nia centre for the arts executive summary

Centre for the Arts

Nia Centre for the Arts

Research and Development Phase

2008

720 Bathurst St, Suite 402, Toronto, ON M5S 2R4 | 416 535 2727 | info@ niacentre.org

Executive Summary

Nia Centre for the Arts Executive Summary of 12

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Initiative Summary……………………………………………………………………………....3

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...4

Organizational Overview……………………………………………………………………………....5

Spatial Considerations & Design…………………………………………………………………………………..7

Programming……………………………………………..…………………………..9

Sustainability………………………………………………………………………….12


I N I T I A T I V E S U M M A R Y

Nia is an African Canadian Centre for the Arts. It is an Arts Centre focused

on education, self-determination, and community development for youth,

with a focus on Black youth in Toronto’s most underserved communities.

Nia engages the arts as a vehicle to provide young people with the tools

to combat and overcome various social barriers that hinder their social

and personal growth. As a multi-disciplinary workspace of approximately

10, 000 sq ft., Nia will house a number of arts-based organizations and

programming that currently exist across Toronto. Nia will become a local

and international point of reference for all people interested in engaging

African-based arts and culture in Toronto. Recently, Nia completed its

research and development phase and is in the midst of securing a

building to begin programming in 2010.

At peak operating levels, Nia will service anywhere from 250-300 youth on

a weekly basis through a potential of twelve different programs divided

into five streams. As a community arts hub, Nia will consist of several

spaces that will make artistic, entrepreneurial, cultural and social

resources accessible to the most underserved youth. These spaces will

work to stimulate arts development both in Nia’s local neighbourhood

and across the city of Toronto. In an international context, Nia will

operate on a level similar to the Africa Centre in England or the Black Arts

& Cultural Centre in the United States, coordinating conferences and

festivals that engage both Canadian life as well as the African diaspora.

Theword“nia”comesfromthe

ArabicandSwahiliwordmeaning

purposeorintent.


I N T R O D U C T I O N

Vision To empower young people to facilitate social and political change in

their communities through the arts.

To ensure the holistic development of Toronto’s most underserved,

marginalized and criminalized youth by providing a balance between life-

resource development, cultural expression and marketable skilled

development through the arts

Nia’s Philosophy Nia is deeply invested in the potential of art to transform the lives of young

people who face social barriers. Thus, Nia is based on four pillars:

education and continuous learning, artistic engagement, active

citizenship and community. We believe art, in all forms, is a powerful tool

to develop life skills as well as increase the self-worth of racialized

individuals in Canadian society.

Mission Nia aims to provide young people with the tools to overcome social

barriers to success, such as racism, sexism, systemic oppression, poverty

and violence by:

Pursuing social justice via artistic engagement.

Facilitating the personal and social development of young racialized people.

Fostering the continuing growth of various forms of art

indebted to the Afro-diasporic experience.


O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L O V E R V I E W

Governance

Nia will be governed by a seven-member board of directors, with the help

of an eleven-member youth advisory board and an executive resource

team consisting of eleven community arts animators. Decisions around

Nia’s legal status will be made in the first quarter of 2010 by the board of

directors.

Human Resources

During Nia’s first three years of operation the centre will be staffed by five

core and five contract/seasonal positions in addition to human resources

lent by partnering agencies. In 2010 Nia’s core staff will consist of an

Executive Director, Operations Manager, Program Manager, Financial

Sustainability Specialist and an Administrative Coordinator.

Nia has received organizational mentorship from b current and will also

work with the following organizations to ensure organizational and

professional development opportunities: Toronto Arts Council, Artscape,

Schools Without Borders, Agora Foundation, Protek Media, and the Youth

Challenge Fund.


O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L O V E R V I E W [ c o n ’ t ]

Financial Resources

Thus far, Nia’s primary funder has been the Youth Challenge Fund. As a

Youth Challenge Fund Legacy Initiative, Nia received financial resources

to provide for three years of sustainability, from 2009 to 2011. Thus,

operating budget, staffing, programming and capital costs are areas in

which Nia has already secured significant support. Nia’s next phase of

development will focus on organizing sustainable resources to meet our

annual operating budget.

Organizational Support

In order to ensure the effective development of hard and soft

infrastructure, Nia’s first three years of operation will receive organizational

support from b current, the Youth Challenge Fund and our fiduciary

trustee, Microskills. Nia’s organizational development will also be

supported by its partnerships and alliances with entities such as the City of

Toronto, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Schools Without

Borders, Manifesto Community Projects, Urban Arts, Lost Lyrics and Somali

Youth Association of Toronto.


S P A T I A L C O N S I D E R A T I O N S & D E S I G N

In order to provide service to more than one of Toronto’s thirteen priority

neighbourhoods, Nia takes very seriously the notion of neutral territory.

Consequently, we see Nia’s greatest impact resulting from its ability to

draw youth from various priority neighbourhoods to a space void of turf

issues. Thus far Nia has identified two potential operating sites and will

secure a facility before the end of 2009 in partnership with one the

Toronto’s public institutions.

Figure1:NiaCentrefortheArtsprojectedexterior

Nia’s spatial design will be an environmentally sustainable, anti-oppressive

space interested in community revitalization. Specific spaces in the

centre will be reserved for collaborative art projects, entrepreneurial

incubation, resident companies, and for income-generating opportunities.


Within its 10, 000 sq. ft. Nia Centre will include the following facilities:

office space

multi-use performance space,

library/arts archive,

prayer/meditation room

video editing suite

audio recording studio

gender neutral washrooms

rehearsal space

gallery/exhibit space

daycare (3rd party operation)

The centre’s Operations Manager in consultation with the board of

directors, and the youth advisory board will manage space at Nia.

Spaces have been specifically reserved for resident companies interested

in both office space and programming space. Nia aims to house up to

ten resident programs as well as reserve hotdesks for small start-up

entrepreneurial individuals and companies. Rates for space rental and

youth group subsidies will align with Nia’s business plan for space ensuring

access to individuals and groups most in need.

During the research and development stage Nia liaised with a number of

organizations interested in either programming or office space at the

centre. These organizations include: Axe Capoeira Toronto, Breaking the

Cycle, CMP Studios, Flemo City Radio, Muhtadi International Drumming

Festival, Stile Diva Inc., Microskills, JVS Toronto, and S.O.Y.A.T.

Nia will also feature a number of informal spaces such as a computer lab,

café and lounge area where youth will be employed and where all are

welcome. Nia’s multipurpose performance space will host theatre,

lectures, conferences, music concerts and other various presentations.


P R O G R A M M I N G

Nia’s programming philosophy actively pursues holistic approaches to engagement and empowerment that address the social barriers that affect the participation of youth who access programming at Nia. Our approach to programming includes access and follow-up for counseling, health services, anger management, mediation, community services, and alternative education. All aspects of our programming will ensure hands-on introductions to professional skill development and entrepreneurship training, meaningful educational modules, as well as access to mentorship and opportunities for community engagement via exhibition and forums. Nia’s core programming from 2010-2012 will consist of the following:

MEdiaArts:ExperimentalDocumentaryMakingThisintensive6‐8monthprogramallowsyouthwithanexperienceinthecriminaljusticesystemtoexperimentwithmedia,withadeliberatepersonalreflectionfocus.Inthisprogramweareinterestedinexperimentingwiththe“ME”throughdocumentarymakingthataddresseshowimmediatesocialbarrierscanbeovercome.ThefinalproductsfromthisprogramwillbeshowcasedandtouredacrossdifferentTorontoneighbourhoodsviatheNiaArtsFestival.

Everyw(e)_here:MakingBlackCanadianHistoryVisibleisamixed‐artsprogramthatbringstogethertheatre,videoartsandpublicspace.Viaguerilla‐styleoutdoortheatre,thisprogrambringsBlackCanadianhistorytolifeviathedramatizationofthemes,suchasimmigrationandwar.Thegoalistodelimitthegeographicandhistoricalcontextinwhichyouthimaginethemselves.ThroughlivevideostreamingandsocialmediacampaignsyouthwillorganizeandpromotenewengagementswithCanadianhistoryastheyre‐mappingtheirsocialterrain.

Doc_U_ME_nt:CapturingBlackCommunitiesWithafocusonarchivingandcreatinglivingarchives,thisprogramprovidesanarenainwhichyouthareempoweredtodocumenttheirowncommunities’experiences.Ascreativehistorianstheseyouthusephotography,videoandsoundtocaptureandthediverseexperiencesofavarietyofblackcommunitiesacrossCanada.ThisprojectbeginsinTorontowithculturalexchangesextendingformHamiltontoHalifaxtoChatham.

Programming Vision:

“To ensure the holistic development of Toronto’s most underserved, marginalized and criminalized youth by providing

a balance between life skills development, cultural history, creative expression and the

development of employable skills through the arts.”


P R O G R A M M I N G [ c o n ’ t ]

Nia’s programming will consist of year-round programming divided into

five streams. These are meant to engage the individual, the local

community, other arts organizations in Toronto as well as foreign artists and

arts centres. Through the streams of programming detailed below, Nia

hopes to achieve weekly average foot traffic of around 300 people.

1) Core Programming will consist of three (3) annual programs uniquely designed to address social barriers such as; over-policing, racism, cultural misrepresentation, bias education and devalued self-worth.

2) Partnership Programming Nia will work with existing programming in various field to enhance the experience of the youth by offering the Nia Experience model. Partnership programming, on or off-site, will consist of a maximum of five (5) programs a year.

3) Invited Programming Nia will outreach to guest Program Leaders that will introduce specialized programming particularly from a region outside of the Greater Toronto Area. These programs are meant to widen the breadth of Nia’s offerings by engaging diverse areas such as Afro-Francophone life or Afro-Latino culture.

4) Community Programming This stream will consist of specialized programming three times a month. Open to all ages and abilities, and free to attend, this programming may consist of film screening, community dining or a speaker’s series.

5) Resident Programming These programs will be led by the resident arts companies housed at Nia and their programming will range from theatre to poetry to graphic design. Resident programming will include a maximum of (10) programs administrated by resident companies at Nia


P R O G R A M M I N G [ c o n ’ t ]

Partnership Programming will follow the Nia Experience Model in which

existing programs will receive cultural and historical grounding provide by

Nia staff. This model is designed to engage various kinds of programming

such as drumming, djing or song writing regardless of the location, length

or enrollment of the program.


S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

Nia’s resource sustainability strategy includes the institutionalization of

fundraising as early as 2010. Utilizing a reserve fund orientation, Nia will

strive to meet its yearly target with the help of all members of the

organization. Through public campaigns in local communities and

through online communities and social networking sites Nia will launch its

annual “What’s Your Nia?” fundraising drive.

Nia’s sustainability will come from a variety of sources ranging from private

donations, on-line traffic, government grants and space rental income.

Annual events such as the Black Arts conference, The Nia Gala and the

Nia Arts Festival Nia will engage various communities with gift-giving

opportunities that will support our annual target.

Nia’s partnerships will provide human capital and intellectual resources

that will reduce Nia’s overall staffing and development costs, allowing for

further investments in the Nia ‘self-determination’ reserve fund. Nia is

interested in working with Program Coordinators, Social Workers, Artists

and Educators in either a co-sponsorship partnership or a voluntary/

donation basis to both expand the quality of our programming as well as

ensure financial sustainability.

In the future, Nia will explore the possibility of mobilizing human capital in

the development of a consultancy wing in which Nia will work with both

local and international governments and a wide range of social

institutions to further the ways in which black arts contributes to the social

and emotional development of black youth.

nia centre for the arts executive summary

Documents

arts nia centre

arts centre

arts development

arts research

executive summary nia

number of arts

arts nias philosophy

mission nia