TORONTO STORIES FROM THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOLBOARD ARCHIVES

TORONTO STORIES

STORIES BY: EMILY BERG, KHRISTINE CUTHBERTSON, MAYA DONKERS, CURTIS FREDRICK, & MAIREAD MURPHY

COMPILED BY: BRENNA PLADSEN

The series of digital stories about Toronto history and culture which make up this project are the work of fifty-three Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) graduate students. The project was inspired by the 2015 Myseum Intersections – Telling Toronto’s Stories and invited each storyteller to select an object from local collections which has significance to Toronto’s past and present. The objects inspired the authors to connect historical events with contemporary context so that they tell stories about the multiple intersections that happen in the city.

Musings will be posting collected stories once a cycle. We hope that, after reading the stories, you will know Toronto a little bit better. And perhaps you will find similar stories in your own objects!

Our partners for this project, to which we are extremely thankful, are:

• Archeological and Cultural Heritage Services 
• Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 
• John M. Kelly Library, St. Mike’s College, University of Toronto 
• Lambton House 
• Myseum of Toronto 
• Ontario Jewish Archives 
• Private Collection of Russian Artefacts 
• Scarborough Historical Society 
• Scarborough Museum 
• The Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario 
• The Real Canadian Portuguese Museum 
• Toronto Botanical Garden 
• Toronto District School Board Archives

Now, without further ado, object stories from the Toronto District School Board Archives.

GOOD VIBRATIONS: MORE THAN JUST A PIANO

BY: EMILY BERG

Did you know that the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Museum and Archives houses the largest collection of public education artefacts in Canada? Amongst them is a Heintzman Square Grand Piano that belonged to the Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf in the 1920s. Why is this particular piano important? Well, it was used by hard-of-hearing students in the TDSB to feel the vibrations on the wood and in their bodies while the piano keys were played by the teacher, allowing these children to also have access to music in the school system.

Heintzman Square Grand Piano, Rosewood, built in 1873. Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives, Toronto, ON. Photo by E. Berg

Heintzman and Co. Ltd. was a Toronto based piano manufacturer founded by Theodore Heintzman (1817-1899), a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1850 and came to Toronto in 1860, where he applied his wood-working, machinery, and instrument making skills. The world renowned Heintzman pianos were considered some of the finest pianos built in Canada, winning several first prize awards and gold medals while being exhibited in the United States and in Canada, including at what is now known as the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). Canadians no longer had to import high-quality pianos.

The piano at the TDSB Museum and Archives was built in December 1873, and is made of high-quality rosewood, which is one of finest finishes for instruments. It is quite large, and if you think this looks the size of a large desk or couch, you are right.

TDSB Archivist, Greg McKinnon, noted that students would lay across the piano or put their hands and head down against the piano to hear, feel, and experience the musical vibrations. Their bodies acted as resonance cavities and the music creates a tingling sensation in our bones, muscles and nerves. Lower notes are often felt in the legs and thighs, while higher pitches resonate in the chest and face. Learning to “hear” different tones with their bodies teaches hard-of-hearing children about music.

Hard-of-hearing students placing their hands on a piano. Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf (N.D.)
Out of the Silence. Toronto: Toronto District School Board. [catalogue]

They were using the Orff-Schulwerk multi-sensory method, whereby children can discover, explore, and create music combining singing, dancing, listening, speaking rhythms, and playing instruments. Children use these playful sensorial intersections to experience the changes in resonances within their bodies. Learning music together creates an important collective experience, opening up creativity and encouraging conversations about music.

Today, music therapists believe that music should be available for hard-of-hearing students to learn more about themselves, as well as aiding in their speech development. How wonderful that the TDSB knew the value and positive experiences that children would have using this piano almost a century ago.

Although the Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf closed two years ago, there is a hard-of-hearing program run at Faywood Arts-Based Curriculum public school in North York. Today, a special music instructor uses drums instead of a piano with children to help them learn music and feel the vibrations. Music nurtures and builds self-expression, confidence, and better communication skills in all children, including those with disabilities.

Bibliography
Darrow, A.A. (2007). Teaching Students with Hearing Losses. General Music Today, 20(2), 27-30.

Darrow, A.A. (2006). The Role of Music in Deaf Culture: Deaf Student’s Perception of Emotion in Music. Journal of Music Therapy, (43)1, 2-15.

Heintzman and Co. Ltd. (c. 1880-1899) Archival Collection. Baldwin Collection of Canadiana. Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre, Toronto Reference Library. Toronto, ON.

McKinnon, G. Personal Communication. Oct. 20, 2015, Oct. 27, 2015 and Nov. 3, 2015.

Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf. Out of the Silence. Toronto: Toronto District School Board. [catalogue]

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives. Toronto, ON.

AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS, OR IS FORGOTTEN: ELMER THE SAFETY ELEPHANT

BY: KHRISTINE CUTHBERTSON

“Elmer and I never forget!” was a phrase uttered by schoolchildren across Canada during the 1960s, reminding each other to play safely around roads and busy intersections. So how did this popular pachyderm catch his big break and what has become of him?

Elmer the Safety Elephant is a beloved Canadian mascot that was created by Bas Mason and Vernon Page in 1947 with the purpose of educating Toronto’s elementary school children on traffic safety. As noted by Greg McKinnon, chief archivist at the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives, the program was so successful in its first year that traffic accidents among schoolchildren in Toronto dropped a staggering 44 percent, even as the number of registered vehicles increased by 10 percent. Word of Elmer’s success in Toronto spread to other municipalities in Ontario, and eventually the Elmer safety program was implemented in other provinces.

Archival footage from a 1955 CBC news story shows how the program included in-school safety demonstrations by local police officers, a song which helped children remember traffic safety rules and most memorably, an Elmer flag which was displayed in front of schools. McKinnon spoke of one example of an Elmer pennant flag housed in the museum’s collection. “This particular example is dated to the 1960s, and was often the pride of the school that displayed it.” According to McKinnon, “the Elmer flag was used as bragging rights among Toronto children” as schools could fly the flag when accruing 30 accident-free days.

“Elmer the Safety Elephant” flag (c.1965), TDSB Archives and Museum,
photo by Khristine Chua

So what exactly happened to Elmer after his years of glory? During the 1980s and 1990s, Elmer’s popularity waned and he disappeared from schools. A resurgence in the program that was prompted by the Canada Safety Council during the early 2000s lead to a revamping of Elmer’s image – he ditched the 1940s Disney duds and traded them in for a baseball cap and sneakers. Elmer still lives on today in the form of an interactive website. He continues to educate children on traffic safety, but updated his topics to include contemporary issues such as internet safety. Some have criticised Elmer as being too tame for today’s youth and no longer relevant, but I think he deserves some credit! Elmer paved the way for other safety initiatives and mascots. Remember McGruff the Crime Dog?. Will Elmer ever reach the fame that he did in the 1950s? It’s hard to predict, but in an ever-growing city with its increasing reliance on vehicles, Elmer’s rules should be practiced more than ever.

A special thanks to Greg McKinnon and the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives at 16 Phin Avenue, for his help conducting research.

Works Cited
Note: All sources used have been linked in the preceding blog post.

DO YOU KNOW THE DRILL? THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE DENTAL CHAIR IN THE TDSB MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE

BY: MAYA DONKERS

If you’re like me and do not enjoy the dentists, take a minute to reconsider the comfort and security of the dental chair you sit in. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Museum and Archive is home to Child’s Chair No. 2, a dental chair patented December 10, 1907, by S.S. White Technologies, Inc. Founded in 1844 by Dr. Samuel Stockton White, the multifaceted technological company remains in operation today.

Child’s Chair No. 2 is the only dental chair in the TDSB Museum and Archive. It provides an example of the early collaborations between health professionals and educators in the Toronto public school system. The black leather, metal, and dark wooden chair is child-size both in the dimensions of the seat and the distance to the upper headrest. As the aesthetic qualities of the chair give it a ‘creepy’ and austere appearance, is it possible that these early dental chairs contributed to the fear of going to the dentists?

S.S. White. Child’s Chair No. 2, 1907.
Front view. Photo Source: Maya Donkers

Research on this chair led to some unexpected findings. Surprisingly, it is the Annual Report of the Inspector for the Public Schools of the City of Toronto in 1880, which provides some answers to my questions through the record of a general meeting held to discuss school hygiene. This left me wondering: When was an adequate health and hygiene practice introduced into Toronto’s public school system?

The TDSB Museum and Archive highlights that in 1910, the Toronto Board of Education organized a system of school visitations and medical inspections to battle health risks associated with unsanitary living conditions, crowded classrooms, and a general lack of knowledge about health and hygiene. According to the Ontario Dental Association, pressure from the association forced the City of Toronto to open a six-chair dental clinic to treat city children in 1911. The ODA states that within a year, the educational proficiency of children who received dental care and oral hygiene instruction through the clinic increased by 54 per cent. However, it was not until 1913 that dental clinics were designed within schools to test and treat children with severe illnesses and infections.

S.S. White. Child’s Chair No. 2, 1907. Side view.
Photo Source: Maya Donkers

So when did Child’s Chair No. 2 enter the school system? Although the exact date is unknown, TDSB archivist Greg McKinnon informed me that, “It was one of the very first dental chairs to enter Toronto’s school system… between 1907-1913.” I wonder how students would have reacted to this dental chair. Would the chair have been new and exciting or unknown and horrifying? As tooth decay was identified as a major concern at the time, I would imagine the latter. Although this dental chair is only one example of the many objects that record the history of Toronto’s public school system, it certainly provides a fascinating intersection of education and dental health in Toronto.

Works Cited James Hughes. (1881). Annual Report of the Inspector of the Public Schools of the City of Toronto: for the Year Ending December 31st 1880. Toronto: Patterson & Co, Steam Printers, p. 29.

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archive. (n.d.). Health and Wellness [Label]. In Exhibition Room. Toronto, Canada.

Toronto District School Board Museum and Archive. (n.d.). Medical and Dental Care [Label]. In Exhibition Room. Toronto, Canada.

SWITCHING TO AN EXCITING CAREER: SWITCHBOARD OPERATORS AND THE PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE AT THE TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

BY: CURTIS FREDRICK

Imagine you have just graduated from a vocational high school in Toronto in the 1920s and are looking for a job in the technology sector. What kind of jobs would be available? What kind of job would you want? For many women, becoming a telephone switchboard operator was a highly desired job. It was not only a profession where the large majority of workers were women, but it was also one of the few technology jobs where women also served in many supervision positions. Women were preferred as they were seen to be “steadier, do not drink beer and are always on hand.” [1] By the 1890s, men were no longer employed as operators, as they had a tendency to swear at and play pranks on callers. The job required manually connecting callers to each other, therefore workers needed a good attention to detail and strong communication skills. The job could be very demanding if you worked in a large city, or be very slow and monotonous if you worked in a small town where there may only be a few people with telephones.

The Private Branch Exchange at the Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives.
 The metallic book on the top right of the image is a directory
of employees working at the Toronto District School Board in 1984.
Photo: Curtis Frederick

Telephone companies were not the only businesses that required switchboard operators. Many large companies, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), had their own private switchboard systems, known as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX). A PBX connected all the telephones in the office to each other and routed incoming calls to the operator, who then connected them to the correct office. The TDSB’s PBX was likely made in the 1920s or 1930s by Western Electric for Bell Canada and was used until 1984 when it was acquired by the museum after the school board switched to an automatic system.

Detail view of the Private Branch Exchange. The plugs at the back were plugged
into the holes on the switching board, the vertical portion of the PBX,
to connect callers to one another. The operator could also
connect callers directly to an outside phone number  by using the rotary dial.
Photo: Curtis Frederick

To encourage new female graduates to become switchboard operators, many large companies advertised directly to high school students. In the 1950s, Bell Canada advertised to high school girls promising them “a good salary, plenty of opportunities to get ahead, and off-hour social activities.” [2]

According to the TDSB Museum archivist Greg McKinnon, the TDSB was an early adopter of many different forms of technology. In the 1920s, technologies such as the telephone, radio, and typewriters, were used in Toronto’s Commerce and Technical High Schools to teach students concrete skills that they would need to work in different industries. The commerce high schools, which focused more on business and secretarial skills, tended to be more popular with girls. Conversely, the technical high schools, which taught skills such as auto repair, plumbing, and carpentry, tended to be more popular with boys. Do you think that this gender divide still exists today? Which type of school would you want to attend?

The Toronto District School Board Museum and Archives [3] are located in the Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute. In addition to a large collection of artefacts from schools all over Toronto, the archives hold a number of materials including meeting minutes, yearbooks, and photographs.

Footnotes
1. Chapuis, P.J. and A. E. Joel. (1982). 100 years of telephone switching (1878-1978). Amsterdam, NY: North Holland, p. 54.

2. Your place in the business world! [Advertisement]. (c. 1955). Montreal, QC: Bell Telephone Company of Canada.
3. http://www.museumsontario.ca/museum/Museum-and-Archives---Toronto

MIRROR, MIRROR: EARLY SPEECH THERAPY FOR DEAF CHILDREN IN TORONTO

BY: MAIREAD MURPHY

Today, special education is an integral part of the Toronto public education system; the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) annually updates its Special Education Plan for students with special needs. As it turns out, the antique speech correction board currently located at the TDSB Museum and Archives had its part to play in the history of special education practices in the city. For years, the board was used in Toronto’s Davisville Junior Public School as a speech correction tool for hearing impaired children. Although the exact date of manufacture is unknown, TDSB archivist Greg McKinnon estimates that the speech correction board was made sometime in the 1930s and was housed in Davisville before arriving at the TDSB Archives in the 1980s.

The speech correction board located in the TDSB Museum and Archives.
Photograph by Mairead Murphy.

The TDSB speech correction board consists of a small chalkboard mounted above a large square mirror, which is then joined to two support legs. Using a series of metal hinges and mechanisms, the board can either be locked in place or flipped vertically in order to reveal a large chalkboard surface on the other side, complete with a small shelf for holding sticks of chalk. Since it is made of wood, the whole board could be moved from classroom to classroom fairly easily.

The board appears to be an artifact from the era of the “pure oralist method” of deaf education in Toronto. In the early 20th century, Toronto schools discouraged hearing impaired students from learning sign language. Instead, teachers promoted lip-reading and talking aloud. According to McKinnon, teachers would write words onto the board’s chalk surface. Then, teacher and student would read the words out loud in front of the mirror and the deaf student could observe his or her mouth movements and the formations of the teacher’s mouth simultaneously. Teachers did this in the hope that hearing impaired children would learn how to pronounce words.

This informational pamphlet about Davisville Junior Public School
was found in the TDSB Museum and Archives.
The pamphlet features an image of a teacher and student using a speech correction board
similar to the one found in the Museum.
Photograph by Mairead Murphy.

Today, sign language is an important aspect of deaf education in Toronto and the speech correction board is a relic rather than a tool. The question remains: how effective was the speech correction board? Dozens of chalk stains on the chalkboard show that it was used many times, but anecdotal or personal testimony about how well this specific form of therapy worked is hard to find.

Regardless, the speech correction board was a step toward modern special education practices. Now that the object sits in a museum instead of a classroom, it exists as a representation of a distinct point in time in the development of Toronto’s learning strategies for students with special needs. The board is not only physical evidence of the city of Toronto’s investment in early childhood education but also a piece of history relating to the experiences of its hearing impaired citizens. For decades, hearing impaired students would have met at the common intersection of the TDSB speech correction board and left with a shared experience.

Works Cited
 Ellis, Jason A. 2014. All methods—and wedded to none: The deaf education methods debate and progressive educational reform in Toronto, Canada, 1922-1945. Paedagogica Historica, 50(3), 371-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00309230.2013.833273

TDSB Special Education Plan. (2015, July 31.) Retrieved from http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/EarlyYears/docs/SpecialEducationPlan.pdf

CANADA NOW 2017: FUNDRAISING IN MUSEUMS

(FUN)DRAISING

BY: MAYA DONKERS

It seems too soon to be saying goodbye to the (Fun)draising column for the summer. It is even stranger to say goodbye to Musings entirely with only two weeks of school left!

I couldn't choose what topic I wanted to tackle and leave as my legacy *wink-cough* so I decided to share four very important and very different conversations that need to be explored and considered by museum professionals working in the Canadian cultural sector. 

These abstracts came from a panel presentation at the 2017 iSchool Student Conference. This panel session was full of rich ideas, questions, and encouraged all of us to think about the future of museums in both pragmatic and creative ways. 

Michelle gets it - also, we miss you. Source.

Donor Motivations: Do Museums Consider Donor Motivations When Soliciting On-Line Donations? Presented by Kelly MacKenzie 

Fundraising is an important part of a non-profit organization, it aids in keeping their doors open and services running. However, people require a reason to donate to your organization, whether it is their time, money, or possessions. The historiography of this topic tends to focus on large donors as, financially, they play a large role in an organization's fundraising, whether it is through financial aid, their influence, or artefact donations. Small-scale donors, the focus of this examination, are also important. Although small donors do not make up the largest financial contributions to an institution, they can indicate the reach of an organization, its community support, and how well its mission and mandate are resonating with people, both in the community and beyond. This examination focuses on small on-line donors and the donor motivations found on the donation and support sections of nine Canadian museum’s websites, using the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax as case studies.

You know the drill. Source.

Government Grants in Canada: the Commemoration of the War of 1812 - Presented by Kate Seally 

In 2012, Canada celebrated the centennial of the War of 1812. The Conservative Government, in power at the time, decided to heavily fund and promote this centennial for political reasons. I will argue that the distribution of government grants to museums give the Government of Canada a certain ability to control the content of museums. As one editorial published in the late 1990s put it, “he who pays the piper calls the tune.”

They certainly found a hook. Source.

Crowdfunding for Canada's Cultural Heritage - Presented by Dana Murray 

Providing an overview of the evolution of crowdfunding as a fundraising practice, this paper examines how it can be used to promote community building, increase knowledge of a project and build project capacity. Through the bonds forged by the Internet, organizations are now able to approach the global community, reaching out for assistance to protect not merely the cultural heritage of one country or one group of people, but rather the world's cultural heritage as a whole. With particular emphases placed on the use of compelling narratives to attract contributions from the global community, this paper shall establish means by which to emphasize inclusivity, overcome geographical boundaries, and promote symbolic action. It is through an examination of such practices that teacher techniques and characteristics that are transferable to a Canadian context are identified, thus establishing a preliminary guide for similar future initiatives in our country. 

Crowdfunding 101. Source.

A Case for Success: The Intersection of Arts and Health Funding in Canadian Cultural Institutions - Presented by Maya Donkers

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing rather than the absence of disease. This definition acknowledges health outcomes as holistic, which in the case of this paper, encompasses individual and community-health enhancing efforts in the arts. This acceptance of health as more than an absent of illness has spurred investigations into the fundamentals of creating programs to sustain health through the arts. This paper challenges the conversations around arts funding in Canada. Specifically, it focuses on the growing interest in dance as a public health intervention through a case study of the Sharing Dance Program at Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS). This paper argues that arts programming should be cross-sectoral to maximize the opportunities for revenue generation. By highlighting a case for restricted giving from granting agencies in Canada, this paper will demonstrate how innovative arts sector programming, that encourages individual and community-based health and wellness, will attract support that would not otherwise be available.

Look at all these smiling faces sharing dance. Source.

The panel session ended with important questions about the identity of organizations during fundraising campaigns; whether crowdfunding is a viable option; how crowdfunding campaigns engage their supporters and build relationships; and whether online fundraising campaigns use images or narrative as a primary means to engage/attract participants.

This discussion is far from over. As Emma's Museum Monday post triggered some immediate concerns for American museums that we need to acknowledge living across the border, it is also our duty to keep arts and culture a critical part of the Canadian landscape. 

It is true that museums would not exist without a collection of some kind.  Collections, public programs, education, conservation needs - all make museums what they are. As Emerging Museum Professionals, I urge you to keep in mind that all those things would NOT be possible without funding.

Let's do our best to make sure funding is not as critical an issue in 

Canada and we may soon see in the U.S. 

Please leave comments or questions for the presenters below, I will pass them along. For full papers, stay tuned for the iJournal publication!

LOVE DON'T COST A THING (OR DOES IT?)

(FUN)DRAISING

BY: MAYA DONKERS

Happy Valentine's Day, romantics. One of the things V-Day is best known for, is adding pressure to a what would otherwise be a regular day. Reservations must be made in advance, flowers triple in price, and all of a sudden pink and red blouses emerge from the depth of the closet.

Choosing how to celebrate with your loved one can be a challenge. Do you stay in and cook? Do you go to dinner and a show? Or do you ignore the whole day and celebrate your love a week later?

Option 3.5: Live vicariously through some Bieber action. (Source)

I would like to introduce a fourth option: attend a museum valentines-themed event so your hard earned cash goes to celebrating love AND to supporting the arts.

Here are some examples of museums that know how to capitalize on where the money is coming from and where it is going:

1. Valentine's Day Dinner 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada hosts the "ultimate Valentine's Day dinner" for a healthy $275.00 per couple. There are two separate dinner seatings that include a cash bar, music, three course dinner in one of the galleries, access to most of the Aquarium, and one Valentine's Day photo. 

2. Wines and Valentines 2017: A Winemaker's Dinner

This special fundraising event hosted by the Museum on Main features "wine exquisitely paired with a multi-course dinner." In its 10th year of the event, the menu features a unique collection of wines from one family estate. 

For a mere $85.00 US (per person) you and your loved one can enjoy a delicious dinner and wine pairing with a live auction and a raffle. 

3. Night Shift: Wild Romances 

The Royal BC Museum's adult-only event has you and your loved one covered with a photo book, live music, a scavenger hunt, craft stations, food, and more. The program includes "Sex Talks on Stage" and an "Erotica Dance Performance."

Tickets are $35.00 (per person) and covers all program events (and food) from 8p.m. - 12a.m.

4. Valentine's Fireside at the Inn

Spend Valentine's Day evening at the Inn near a roaring fire, listening to live music and enjoying a mulled beverage with the perfect dessert. 

A relatively inexpensive $40.00 per couple includes a plated dessert and a mulled wine beverage each.

5. Valentine Luncheon 

The Valentine Luncheon hosted by the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University is "a wonderful fundraising event benefitting the Museum." This event is sponsored by Neiman Marcus, Downtown Dallas

Yes, yes we will. (Source).

There you have it! With the 365 days left until next Valentine's Day, there is ample time to find the best museum V-Day event near you. 

There are lots of events out there, post below if you have plans to attend one! 

HAPPY DAY OF LOVE ALL! 

INNOVATION OR THE LOGICAL NEXT STEP?

(FUN)DRAISING

BY: MAYA DONKERS

Welcome back to another wintery semester MMSt-ers! To kick-start the semester with another (fun)draising discussion, I am sharing some of my ideas that went into a much more extensive paper this past semester. 

As we know, this is a big year for the Canadian cultural sector with Canada 150 and the Canadian Government's Budget 2016. What we might not consider as often, is that there are innovative ways for cultural institutions to maximize funding, regardless of country-wide celebrations and new leadership. 

Funding is a constant topic of discussion across the Canadian not for profit sector. However, when NFPs and funding sources are not well matched, funding does not go to where it could do its greatest good, and as a result promising programs are cut or never launched. So what is the logical (or innovative?) next step to maximizing well matched funding opportunities? 

Strategic planning in the arts sector should have a multi-sectoral approach to attract public funding. 

PA Day Students at the AGO. Source.

Methods of traditional fundraising in Canada include telemarketing, major gifts, foundation grants, memberships, direct mail appeals, and more. However, more innovative fundraising efforts should include peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate challenges, micro-donations and incentive partnerships. 

Do we still need to be telemarketing? Source.

The Intersection: Arts and Health

As art and health have always been major players in human interest, a strong case can be made for programming that offers incentive partnerships for both sectors. The good news? Canada already has existing platforms that support the intersection of art and health for the country. 

Arts Health Network Canada (AHNC) is one example of a successful cross-sectoral platform and is the country’s primary arts and health knowledge sharing, networking and capacity building hub. AHNC helps to promote and facilitate the development of arts and health initiatives across the country. 

Arts and Health Awareness Month is another example of a successful and internationally recognized cross-sectoral platform that celebrates and raises awareness about arts’ contributions to health, healing and wellbeing. The month of November provides a platform to expand the ongoing dialogue about how these two seemingly contrary fields overlap. It is a month that encourages Canadians to think critically about how arts can improve health and wellbeing. 

Cultural organizations should engage with this level of critical thinking. Initiatives such as Arts and Health Awareness Month provide knowledge-sharing models that adopted a cross-sectoral approach to strategic planning and fundraising. Not only does cross-sectoral programming attract funding that would not otherwise be available, it also works for the benefit of more Canadians and encourages a more creative and healthy nation for all.

Do you agree? Should cultural institutions be critically engaging with other public sectors as a fundraising initiative? 

What are some other examples of cross-sectoral platforms that encourage funding from multiple public sectors? 

Comment below! 

Sources

Arts Health Network Canada. (2015). About. Retrieved from http://artshealthnetwork.ca/about/overview

Cultivating Canada. (2016). November is Arts and Health Month. Retrieved from http://www.cultivatingculture.com/2013/11/05/november-is-arts-health-month/