Covid-19

  • Notes From ACCA Members “Let’s Talk About It” Response To COVID-19 2020.05.27

    In Attendance:        Erika Beatty (Dartmouth), Diane Davey (Toronto), Candace Elder (Toronto), Roger Gaudet (Ottawa), Cate Proctor (Ottawa), Lindy Sisson (Vancouver) Victoria Steele (Ottawa), Sandra Thomson (Nanaimo), Leslie Thompson (Vancouver)

    • Sandra welcomed everyone and asked Victoria to give a brief update on the actions taken so far by the ACCA COVID-19 Working Group.

    Victoria thanked Lucy, Roger and Cate for all their help getting the application in to Canada Council for the May 6 deadline. The application was for $65,000 for ACCA consultants to provide assistance to small and medium sized, underserved arts organizations (budgets under $1 million) in rural and smaller centers or with disciplines/artists/programming for diverse populations. We should hear sometime in late September. The months of May to August are to be spent “listening and learning” how the sector/clients are doing and clever solutions that are being tried to deal with the multitude of issues created by the pandemic.

    Victoria reported that an application by CHRC (a registered charity) is now being prepared by ACCA members to the McConnell Foundation to their COVID-19 response fund. This application will go in by the end of this week (May 30).

    • Everyone then shared what they have been hearing from clients, from other networks, from webinars and panels being organized by others. It was agreed that Victoria would work with another volunteer to create a platform for gathering this knowledge/wisdom for access by ACCA members this fall. LEAN volunteers are gathering knowledge. ACCA hopes to access the summary documents so that the information will be shared with the sector going forward, not just the funders.

    ACCA members are not able/willing to continue providing services without being paid

    Topics of interest going forward –

      • Mergers/acquisitions/partnerships/collaborations
      • Change management
      • Young people ready to gather/attend events before older people
      • Older volunteers retiring – creating openings for younger volunteers
      • Re-creating Boards and dealing with new Board responsibilities
      • Winterizing an org. rapidly when the second wave of virus arrives and requires another shut down
      • Reinvention by eliminating/dealing with some of the chronic issues that plagued an organization pre-COVID-19.
      • Working towards a Universal Guaranteed Income for artists/workers
    • Sandra shared a happy story – a local musician who used to earn her living by playing piano in Seniors Homes was able to access CERB. She is considering the $2,000 per month “like a Canada Council grant” to stay home and score the musical she wrote. It will take her 6 months and she’ll have the full orchestration done, ready to shop her work to presenters/producers.
    • It was agreed that the hour was well spent, good information shared and a plan of action for ACCA is evolving. It was agreed that there would be another “Let’s Talk About It” when Victoria can schedule Janet Sellery to present information about Health and Safety issues pertaining to COVID-19

  • Notes from Let’s Talk About It COVID-19 Meeting May 6, 2020

    NOTES – ACCA Meeting – 6 May 2020 – COVID-19 Check-in

    Attendees

    Janis B., Erica B., Lucy W., Lindy S., Leslie T., Victoria S., Jane N., Roger G., Cate P.

    Brief go round for introductions.

    Agenda:

    1. Report on Actions by ACCA
    2. Supporting the sector – CCA application
    3. Supporting each other – discussion

    Theme: How can ACCA members help in the recovery? What would be helpful for recovery in the medium and long term? How Can ACCA work with funders and ASOs in supporting the arts in Canada?

    1. Actions taken:

    VS: These meetings, Mass Culture panel, other panels, CCA sign-up and lately lots of work on the application. Also individual member CCA sign-up, participation in the LEAN initiative, Jane Marsland discussion, SB Business and the Arts interview – discussed 3 phases (Youtube video Business and the Arts) isolation will last for still some time for the arts. SB stressed collaboration and coming together.

    VS: ACCA member consultants are well placed to Listen, Learn, Reflect, Share. CCA and arts community concerned about vulnerable orgs. – the more at risk. ACCA has developed customized team consulting idea. CCA wants us to collaborate with ASO’s – made link to CHRC. (Pan-Can, multidisc.). CHRC said yes and are on board. Other ASOs may be involved down the line. Having conversations about how the next steps will develop.

    VS: Proposal – team consulting to 25 to 50 orgs + blogs and PD workshops/webinars/etc. for orgs are at risk, small budget. CHRC will manage the selection process. Timeline this fall to end of January 2021.

    JN – Openings in January? Vaccine issue. Digital is being put forward – with push-back from the community. Seems like Ivory Tower making decisions about how this rolls out. Need to make aware.

    1. – will gather pertinent info through this – and be able to formulate solutions and respond.
    2. – Concern – politicians will talk to the guy they know – may not understand the spectrum of issues. 75% of audiences will stay home. Doesn’t work for large scale performance. Working with Janet Sellery on safety. Some will do better (small). Mirvish – announced opening in January – optimistic.
    3. – Scenario planning – some say 70% capacity. Smaller venues could take advantage. Need someone to standardize protocols for theatre openings.
    4. Jurisdictional differences – CITT – JS update.

    LT – Example of theatre commandeered by local authority. Suggest JS on a panel.

    VS – Panel on safety. Yes.

    CP – now to July – what challenges – there may be some positive: as we gather information, and using it to evaluate the need and adapt the offer we make to the arts groups. Keep it organic and share the learnings.

    RG – Could run it to March and report mid-way.

    VS – report but share as we go.

    1. – look to future model – new models – was in the language put forward by CCA. Arts orgs may fail a lot in the fall.

    JB – operating close to precarity. 3 months max cash. – this is 6 months to two years.

    1. – the notion of not-for-profit needs to change.

    JB – need to band together with other National service organizations CITT for example.

    1. What other areas should we reach out to? Could add value to what we offer. Health / safety? Need to build partnerships and collaboration.

    VS – not duplicate. Need to offer what isn’t already out there.

    1. – Offering consulting for free is a slippery slope. Q – what is the Programming Committee supposed to be doing – what audience are we aiming for?

    LW – skills development and topics of interest of our clients.

    VS – Note any programming will be In kind support to the project  – prior to grant result

    1. – Particular niche for ACCA – Governance issues – support from Boards at this time is different – ACCA could communicate with Board chairs, offer guidance and support – especially if organization can no longer operate as before. How do they run an organization on bare bones, or a legacy wrap up, merger – etc. Second: demand redistribution: there will be whole swaths of demand that will be gone. Need some learning and research. Also key in the future Social cohesion aspect.

    LW – Arts Firm work on COVID 19 – will share discussion paper.

    VS – presence of Board members in our project. Always a staff and board person – need both for any substantial change.

    CP – Yes – system change – relation to Board governance.

    LS – A lot of governance issues in this. Also have questions about CAPACOA consultants.

    1. – Expecting feedback from them

    LW – Another meeting in two weeks?

    All agreed.

    Close of meeting.

    COVID Check-in #4 2020.05.06

  • Notes from ACCA Members’ Let’s Talk About It Response to Covid-19, 2020.04.22

    Notes from ACCA Members’ Let’s Talk About It Response to Covid-19

    April 22, 2020

    In Attendance:  Roger Gaudet (Ottawa), Linda Gorrie (Vancouver), Kate Proctor (Ottawa), Victoria Steele (Ottawa), Sandra Thomson (Nanaimo), Lucy White (Toronto)

     

    1. Short Term actions:

    • Bi-weekly Member Check-ins on Wednesdays at 1pm ET to share intel and skills.
    • Sharing info in-between Check-ins – such as the opportunity to join the pro-bono LEAN initiative (Leadership Emergency Arts Network) to provide short-term crisis management support to leaders of organizations across Canada. 150 Advisors and matching happening now.
    • Co-hosted online discussion with Mass Culture on April 20 – Supporting Organizations Today. Over 30 attended. Thanks very much to Fanny Martin for her work on this initiative with Mass Culture.  Evaluation report expected soon.
    • Share open tips on ACCA FB and LinkedIn and new Twitter account – Marketing Committee to take this on?
    • Ask members to sign up individually for a Canada Council profile so that we as a group and as individuals become eligible for whatever granting programs come.

    1. Medium Term actions:

    • Canada Council meetings April 2 and 20. Early discussions with Canadian Heritage have begun.
    • Pursuing collaborative effort with Canadian Arts Coalition, Arts Service Organizations, Cultural Human Resources Council and others. Discussions begun.
    • Members’ Survey of ASO affiliations: identify individual affiliations and Members who could be assigned as liaisons with key different ASOs to ensure that, as a group, we are up to date with their current activities, especially around this crisis. Send second survey this week to get more responses.
    • PENDING: Pilot the 3-for-1 Team consultants’ services program without government assistance to see what happens and to demonstrate that we are willing to and have the talent to serve our clients in a more collaborative manner. We need a couple of volunteers to take this on.

    1. Check in – What members are hearing:

    • Funders focusing on the immediate future, not yet looking at long term recovery
    • Arts groups and funders still in emergency mode
    • $500 million funding announced last Friday – federal departments will know in about a week who is getting new funds.
    • Funders thinking that getting arts orgs. to focus on local arts community and arts as part of social cohesion may be the way forward. No support for travelling.
    • Post – pandemic: many fragile arts orgs will cease to operate. Will there be mergers? Amalgamations? Will larger orgs take on the work that was being done by smaller ones? Will major players support the smaller players? Digital entrepreneurship will be the way forward for many artists.
    • Arts orgs currently focused on short-term – bridge financing, delaying activities, supporting their teams and artists.
    • ASOs wish to be open beyond the traditional idea of membership. There is much more desire for collaborative ventures/partnerships. Medium Term – looking at doing things differently. A good time to manage change.
    • Some desire for new organization models in the medium term future to maximize artistic resources across admin infrastructure – even amalgamations.
    • Funders concerned about small/vulnerable organizations and speculating ways to ensure Sustainability – new business models, more digital proficiency, shared services, supporting local/nothing involving travel. Suspect cuts in long term to balance government books.
    • Messaging – social value of the arts as local community building/rebuilding consumer confidence – come out to share the arts locally in your town.

    What consultants can bring to the effort:

    • Shared skills and expertise
    • Knowledge in revenue generation/donor relations
    • Independent facilitation for change and collaboration
    • Potential collaborative ventures with CHRC/ASOs:
    • For Sector: Webinars/online training in key areas such as: How to develop healthy collaborations and partnerships, How to manage Cash Flow, Tips on sharing arts with the public in the time of COVID physical-distancing, Successful Digital Platforms
    • For arts organizations: Customized Team Consulting
    • For individual artists: Career Management

    1. New Action Items:

    • Sandra to ask Programming Committee to tackle setting up a few webinars in the near future – Panel discussion on Collaboration and Partnerships – how to make it work; Panel discussion on Health and Safety concerns – how to reopen your facility to keep people safe. How to adapt work spaces for social distancing. Roger to contact Janet Sellery (former member) and CITT.  Later in the year maybe one on Fundraising and Donor relations during this pandemic?
    • Marketing Committee to discuss/plan how to promote new webinars for maximum reach. Cate volunteered for this committee.
    • Resend the Survey asking people that did not respond to fill it in. Sandra to draft new opening paragraph and get to Victoria.
    • Victoria keeping an eye on Grant deadlines that ACCA could access with ASO’s as partners
    • Lucy to update/finalize ACCA profile with Canada Council

    1. Next Meeting:

    It was agreed that the hour was well spent, good information shared and a plan of action for ACCA is evolving. It was agreed that there would be another “Let’s Talk About It” in two weeks Wed. May 6 at 1 pm ET.

     

     

  • Notes from Let’s Talk About It Member Check-in 2020.04.08

    NOTES FROM ACCA MEMBERS LET’S TALK ABOUT IT RESPONSE TO COVID19

    Wednesday, April 8, 2020

    In Attendance: Lori Baxter (Vancouver), Erika Beatty (Dartmouth), Lynn Feasey (Victoria), Roger Gaudet (Ottawa), Kelly Hill (Hamilton), Kate Proctor (Ottawa), Victoria Steele (Ottawa), Sandra Thomson (Nanaimo), Lucy White (Toronto)

    1. Short Term Actions:

    • Bi-weekly members Let’s Talk About it – check in
    • Short term informal LEAN initiative information circulated to members
    • ACCA membership committee working on a new pro bono Work Policy for our members
    • Request to members to share tips/survival strategies on FB, LinkedIn and the new Twitter account
    • A possible pilot project for teams of 3 ACCA members to work with paying clients is being discussed
    • Suggest interested ACCA members create Canada Council profile and link to the ACCA profile.
    • Survey coming soon to ACCA members to determine the links/connections we have with Arts Service Orgs.
    • ACCA Vice Pres. Eric Dubeau is getting ACCA connected with the Canadian Arts Coalition response
    • ACCA to send out general notice (ebulletin?) notify the sector that our members are here to help

    2. Medium Term Actions:

    • Canada Council meeting April 2 – encouraged ACCA to work with ASOs
    • Meeting with Dept. of Canadian Heritage soon – Victoria and Roger
    • The idea is that ACCA could develop a program/project with Arts Service Organizations to build sector resiliency, sustainability and evolve in the new era. Opportunities to innovate and create the future will be essential to recovery.

    3. Check in – What members are hearing:

    • Lots of response initiatives emerging – nothing organized yet
    • Artists are stressed, out of work and out of money-  e.g. Lost My Gig
    • Summer festivals cancelling
    • Artists are being asked to work for free
    • Consultants are being asked to work for free
    • Wondering if audiences will return to live venues?
    • Museums and art galleries might fair better because social distancing possible
    • What will the future look like? Maybe it looks like this right now?
    • Strategic Planning seems impossible – but planning must occur
    • This is the time to innovate
    • UK arts scene bursting on to social media world wide
    • Digital Strategy fund impact

    4.  Wrap-Up

    • It was agreed by all that the hour was well spent, good information shared and a plan of action for ACCA is evolving. It was agreed that there would be another Let’s Talk About It in two weeks (Wed. April 22).

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