CCA Bulletin 13/08

May 1 , 2008

Cultural Policy: Next Generation

A New Program From The Canadian Conference of the Arts

Just the Facts

For some time, the Canadian Conference of the Arts has been looking at a project called Cultural Policy: Next Generation, which will bring together several initiatives whose goal is to train the next generation of cultural workers. This project, which has three sections, is part of the 2008-2011 Strategic Plan adopted by the CCA Board at its November 23, 2007 meeting. 

The first part of this project will be the establishment of a training and research program run in collaboration with universities and research centres, both in Canada and abroad. The goal of this program is two-fold: to increase, through partnerships, the CCA's research capacity, and at the same time, to help train a new generation of cultural policy specialists. Research will focus on the CCA's policy priorities, and will encourage public debate on certain policy questions which have an impact on the arts and culture sector. The CCA will decide on pertinent research topics, and will match researchers with appropriate mentors for each topic. The research reports produced as part of this program will serve as preparatory material for events organized by the CCA, and will be available at no charge on the CCA website.

The second part of the Cultural Policy: Next Generation project will be a series of internships offered to recent graduates who have shown an interest in Canadian cultural policy. These internships, which will be offered as well to young administrators of cultural organizations, and eventually, to young civil servants, will give participants a chance to take part in the work of the CCA's editorial staff, and to thus be introduced to the day to day work of an organization representing the interests of the cultural sector to the federal government. 

The final element of this training program for the next generation of cultural workers will be a CCA-developed training tool to introduce them to issues in Canadian cultural policy. Comprised of several modules, this material will be on the CCA website, and will contain information on the history of cultural policy and on the workings of the federal government, as well as basic training in lobbying.    

Tell me more

The Cultural Policy: Next Generation program was developed as a result of pilot projects conducted by CCA staff. The first was carried out in collaboration with Rachael Maxwell, a Master's student at the University of Dublin, Ireland. During a three-month stay at the CCA, she wrote a research report titled The Place of Arts and Culture in Canadian Foreign Policy. This report received many favourable comments, and served as a basis for discussion at the Symposium on the Role of Arts and Culture in Canadian Public Diplomacy, which took place in Montreal November 22, 2007. 

Recently, the CCA has had the chance to conduct another project, this time working with the Centre for Policy Studies on Culture and Communities at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. As part of this partnership, doctoral student Mirjam Gollmitzer wrote a research report, under the supervision of Catherine Murray, titled From Economy to Ecology: A Policy Framework for Creative Labour   This document, which coincided with the International Forum on the Creative Economy, presented last March by The Conference Board of Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, is also available on the CCA website. 

Spurred on by these two successful projects, the CCA plans to increase its level of research this summer. Three other research projects will therefore be conducted simultaneously, including two directly related to the upcoming March 2009 national conference. Alexandra Slaby of the Université de Caen, in France, will look at federal organizational models in the cultural sector, Pierre-André Hudon, a doctoral student at the University of Ottawa, will examine the role of civil society in the development of public policy, and Caroline Lebert, a Master's student at the Université de Montréal, will study cultural diversity worldwide. Other research projects related to the March 2009 conference are being developed.

As well, the CCA will begin its internship program, with the first participant joining the CCA editorial staff for a six-month period. In addition to increasing the current staff's research capacity, the intern will work, under the supervision of the CCA's Policy Advisors, to develop part of the cultural policy training tool. If all goes as planned, we should be able to create at least three internship positions during 2010-2011, including one year-long position.

What can I do?

At the beginning of May, the CCA will post a job offer for the first internship, which will start in September and last six months. The CCA is counting on each one of you to circulate this job offer as widely as possible, in order to find a prize catch to fill the position.  If you have any questions or comments about this new CCA program, feel free to contact Guillaume Sirois, Cultural Policy Advisor, at (613) 238-3561 extension 19, or by email, at guillaume.sirois@ccarts.ca.