selected for The Big Pitch at TIFF 2023, and the grant will assist in completing the pilot episode to be pitched at the event.
• Saint Jackson will develop and workshop of Prayers in Peril, a semi-autobiographical theatre work combining theatre and spoken word poetry to tell a poignant story of queer Black Muslim experience in Alberta.
• Stephanie Harpe will record and release a professional studio recording and video of the song ​“Strong the River Flows”, a collaboration with musician Maria Dunn.
• Singin’ D will travel to Morant Bay, Jamaica in December of 2023 to record a new reggae, roots, and soul album, Sappleton Live at Xpanda Studios.
• Timiro Mohamed, Lebo Disele, Mpoe Mogale, Elsa Robinson, Ameley Quaye, and Cherelle George (Breaking Ground Art Collective) will focus on developing the collective’s artistic skills, seeking out additional collaborators, and taking the time to review and expand current creative elements to produce a full performance in 2024.
• Usha Gupta will form a North Indian Music Ensemble to perform at RAGA RANG (colors of the Raga) in fall 2024, presented by Brian Webb Dance Company.
• Yihua Zhang will create a wire installation titled 100 more that honours the ways diverse communities in Chinatown claim space through stories of resiliency, survival and care work.