2025 Publication Launch and Holiday Party

Posted on November 9, 2025 by CPAMO

Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) Announces the Launch of Gathering Divergence – A Journal Centering IBPOC Perspectives in Canadian Arts Practices

Toronto, ON — [November 9th, 2025] —The arts sector in Canada is undergoing profound transformation—especially among Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) creatives. To mark this moment, Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) proudly launches Gathering Divergence – A Journal Centering IBPOC Perspectives in Canadian Arts Practices.

This publication is a vital response to the historical and ongoing erasure of IBPOC contributions to Canadian arts. Featuring essays, reflections, and creative works from artists, scholars, and cultural leaders, Gathering Divergence documents the lived experiences and practices reshaping the nation’s artistic landscape.

“This journal amplifies the creative intelligence and leadership of IBPOC artists who have long shaped the Canadian arts sector,” says Kevin A. Ormsby, Co-Director/Curator of Programming and Engagement at CPAMO. “It honours their legacies while inviting new perspectives that advance equity, inclusion, and innovation.”

Many contributors are also participants in The Gathering: Divergence Multi-Arts Festival and Conference, which complements the journal. Their work reflects the subtitle, “Shifting Perspectives and Evolving Ways of Working in the Arts,” emphasizing how artists engage with social impact, cultural relevance, and innovation.

Through an intergenerational lens, the journal unites IBPOC practitioners whose work challenges assumptions, celebrates legacy, and envisions transformative futures for the arts in Canada. By centering Indigeneity and creativity on Indigenous lands, Gathering Divergence highlights the deep links between history, place, and artistic expression.

“Our goal is to keep cultivating the arts sector—creating space, opportunity, and understanding for generations to come” adds Erin Jones, Convenor/Co-Director Curator of Transformational Change.

The first issue offers a critical and creative resource for artists, educators, policymakers, and arts organizations seeking deeper engagement with IBPOC perspectives in Canadian arts.

About the Journal

This publication reflects CPAMO’s ongoing efforts to highlight and celebrate the methodologies, insights, and lived experiences of IBPOC creatives. It seeks to interrogate the cultural significance and social currency of IBPOC artists while amplifying their narratives and reaffirming their sustained contributions to the Canadian arts sector.

“This journal amplifies the creative intelligence and leadership of IBPOC artists who have long shaped the Canadian arts sector,” says Kevin A. Ormsby | Co-Director / Curator of Programming and Engagement. “It honours their legacies while inviting new and evolving perspectives that move the sector toward equity, inclusion, and innovation. Our goal is to continue —cultivating space, opportunity, and understanding for generations to come.”

Invitation

You are invited to celebrate the launch of our new publication: Gathering Divergence – A Journal Centering IBPOC Perspectives in Canadian Arts Practices and our Holiday Party — an evening of reflection, creativity, and community connection.

Date: Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 | 4:30pm-6:30pm

Location: Rooftop Meeting Space
30 Merchants’ Wharf, Toronto, ON M5A 0L2

Accessibility: The venue is accessible by wheelchair. We aim to have a Fragrance-Free Event.

The event is free but RSVP is required!
Light refreshments will be available!

Register online on Eventbrite.

About CPAMO

Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) works to advance pluralism, equity, and inclusive practices within the arts. Through research, programming, and partnerships, CPAMO supports IBPOC artists and arts organizations in creating meaningful systemic change across Canada’s cultural landscape.

For media inquiries, interviews, or access to the journal, please contact:

Victoria Glizer
Curator of Communications
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO)
info@cpamo.org | www.cpamo.org

Federal Budget 2025 and Arts and Culture

Posted on November 6, 2025 by CPAMO

CAC Welcomes Steps Forward in Budget 2025

Ottawa, ON — The Canadian Arts Coalition (CAC) applauds elements of Budget 2025, which includes increased support for cultural and media programs, and stated recognition of the importance of arts, culture, and heritage to Canada’s economy, social fabric and identity.

The Canadian Arts Coalition works on behalf of artists and cultural organisations to increase investment in the sector and to advise the government on policies that will positively impact both the sector and all of Canada. In the past two years, that focus has been a recommendation on two main investments: the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Recently, the Coalition’s Campaign for Culture inspired over 50,000 letters to the government in support of that ask for new investment and no cuts to the Council, and we are pleased to see that the Government heard that message.

The CAC welcome the inclusion of new and renewed investments in many vital programs that serve artists and cultural organizations across Canada, such as the Canada Music Fund, Building Communities through Arts and Heritage, and the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. Communities will benefit from the increased investment in Heritage’s Celebration and Commemoration Program to support Canada Day celebrations, and Canadians will benefit from the opportunity provided through the Canada Strong Pass to visit their art galleries and museums. The investment in Canada Summer Jobs will positively impact many cultural organizations across the country as well as providing essential employment opportunities for young Canadians. The Coalition also applauds the various important investments in media through the Canada Media Fund, the National Film Board, Telefilm Canada and the CBC, all committed to helping tell the stories of Canada. These targeted investments will ensure that many artists, ensembles, festivals, and cultural institutions across the country receive the predictable funding they require to plan and thrive.

The Coalition also recognizes that the Liberal government has acknowledged the importance of individual artistic creation through proposed changes to the Copyright Act to include an Artist’s Resale Right. This ensures that Canadian visual artists benefit from future sales of their work.

While the CAC is pleased with the demonstrated commitment to the Arts and Culture sector there is still work to be done. Budget 2025 does not yet adequately address the need for significant new investment in the Canada Council for the Arts. The Canadian Arts Coalition will continue to work on behalf of its members and the sector to ensure that the Council’s role is recognized with appropriate funding for the benefit of all Canadians.

However, the recognition of the arts expressed in this budget, along with the listed investments demonstrate that arts and heritage remain part of the national conversation, which we deeply welcome, and offer a foundation upon which further commitments can be built. We congratulate the Government on the positive initiatives in Budget 2025, and we commit to working constructively with ministers and parliamentary committees to continue to strengthen arts and culture in Canada.

You can see the full budget here and on the relevant sections on the CAC site.

The Canadian Arts Coalition’s Campaign for Culture 2025

Posted on September 10, 2025 by CPAMO

Join us to do your part for the Arts!

CPAMO is proud to be part of the non-partisan Canadian Arts Coalition, to fight for the arts at a time when Canada needs it most. We believe it is important for arts’ sake as well as for the impact it can have on the mental, physical, and social well-being of Canadians, for its importance as an economic generator for our communities, and also because it is how we reflect who we are, both to other people in Canada and to the world.

The Federal Government had promised to invest in Canada’s cultural institutions during the election campaign, but now is asking those same funders to look at a devastating 15% cuts to their budgets. There are over 850,000 cultural workers across Canada, and most of them live in financial precarity.

In difficult times, we need to ensure the arts are our leaders to show us the future we can make together in Canada.

Through the Canadian Coalition for the Arts, we urge you to join our letter campaign that takes only a few seconds to make the case for smart new investment in Arts and Culture in Canada this year. We don’t have time to wait. Lack of investment and cuts could have a generational impact on our ability to tell the stories of Canada.

We hope that moments like the one you are about to experience show the importance of humans gathering, being creative, and expressing ourselves in ways that reflect our essential humanity, all in a shared moment.

Please add your voice. It matters. Click here to send the letter to your MP

Click here for more information and ways to spread the word!

Follow the coalition on Instagram @artscoalitionca