ON Topic Speaker Series
ON Topic: An Ontario Culture Days Speaker Series, 2023-24
This series of talks and workshops brings together arts and culture workers from across the province to discuss timely societal and economic issues impacting their sector, and to provide opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.
We will cover a wide range of questions related to: sustainable development, the impact of AI technologies, the role of the tourism sector, and growing capacity for the production of inclusive arts programming.
FEATURED SESSION
Brave Space, Third Space: Creative Spaces Centring Community Connection, Healing and Resiliency
March 21, 2024, 6:00 pm
Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism
IN-PERSON EVENT
Date: Thursday March 21, 2024
Location: Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism, 24 Cecil St, Toronto, ON M5T 1N2
This panel will feature a conversation from leadership of two brave spaces in Ontario: the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford and the newly opened Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism in downtown Toronto. Moderated by Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, this conversation will consider the politics of space in the arts and culture sector, and how gathering spaces can facilitate community connection, healing, and resiliency.
Topics Include:
- What are the politics of space for your community?
- Why is it important to forefront the politics of space?
- How can we work towards equitable access to space?
- Why is it crucial to recognize the historical exclusion of communities from certain spaces?
Refreshments and light snacks will be provided.
Moderator:
- Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Executive Director, The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity
Speakers:
- Heather George, Executive Director, Woodland Cultural Centre
- Jessica Kirk, Executive Director, Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism
MODERATOR
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) and has been instrumental in advancing the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ youth and communities. Since taking on the role in 2020, CCGSD has grown to become one of the most influential 2SLGBTQ+ organizations in Canada, providing advocacy and education to schools, organizations, and communities across the country. Debbie is an accomplished community educator, activist, and social justice advocate who is driven by the mission of creating a more inclusive, equitable, and safe world. She has spoken at parliamentary standing committees and has appeared in numerous media outlets. She has held several advocacy and policy-oriented positions in government and non-profit organizations, including Oxfam Canada and Global Affairs Canada.
SPEAKER
Heather George
Heather is a mother, gardener, beader, curator and PhD Candidate. As a scholar of Euro-Canadian and Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) descent who grew up off reserve, much of Heather’s personal and professional work has been directed at gaining a better understanding of the culture and history of her nation. Her current PhD research through University of Waterloo examines the historical and philosophical underpinnings of contemporary museum practices across Haudenosaunee communities. She seeks to better understand how material culture can be used to heal trauma and make space for cross-cultural dialogues. In 2019 Heather was awarded the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her research. Heather has spent over a decade working for urban and reserve based Indigenous organizations in the Six Nations of the Grand River territory focused on cultural preservation, heritage, and youth resiliency. Heather also recently took on the role of Executive Director of the Woodland Cultural Center in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
SPEAKER
Jessica Kirk
Jessica Kirk (she/her) is a cultural worker, multidisciplinary artist, and organizer based in Toronto, which is covered by the Dish with One Spoon Treaty. She is the Executive Director of Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism and member of Black Lives Matter–Canada. Wildseed Centre and BLMCA are two pillars of one organization that serves as fertile ground for resourcing and supporting an array of Black liberation efforts in the city and across Turtle Island. Kirk is also co-founder of Way Past Kennedy Road, a grassroots art collective supporting artists living on the margins. Jess holds a Masters of Arts in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto, and her creative, scholarly and professional interests are each anchored by a curiosity around expressions of community care.
Photo credit Angelyn Francis.
Past Sessions
FREE | IN-PERSON EVENT
Date: Wed, Sept 27, 2023, 1- 5 pm
Location: 401 Richmond ST W, Suite 303, Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
This half-day workshop is designed for arts programmers and managers. Its focus is on capacity and skill building related to Reconciliation, working with Indigenous artists, understanding cultural protocol, and proactively consulting with artists for the creation of safer spaces.
In this half day session, participants will have the opportunity to sit with artist Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi, to deepen their understanding of Indigenous arts, history, traditional storytelling, ceremony, appropriation vs appreciation, allyship, cultural safety & protocol and moving beyond the land acknowledgment into meaningful ‘ReconciliAction’ efforts. The session will be presented in a hybrid approach, infusing western methods with Indigenous methods of learning and ending in a traditional sharing circle.
SPEAKER
Lindsey Lickers
Lindsey is an Onkwehon:we (Kanien’kéha)/ Anishinaabe (Ojibwe- Mississauga’s) artist & community developer originally from Six Nations of the Grand River with ancestral roots to the Mississauga’s of Credit First Nation. She specializes in painting & beading as well as Indigenous arts and culture facilitation, governance, community and program development. Her traditional name is ‘Mushkiiki Nibi’, which translates to ‘Medicine Water’, she is turtle clan.
Lindsey also received an International Women’s Day – Leadership in the Arts award in 2019 from the City of Toronto. Lindsey has been a Oshkabewis (ceremonial helper) for 12 years and is a co-founder of ‘Wayeshadewin,’ a helper led, land-based organization aiming to increase access to land-based knowledge and healing for urban Indigenous populations in Ontario. She is currently the Community Safety Liaison for the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA), providing advocacy, awareness and capacity building supports for Indigenous women & families, as well as service providers.
FREE | ONLINE EVENT
Date: October 11, 2024, 11 am – 12:30 pm
October 11, 2024, 11 am – 12:30 pm
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are used by governments and organizations, within Canada and around the world, as a blueprint for peace, prosperity and sustainability. Significantly, ‘culture’ – as a top-level category – has been excluded from this framework. This presentation will consider work being undertaken by The British Council to call attention to the role of Culture, or lack thereof, within the SDGs. What recommendations is the British Council making, and how are they applicable to the Ontario context? How can the SDGs be more accessible to the cultural sector, and how can they be embedded in the delivery of local cultural initiatives?
Speakers:
- Rosanna Lewis, Culture & Development and Climate Creative Commissions lead, British Council (Presenter)
- Paolo Granata, Associate Professor, Book & Media Studies Program Coordinator, University of Toronto; Faculty Affiliate, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (Respondent)
SPEAKERS:
Rosanna Lewis
Rosanna has ten years’ experience working for the British Council on Culture and Sustainable Development. She has managed global and regional programmes (e.g. Creative Commissions for Climate Action) and strategic partnerships (e.g. UNESCO and EUNIC), as well as advanced policy, strategy, research and practice in this field. Rosanna is editor of ‘The Missing Pillar: Culture’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ (2020) and author of ‘Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth’ (2018).
Paolo Granata
Paolo Granata is an Associate Professor in Book and Media Studies at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. As an educator, an innovator, and a cross-disciplinary media scholar – nurtured by the centuries-old tradition of his Alma Mater, the University of Bologna – his research and teaching interests lie broadly in the areas of media ecology, media ethics, semiotics, print culture, and visual studies.
IN-PERSON
Date: November 16, 2023, 1 – 4:30 pm
Location: Sault Ste Marie. This half-day summit will be a part of the Destination Northern Ontario Conference.
The Ontario arts and tourism sectors are undeniably intertwined, as well as key drivers of and contributors to Northern Ontario’s economy. These three afternoon sessions at the Destination Northern Ontario conference will center around cultural tourism in Ontario, touching on leadership considerations and post-pandemic opportunities and trends. The sessions will also highlight insights from a recent cultural tourism report, providing a comprehensive view of the sector, and spotlight exemplary arts destinations in Northern Ontario.
Presentations:
1 pm: Cultural Tourism in Ontario: Challenges and Opportunities from Inclusion to Participation
Frederic Dimanche and Shawn Newman
2:30 pm: Building Arts Destinations in Northern Ontario: A Spotlight on the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and Greater Sudbury’s Place-des-Arts
3:30 pm: Why you REALLY want to attract the Cultural Tourist: A Conversation on the OAC’s 2023 Cultural Tourism Report
Michael Murray, Ontario Arts Council, in conversation with Kathleen Sharpe, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
Matthew R. Hills
SPEAKERS
Frederic Dimanche
Frederic Dimanche is Director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. He worked in the USA and France before coming to Canada. He has published numerous tourism-related research articles on hospitality and tourism management. Frederic is a past President of the Travel and Tourism Research Association Europe and a fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.
Shawn Newman
Shawn is an arts and culture researcher, educator, and consultant. His work spans many fields including cultural tourism, creative practice, and program design and evaluation. He has worked in both the non-profit and commercial arts and culture sectors, and his teaching at Queen’s and York universities ranges from film and media to dance to gender studies.
Michael Murray
Michael Murray was appointed CEO of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) in July 2022. He brings wide-ranging leadership experience in the professional not-for-profit arts sector and cultural industries provincially, nationally and internationally.
Previously, Michael was director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) Performer’s Rights Society. He also served as executive director for the Toronto Musicians’ Association, Local 149 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (2015-2021), and as the OAC’s popular and world music and arts service organizations officer (2007-2015).
Michael began his career as a professional musician, producer and songwriter in Montréal. Later, he was named executive director of UrbanArts, a community arts council in Toronto engages youth facing socioeconomic barriers in community building through the arts.
Michael holds an MBA with a specialization in Arts and Media Management from the Schulich School of Business (York University). He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and holds an Honours Bachelor of Music from McGill University.
Kathleen Sharpe
Kathleen Sharpe is a senior manager in government and the cultural sector. She has been Executive Director of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund since its inception in 1999. The Fund, a unique program established to support cultural tourism attractions through a combination of grants and loans, has committed over $80 million to more than 800 cultural tourism projects around Ontario. Prior to OCAF, Kathleen was Director of the Culture Division of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, a post she held from 1991 until amalgamation of the municipality into the City of Toronto in 1998. Kathleen has also held management positions at the Ontario College of Art and Design and The Banff Centre. Kathleen has been chair and president of a number of boards including the Toronto Arts Foundation, Toronto Artscape and the Canadian Conference of the Arts. She sits on many advisory committees including Nuit Blanche.
Matthew Hills
Matthew Hills is the current Executive Director of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. An art historian and curator with extensive experience working with collections, Matthew (he/him/they) has a proven track record of leadership having served in administrative and curatorial positions with visual arts organizations in British Columbia, Alberta and Atlantic Canada over the last 15 years. Most recently, he served as Director and Curator for Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Grenfell Art Gallery for the past 6 years. He has an MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies (Art History) from the University of British Columbia. Matthew grew up in Muskoka.
FREE ONLINE EVENT
Date: Wed, Jan 31, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Generative AI has the potential to change the creative landscape. But what does this mean for artists and cultural producers? As the Federal Government conducts copyright consultations on Generative AI, we’re gathering to look at the issues and concerns from the arts community. Together, we’ll consider key factors to anticipate and understand in the coming months and years, examining their implications for the arts and culture sector, and the specific impacts of Generative AI on Indigenous creators and communities.
This webinar is a co-production of CARFAC Ontario and Ontario Culture Days
Speakers:
• Scott Benesiinaabandan, Intermedia artist, contributing author, Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper (speaker)
• Valentine Goddard, Lawyer, Founder of AI Impact Alliance, Member of the Canadian National Advisory Council on AI, and petitioner, Join the Art Impact AI Coalition & Support Artists Voices on the Future of AI (speaker)
• Jason Samilski, literary artist, musician, and the Managing Director of CARFAC Ontario (respondent)
SPEAKERS
Scott Benesiinaabandan
Scott Benesiinaabandan is Anishinaabe, a member of Obishkkokaang/Lac Seul First Nations. Scott is an intermedia artist that currently works in experimental image-making and sonic materials. Scott has completed a MFA in photography from Concordia University and currently resides in WInnipeg in Treaty 1 territory. Scott’s current research interests are intersections of artificial-intelligence, philosophy, sound and Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibway language). Scott has completed international residencies at Parramatta Artist Studios in Australia, Context Gallery in Derry, North of Ireland, and University Lethbridge/Royal Institute of Technology iAIR residency, along with international collaborative projects in both the U.K and Ireland. Scott has recently completed residencies with Initiative for Indigenous Futures and AbTec in Montreal.
Valentine Goddard
Valentine is the founder and executive director of AI Impact Alliance. Lawyer, certified mediator, and inter-arts curator, she is a member of the AI Advisory Council of Canada, and a United Nations expert on AI policy and governance. She is currently leading the Art Impact AI Coalition, a petition signed by almost 2000 artists and experts.
Jason Samilski
Jason is a Toronto-based literary artist and musician who currently works as Managing Director of CARFAC Ontario. He previously served as a Creative Director of CUE Art Projects, a Toronto-based arts initiative that, for 15 years, provided high-access grants and exhibition opportunities for new generation artists who experience social, cultural, and economic marginalization.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
The ON Topic Speaker Series is supported by Arterra Wines Canada.
ON-Ramp: New Horizons in Cultural Tourism
ON-Ramp: New Horizons in Cultural Tourism
Wednesday, June 8 to Thursday, June 9, 2022
Thank you to those of you who attended ON-Ramp: New Horizons in Cultural Tourism. We enjoyed hosting you over two days of discussion, networking, and problem-solving. Thank you to our speakers and performers for their valuable insights and thoughtful discussions. And thank you to Now Playing Toronto, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, and Destination Northern Ontario. Our symposium would not be possible without their generous support.
Our second annual symposium, ON-Ramp: New Horizons in Cultural Tourism, is an intimate, two-day event investigating the state of reopening for the arts, culture and tourism sectors.
The road to recovery has presented new challenges to audience development and community engagement. At this gathering, the arts, culture and tourism sectors can convene to discuss and solve for these challenges.
Ontario Culture Days will be hosting in-person symposium events at a reduced capacity of 50%. In-person symposium events will follow all COVID-19 protocols as established by public health, and all organizational policies as determined by Ontario Culture Days and the symposium venue. The symposium will be a mask-friendly event.
Constantine
15 Charles Street East 647-475-4436
Celebrating the diverse cuisine of the Mediterranean
constantineto.com
Eataly Toronto
Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West 437-374-0250
Italian marketplace with restaurants and take-away counters
eataly.ca
Holt’s Café
50 Bloor Street West 416-355-2832
Contemporary Canadian cuisine
holtrenfrew.com
Hemingway’s Restaurant and Bar
142 Cumberland Street 416-968-2828 Rooftop patio, draft beers & pub eats
Hemingways.to
Sassafraz
100 Cumberland Street 416-964-2222
Market-driven Canadian cuisine
sassafraz.ca
Trattoria Nervosa
75 Yorkville Avenue 416-961-4642
Home-cooked Southern Italian food
eatnervosa.com
Clay Restaurant
111 Queens Park, 3rd Floor 416-586-8086
In-house restaurant at the Gardiner Museum
clay.restaurant
The Pilot
22 Cumberland Street 416-923-5716
Historic venue with a dining room and a heated rooftop patio
thepilot.ca
Alobar Yorkville
57a-162 Cumberland Street 416-961-1222
Cocktail bar and restaurant
alobaryorkville.com
We acknowledge and thank Now Playing Toronto, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and Destination Northern Ontario for their support of this project.
In-Person Schedule
In-Person | June 8, 2022
Frederic Dimanche talks with Greg Richards about global perspectives on the state of cultural tourism, and different international initiatives to continue recovery and rebuilding in our sectors.
Frederic Dimanche
Director, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and
Tourism Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
Greg Richards
Professor of Placemaking and Events at Breda University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands
8:30 – 9:30 am | Registration, coffee and tea
Catherine Tàmmaro
utrihǫt /Artist
People of the Little (Spotted) Turtle
Wyandot of Anderdon Nation
Wendat Confederacy
Indigenous Arts Program Manager
Toronto Arts Council
Ruth Burns
Executive Director,
Ontario Culture Days
Shawn Newman
Research Advisor and Consultant
Louis-Etienne Dubois
Associate Professor, Creative Industries Management,
Toronto Metropolitan University
The session will highlight the huge demand for travel among Black people, a growth sector that is overlooked in traditional tourism marketing and events. From local to global tourism the session will offer suggestions on how to engage Black travellers.
10:45 – 11:00 am | Break
The age-old question! Join Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois of Toronto Metropolitan University, Tim Jennings of the Shaw Festival and Vikas Kohli, of MonstrARTity and Bollywood Monster Mashup, as they tackle this question from their unique vantage points of policy and research analyst and digital media expert, CEO of a major Ontario theatre festival, and Producer of the largest South Asian festival in Canada. Kathleen Sharpe, of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, will moderate and intervene to extract their secrets for making the economic case and provide helpful hacks.
Louis-Etienne Dubois
Associate Professor, Creative Industries Management,
Toronto Metropolitan University
Tim Jennings,
Executive Director, Shaw Festival
Vikas Kohl
Head of MonstrARTity and
Vice Board Chair, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
11:45 – 1:15pm | Catered Lunch
This panel discussion will focus on how multiple organizations from the tourism and cultural sectors have come together to create, market, and execute compelling cultural experiences that resonate with visitors to further the appreciation of cultural assets in Sault Ste. Marie and the broader Algoma Region. What are the successes, challenges, and opportunities as we look to increased visitation in a post-pandemic environment?
Heather Bot
Executive Director, Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association
Carol Caputo
Northern Partnerships, Destination Ontario
Kathy Fisher
Curator/Supervisor, Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site
Donna Hilsinger
Executive Director, The Algoma Fall Festival
Jasmina Jovanovic
Executive Director, Art Gallery of Algoma
David MacLachlan
Executive Director, Destination Northern Ontario
Launched in early 2022, Now Playing Toronto is a one-stop online destination for all things arts and culture in the city. Following a brief introduction to what RTOs and DMOs are, in this talk the leaders of this joint venture share insights into how it was built and ways that other communities in Ontario might collaborate across the arts and tourism divide.
Sarah Jarvis
Destination Toronto
Jacoba Knaapen
Executive Director, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
The Shaw Festival has been able to be optimistic in the way it has approached its work within the pandemic and in how it has mitigated hardships on its artists and arts workers, resulting in North America’s largest season of theatre in 2021. Postulating a front-footed approach to recovery, Tim Jennings will discuss both Shaw’s optimistic outlook and the charitable impetus that ties Shaw into their wider Niagara community and positions them as a key factor in restarting regional tourism and in Niagara’s broader economic regeneration.
Isaiah Cada
Nichole Leveck
Artist
Nazarene Pope
Artist
5:00 – 6:30 pm | Reception
In-Person | June 9, 2022
8:45 – 9:00 am | Registration, Coffee and Tea
This panel presentation will take a look at what a municipality, a Franco- Ontarian cultural organization, and an arts service organization have in common and why they decided to work towards a mutual goal. Gordon Duff (Town of Minto), Stéphanie Filippi (la Maison de la Culture Francophone du Niagara), and Rachel Marks (Réseau SPARC Network) will talk about the SPARC Communities projects and what it means for their organizations, the rural and remote arts and communities, and tourism.
Communautés collaboratives : Comment le soutien aux arts et à la culture en miliru rural favorise la qualité de vie et le tourisme hyperlocal.
Cette présentation en panel examinera ce qu’une municipalité, un organisme culturel franco-ontarien et un organisme de services artistiques ont en commun et pourquoi ils ont décidé de travailler à un objectif commun. Gordon Duff, Ville de Minto ; Stéphanie Filippi, Maison de la Culture Francophone du Niagara (MCFN); et Rachel Marks, Réseau SPARC Network, parleront des projets communautées SPARC et de ce qu’ils signifient pour leurs organisations, les arts et les communautés rurales et éloignées, et le tourisme.
Gordon Duff
Board Member, Réseau SPARC Network (Supporting Performing Arts in Rural and Remote Communities)
Stéphanie Filippi
Project Manager – Chef de Projet, La Maison de la Culture Francophone du Niagara
Rachel Marks
Network Coordinator, Réseau SPARC Network
A discussion about how communities and organizations have fostered support for artists, while also building local cultural capacity and resiliency during the pandemic and beyond. The creative sector is an integral part of healthy communities, and a key element of placemaking. Join Jaymie Laythem, Executive Director of Creative Industries North Bay, and Glass artist and grass roots community builder Christy Haldane, as they share about the essential role that the arts play in our collective daily lives.
Christy Haldane
Sculpture Artist, Board Member at Craft Ontario
Janna Hiemstra
Executive Director, Craft Ontario
Jaymie Lathem
Executive Director, Creative Industries North Bay
10:35 – 10:45 am | Break
Understand Indigenous people when trying to build long term relationships. Work together to create inclusive environments, and observe a few methods used in developing a tourism project on a 1st nation territory that surrounds the St. Lawrence River waterway.
Beatrice Johnson Tarbell
CEO/Lead Consultant, JTservices.ca
Hear from Carol Greenwood (Vice President, Membership & Business Development) and Dr. Jessica Ng (Director, Policy & Government Affairs) from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. They will speak to TIAO’s changing approach to arts and culture in recent years, and their observations in the wake of the recent provincial election.
Dr. Jessica Ng,
Director, Policy and Government Affairs, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario
Carol Greenwood
Vice President, Membership & Business Development, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario
12:35 – 12:45 pm | Symposium Closing by Ruth Burns and Thanksgiving Address by Elder Catherine Tàmmaro
1:00 – 2:00 pm | Lunch
Kensington Market/Graffiti Alley
This walk will focus primarily on the area of Kensington Market and stopping at Graffiti Alley. Kensington Market is an eclectic pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood situated right beside Chinatown. First developed in 1815 and sold to British and Irish immigrants in the 1850s 1860s, eventually Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and East Indian business people moved into the neighbourhood and opened up shops. Kensington is home to unique independent shops, hostels, tattoo parlours, residential and a strong community presence. Just last year, the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) acquired 54-56 Kensington Avenue — a part commercial, part-residential property that homes five commercial spaces and 12 residential units.
Hidden in plain sight, a Black history walk in Yorkville
This walk will explore the clubs and performers listed on the heritage plaques, including Oscar Peterson; the Black burials in the former Potter’s Field, as well as the parks nearby.
Virtual Schedule
Virtual | June 8, 2022
Frederic Dimanche talks with Greg Richards about global perspectives on the state of cultural tourism, and different international initiatives to continue recovery and rebuilding in our sectors.
Frederic Dimanche
Director, Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and
Tourism Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
Greg Richards
Professor of Placemaking and Events at Breda University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands
Ruth Burns
Executive Director,
Ontario Culture Days
Shawn Newman
Research Advisor and Consultant
Louis-Etienne Dubois
Associate Professor, Creative Industries Management,
Toronto Metropolitan University
The session will highlight the huge demand for travel among Black people, a growth sector that is overlooked in traditional tourism marketing and events. From local to global tourism the session will offer suggestions on how to engage Black travellers.
The age-old question! Join Dr. Louis-Etienne Dubois of Toronto Metropolitan University, Tim Jennings of the Shaw Festival and Vikas Kohli, of MonstrARTity and Bollywood Monster Mashup, as they tackle this question from their unique vantage points of policy and research analyst and digital media expert, CEO of a major Ontario theatre festival, and Producer of the largest South Asian festival in Canada. Kathleen Sharpe, of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, will moderate and intervene to extract their secrets for making the economic case and provide helpful hacks.
Moderator
Kathleen Sharpe
Executive Director, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
Louis-Etienne Dubois
Associate Professor, Creative Industries Management,
Toronto Metropolitan University
Tim Jennings,
Executive Director, Shaw Festival
Vikas Kohl
Head of MonstrARTity and
Vice Board Chair, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
This panel discussion will focus on how multiple organizations from the tourism and cultural sectors have come together to create, market, and execute compelling cultural experiences that resonate with visitors to further the appreciation of cultural assets in Sault Ste. Marie and the broader Algoma Region. What are the successes, challenges, and opportunities as we look to increased visitation in a post-pandemic environment?
Heather Bot
Executive Director, Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association
Carol Caputo
Northern Partnerships, Destination Ontario
Kathy Fisher
Curator/Supervisor, Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site
Donna Hilsinger
Executive Director, The Algoma Fall Festival
Jasmina Jovanovic
Executive Director, Art Gallery of Algoma
David MacLachlan
Executive Director, Destination Northern Ontario
Launched in early 2022, Now Playing Toronto is a one-stop online destination for all things arts and culture in the city. Following a brief introduction to what RTOs and DMOs are, in this talk the leaders of this joint venture share insights into how it was built and ways that other communities in Ontario might collaborate across the arts and tourism divide.
Sarah Jarvis
Destination Toronto
Jacoba Knaapen
Executive Director, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts
The Shaw Festival has been able to be optimistic in the way it has approached its work within the pandemic and in how it has mitigated hardships on its artists and arts workers, resulting in North America’s largest season of theatre in 2021. Postulating a front-footed approach to recovery, Tim Jennings will discuss both Shaw’s optimistic outlook and the charitable impetus that ties Shaw into their wider Niagara community and positions them as a key factor in restarting regional tourism and in Niagara’s broader economic regeneration.
Tourism Advisory Committee
With thanks to our Tourism Advisory Committee for supporting the development of the symposium program.
