Review the information presented at previous workshops here: 

Art & Time: Yorath House and Edmonton's Westerly parks

In early 2022, Davies and Wyman were the City of Edmonton's Yorath House artists-in-residence, interpreting the residency through their historically inspired drawings, paintings, prose and poetry. In this talk they bring to light the history of Yorath House and surrounding parks and river valley, all of which played important roles in Edmonton's rich history from Indigenous times to present day.

This event was presented by the Edmonton Arts Council in association with the Edmonton Heritage Council and is part of the Edmonton & District Historical Society's Historic Week.

A link to the recorded session is available here.

Building Experiences in the New Economy - Spring 2022 Edition

For two years, Research Consultants Stone-Olafson have been working with agencies across Alberta to track the public's evolving attitudes and opinions related to the pandemic and cultural/recreational activities. Their findings, shared with our community, have helped us all plan effectively and prepare for how our patrons may feel today, and are likely to feel tomorrow. Join us for a discussion of their May 2022 findings, exploring ongoing shifts in preferences, barriers to participation, and planning behaviour.

A PDF of the final report is available here. 

A link to the recorded session is available here. 

We need to talk about Crypto: NFTs and the Future of Literature in Canada

Recently the first ever novel sold as an NFT (Non Fungible Token) was made by former Edmontonian author Todd Babiak to Edmonton businessman Chris LaBossiere, and then donated to the Edmonton Public Library. This ignited a fierce debate over the environmental impact of NFTs and the carbon footprint of the publishing industry. So what do people in the literary community need to know about Crypto and NFTs and what exactly does the technological future of publishing in Canada look like? Join stakeholders from the Edmonton literary community as we have a real discussion about what comes next. 

Speakers include Matt Bowes, General Manager of NeWest Press , and Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture and Environment -Trent University.  

A link to the recorded session is available here. 

Another's Perspective: Writing what you don't Know
Featuring panelists Natasha Deen, Winnie Yeung, and Peter Midgley

Writing from outside our own personal experience is something that most writers are going to tackle at some point in their careers. How do writers create authentic characters from different cultural backgrounds without delving into dangerous stereotypes? Writing about different sexes, cultures, and ethnicities, even in fiction, needs to ring true to the reader and it is the writer's job to tackle these subjects responsibly. The panel of three experienced writers will talk about what questions writers should be asking themselves when wading into these waters, and what tools are available to help writers get it right. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Insurance for Arts Organizations

This is a user's guide to the different forms of insurance, what they do, and what questions to ask as you shop. Join Bradley Moss from Theatre Network, with stories of how insurance policies and claims unfold, and with Haily Taskey, Senior Advisor at Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers Ltd. Get a ground-level look at the importance of appropriate insurance coverage for your organization. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Publishing Through Online Marketplaces

Amazon and other online publishers now make up as much as 80% of the sales for new books. #1 Bestselling Author Melanie Summers will help you understand the very different model of online publication, and provide tips on how to make this mode of writing work for you. A recording of this workshop will be available soon. 

Funding for Organizations Information Session

The Edmonton Arts Council has just unveiled a new set of funding opportunities for not-for-profit organizations in Edmonton offering arts and festival programming. This quick information session will walk you through the mechanics of the application process, and provide some background and context for the new programs. A link to the recorded session is available here.

COVID and Taxes

As eighteen months with a complex web of wage, debt and income assistance programs starts to wind up, many artists are left with questions about how to report on all of this, and make sure it doesn't make for unpleasant surprises come tax season. Financial guru and former CRA employee Janis Richards has absorbed the thousand details so you don't have to! A link to the recorded session is available here.

EAC Information Session - SmartSimple and Grants for Individuals & Collectives

The Edmonton Arts Council is rolling out a new system for grant applications, public art submissions, and organizational investments. This info session will help users better understand the navigation and capabilities of this system, and be prepared to communicate with the EAC. Watch the recorded info session here. 

Live by the Word: Titilope Sonuga on the Business of Poetry

Titilope Sonuga is a poet, playwright and performer, the author of three collections of poetry and two spoken word albums, and Edmonton's new Poet Laureate. Join Ms. Sonuga for a frank discussion of the difficult but essential work of getting paid for your poetry. This session is presented by the Edmonton Arts Council and the Writers' Guild of Alberta. A link to the recorded session is available here. 

Casting Through an Intersectional Lens

Intersectionality involves an assessment of how (for instance) race, class, gender, disability and other characteristics overlap and affect one another. At every scale, film projects are increasingly using an intersectional lens in casting (and crewing) of artistic teams. Further, audiences, partners and funders increasingly expect this. Join filmmaker Andrea Beça in this workshop to better understand how this can strengthen your own projects. A link o the recorded session is available here.

Art by the Numbers: Creating a Project Budget

A project budget shows the world how you plan to use one of your finite resources - money. Veteran arts manager Karen Brown Fournell walks you through how to create a budget that's in line with your priorities, and put everything into a form that will work for the reader - whether that reader is a funder, an investor or a fellow artist. A link o the recorded session is available here. 

Pricing Your Art: How to Put a Number on Your Visual Art, Craft Work and Commissions

The pricing of visual art and craft involves a delicate balance of considerations: the time and materials going into the creation of the work, the message it sends about the artist, perceptions around the work aesthetically, economically and as a social statement. Vikki Wiercinski (Royal Bison Craft Fair), Chris W. Carson (CARFAC Alberta), and Danny Ross (Tix on the Square) will help artists navigate thought process behind setting the right price for your work. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Participation in the Arts Info Session 5

For the past year, market research firm Stone Olafson has been regularly charting the progress of Albertans' attitudes towards COVID restrictions, arts and recreation. On a regular basis, they've brought this evolving picture of how we have all been changed by this pandemic back to Edmonton artists and arts organizations. In this latest instalment, see how Edmotonians' responses and attitudes have continued to evolve, and what impact this might have on your plans for the months ahead. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Access Support in Preparing a Grant Application

As the Edmonton Arts Council strives to better accommodate all of the artists in our community, we recognize that many individuals face unique challenges relating to language, disability and other factors. In preparation for the next deadline of our Equity & Access program, we are seeking to engage with artists to talk about resources that we can provide, and what you'll need. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Arts Governance in a Pandemic
A discussion for board members and managers

What is the role of a board in helping arts organizations through this period of crisis and transition? A panel of governance and management veterans from Calgary and Edmonton discuss their experiences and perspectives on the past year, and help suggest steps forward for boards who may be seeking direction. This free session is jointly presented by Calgary Arts Development and the Edmonton Arts Council. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Advertising on Social Media

As Social Media continues to dominate as the information source of choice for patrons, understanding how to use these powerful but often opaque tools efficiently is essential for organizations and individual artists alike. Joshua Semchuk and Katie Sowden talked about using the free aspects of these tools in a past session, and return now to discuss the judicious use of paid advertising. A link to the recorded session is available here. 

Navigating a Public Art Submission

Permanent display in public is a tremendous way to share your vision with thousands, but the process of creating it can be incredibly complex, technical and multi-layered. The Edmonton Arts Council's Public Art team take you through the elements of a typical submission, and help you understand the various ways in which you need to look at your own work. A link to the recorded session will be available soon.

Participation in the Arts - Stage 4

Since the start of the Pandemic, the EAC and other partners have been working with market researchers Stone Olafson to track people's ever shifting attitudes towards engagement, activity and the response to COVID. The results have been tremendously enlightening, especially as we watch Edmontonians' response gradually shift away from trends in the rest of the province. The latest stage of this report covers November and December, when numbers spiked and a new wave of measures swept the province. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Individual Grants Info Session

The Edmonton Arts Council has revised its guidelines and parameters for our new individual artist grants. The info session discusses the program's revised guidelines and parameters, including wisdom gained from the first round of this new program in the fall. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Taxes for Artists

In this year of COVID and assorted weirdness, it's more important than ever to understand your rights and obligations for the upcoming taxes deadline. Accountant Janis Richards guides you in organizing your records and understanding how to report income and what expenses you can claim, including any CERB repayments. A link to the recorded session is available here.

2021 Activate Grants Info Session

The EAC's new Activate grants aim to provide arts and festival organizations with the tools they need to move through a second year of COVID-19. Applications are now available online. Join us to discuss the focus and details of this new program. A link to the recorded session is available here. 

Contracts for Artists

Whether it be for representation, a presentation, a gallery show or a commission, the building blocks of an artist's career are held together with contracts. Entertainment lawyer Greg Pang walks you through the essential elements of a contract, finding simple language to make out the essential elements of these documents, so that you can be clear about what you're giving, and what you're getting in return. A link to the recorded session is available here.

How Much? Determining a Price for Your Work
Featuring Bill Samoil and Bob Rasko

Setting a price for your art - whether that's a professional service, a performance, a painting or a chalk drawing - is one of the most complex and important calculations an artist can make. Financial whiz Bill Samoil walks you through the calculations required to adequately cover your costs, and impresario Bob Rasko helps explore the psychology and dynamics of price negotiations. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Participation in the Arts - Stage 3

It seems like every artist and organization in Edmonton wants to know when people will be ready to step back into in-person events and experiences. We can't predict the future, but since March, Stone-Olafson have been carefully tracking Albertans' evolving attitudes towards the pandemic. With this session, they present their findings on the fall, with a special focus on what this might tell us about the winter ahead. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Social Media Marketing in the Arts

Maintaining a trusted and functional online presence takes diligence, creativity and technique. Join the EAC and communications specialists Katie Sowden and Josh Semchuk for a discussion of how to establish your voice, sustain your relationship with your audience, and expand your circle. A link to the recorded session is available here.

Reimagine, Recovery and Relaunch for Artists

It's never been more important for artists to be able to find diverse uses for their many skills. This workshop, hosted by the Edmonton Arts Council in partnership with Business Link, offers you the tools needed to see more opportunities around you for the creative work you do. A link to the recorded session is available here.

EAC Grants to Organizations - Info Session

To learn more about how the EAC will support arts organizations in 2021 and beyond, read the latest post on the YEGArts blog. A link to the recorded session is available here.

What the Fund? Equity & Access Grants for Individual Artists 

The Edmonton Arts Council has unveiled a new suite of supports for individual artists from Indigenous and equity-seeking communities. View the video of the session held on Sept. 16, 2020 here.

Arts Participation in the Summer of 2020: Stone Olafson

This is the second report from a rigorous study of how Albertans have responded to arts and cultural offerings inside, outside and online. The report covers the vital June and July period, as lockdown restrictions lifted and we reached toward a new normal. In this session, Kim Griffen and Mathew Stone of Stone-Olafson share insights and extrapolations from this survey.  

View the video of this presentation here.

What the Fund? A Guide to EAC Grant Applications - held Aug 18, 2020

View the pdf of the presentation from the workshop here: