Community Conversations: Designing a New Arts Service Organization through Collective Vision.
A Series of Presentations and Workshops to shape a new model for a new arts service organization.


If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cassandra Olsthoorn.
Cassandra Olsthoorn (she/her)
Executive Director
cassandra@artsnetottawa.ca

Ottawa Arts Council and Arts Network Ottawa gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Community Foundation, CAPACOA (Presenters Capacity Building Program), Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund through the Community Foundations of Canada.
Canada Council for the Arts, Strategic Innovation Fund
The Canada Council for the Arts contributes to the vibrancy of a creative and diverse arts and literary scene and supports its presence across Canada and around the world. The Council is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to “foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.” The Council’s grants, services, initiatives, prizes, and payments support Canadian artists, authors, and arts groups and organizations. This support allows them to pursue artistic expression, create works of art, and promote and disseminate the arts and literature. Through its arts funding, communications, research, and promotion activities, the Council fosters ever-growing engagement of Canadians and international audiences in the arts. The Council’s Public Lending Right (PLR) program makes annual payments to creators whose works are held in Canadian public libraries. The Council’s Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts through exhibition and outreach activities. The Council is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to contribute to a future of peace, reconciliation, equity, and sustainable development.
CAPACOA, Presenters Capacity Building Program
CAPACOA represents 150 professional for-profit and not-for-profit presenters, festivals, presenter networks, artistic companies, agents, managers and other stakeholders working across the presenting and touring sector in Canada.
The Ottawa Community Foundation
The Ottawa Community Foundation is a public, charitable organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. The Foundation works with donors and the community at large as a trusted partner to fulfill impact philanthropy and bring about positive, systemic, and sustainable change.
The Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund through the Community Foundations of Canada.
The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support community service organizations, including charities, non-profits and Indigenous governing bodies, as they adapt and modernize their organizations. The Community Services Recovery Fund is being delivered through three National Funders - Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada.
We have an exciting announcement for our community: Arts Network Ottawa and the Ottawa Arts Council are merging to create a new, unified organization advancing the arts in Ottawa. Together, we will bring a stronger voice to our arts community.
With residents, members and the cultural community, we will build a new Ottawa arts organization that best aligns with the needs of today’s arts community. This process will be a major opportunity to engage our communities in planning for the future. In June 2024, both Arts Network Ottawa and the Ottawa Arts Council will have our respective Annual General Meetings where we will present our plan for the future.
Between now and June, we will be consulting the community and working with our respective boards and staff to create our plans for a united arts organization for Ottawa.
The plans for the new organization still need to be decided, as we are re-imagining all details of the new organization (from models and systems to governance and programs) from the ground up.
We will reimagine a new organization for arts leadership that will more effectively serve and champion today’s arts community.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey, which will contribute to this work moving forward.
It’s time to dream, plan, and build for the arts – and we’ll do it together.