Toronto Arts Council and The Toronto District School Board are pleased to invite applications for artist participation in the first annual
Dare to Create Arts Festival
May 12 – June 9, 2014
Dare to Create is a Celebration of Student Voice:
This festival will celebrate and support the creative work of students in school communities throughout the city. The exchange between professional artists and young people will provide a strong foundation for learning and creative expression. The festival will also foster cross -cultural connections and shared understanding across a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
Dare to Create is a Celebration of Arts and Creativity for All:
This celebration of the arts will expand access to quality arts experiences for students and open up opportunities for more artist engagement in school communities. We aim to inspire students, their families, and teachers to embrace arts and culture as an essential component of a well-rounded education and fulfilling life. The public celebration of student work will also acknowledge the important role that artists and teachers play in nurturing creativity and artistic expression.
Dare to Create is a Celebration of our City:
The festival theme will invite students to explore and represent perceptions and reflections on their city of Toronto through the arts. Dare to Create will celebrate a diversity of student voices from diverse backgrounds, personal/social identities, and neighbourhoods of Toronto. Students will be encouraged to share their personal connections to the people, places, histories and happenings of their city through artistic creation in one or more of the arts. Multi-disciplinary work is encouraged!
Festival Overview
The festival will include arts-based activities taking place in TDSB schools across the city as well as special events in community venues. The following six components of the festival will be supported through a partnership between Toronto Arts Council and Toronto District School Board Arts Department:
– Artist in Residency Program (JK – Grade 6)
– Student Arts Conference (Grade 7 & 8)
– Dare to Create Art and Film Project (Grades 9-12)
– Dare to Dance/Dare to Speak Project (Grades 9-12),
– Across Experience Arts Co-op Program (Grades 10-12)
– School-Based Arts Celebrations (all Grades)
The Dare to Create Artist Roster will be managed and administrated by Prologue to the Performing Arts.
Fees
The TDSB rate for all artist activities is $300 per day or $50.00 per hour.
Application Process
Toronto-based artists in all arts disciplines and from diverse backgrounds are invited to submit an application to work with students during Dare to Create in three ways:
1. Artists in Residence * Program – JK – Grade 6 Time Frame: April – June
– Each residency will be five (5) full days in one school, working in two classrooms (JK to Gr.6)
– Artists will provide an outline of their residency proposal as part of the application process, with a clear connection to the festival theme of life in Toronto
– Artists will participate in pre-planning and professional learning with teachers in advance of the residency
*Note: In addition to this call for artists, The TDSB and Ontario Arts Council will also be supporting Dare to Create with artist support and mentorship. The TDSB/OAC roster of artists will be managed by The Arts Department, TDSB.
2. Artist Mentors Grades 9 – 12 Time Frame: February – May
Artist mentors are required to provide support to students and teacher-mentors in the following projects:
Dare to Create Art and Film: a juried/curated exhibition of art collaborations by student groups
Dare to Dance/Dare to Speak: a juried/curated showcase of original dance and literary performance works created by students.
Artist mentors will support students at different stages in the process of creating their works. At all times, students must remain the authors and creators of their artistic creations. The role of the artist/mentor is to:
– Assist students with the development of specific techniques or skills to help them strengthen or clarify their intended message
– Critique student work providing specific, constructive feedback related to project criteria
– Ask focused questions to help students make thoughtful artistic choices and to refine their work.
– Listen encouragingly to students and engage them responsively and respectfully without taking control
The amount of time will vary from approximately 4-8 hours of mentorship with each group.
3. Workshop Facilitators – Grades 7-12 Time Frame: February – May
Workshop facilitators are required to support the following projects:
Dare to Create Student Arts Conference Grades 7 and 8: May 20- Harbourfront Centre Artists will facilitate workshops in dance, drama, visual arts and/or integrated arts for Grades 7 and 8 students. Student will participate in three workshops with artists within the full day’s programming.
Across Experiences Arts Co-op Program– Grades 9 – 12:
Aboriginal artists will facilitate workshops to support students in dance, theatre and film-making,
Application Details
Please read all requirements and submit accordingly. If you have not worked with a school board in the past or if you have not facilitated work in a school setting it is recommended that you contact us to discuss your application before submitting.
Application Scheduling and Duration
Application deadline: January 15, 2014 5:00 pm.
Applications can be submitted by: Email to patty@prologue.org
Dare to Create
c/o Prologue to the Performing Arts
Distillery Historic District
15 Case Goods Lane, Suite 201
Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
Dare to Create will take place between May 12 and June 9, 2014, with some projects requiring artist support leading up to the festival. Artists must be available during the time frames indicated for each project:
Residencies: May (may begin in April and end in June where necessary)
Mentorships: February – May
Workshop Facilitation: February – May
(Individual residencies, mentorships and workshops will be scheduled in collaboration with teachers)
Interviews for all positions will take place between January 20 – 30, 2014
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply to the Dare to Create Program, applicants must be professional artists.
A professional artist is someone who has developed their skills through training and/or practice; is recognized as such by artists working in the same artistic tradition; actively practices his or her art; seeks payment for her/his work; and has a history of public presentation.
Artists must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents or have an application pending for Permanent Resident Status. If requested, you must be able to provide documentation to verify this.
Artists must have been a resident of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the applications deadline, and live and work in Toronto for at least 8 months a year. A Post Office Box address cannot be used to meet the residency requirement.
Application Process
1. Complete Applicant Information: Call to artists #7 Dec 06 13
2. Area of interest in Dare to Create
– identify which of the components of the festival you are applying for – please note that Residencies will take place for K to grade 6, Workshops for grades 7 to 12 and Mentorships for grades 9 to 12.
3. Complete Artist/Educator Experience
– Include relevant experience working in schools and/or with school age children
– Include relevant experience related to collaborating with classroom teachers to plan and implement arts programming
– Artists are not expected to specifically deliver curriculum; however, knowledge of the Ontario Ministry of Education arts curriculum is an asset and where possible please emphasize the areas of curriculum that your work with young people supports.
For each component that you are applying for please include the following information:
Residencies: (no more than 2 pages)
Outline the residency program you are proposing that will explore with students the theme of living in Toronto. Outline must include:
– Art form(s) that students will be engaged in
– Appropriate grade level(s)
– Student activities for 5 half day sessions with one class
– Anticipated outcomes – what will the students and teachers take away from the experience
Mentorships: (one page)
Briefly describe your past experience guiding students in creative work. How do you anticipate working with students to encourage their creative potential? How will you support teachers?
Workshops: (one page)
Provide a workshop proposal for the grade 7/8 conference (one hour) and/or the Aboriginal Co-op Program (one-half day). Include anticipated outcomes as well as the focus and nature of your work.
4. Include a copy of your professional resume
For further information please contact:
Patty Jarvis, Prologue to the Performing Arts patty@prologue.org
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) 
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