Indigenous Reconciliation and Protocols for Archives and Visual Arts

1. An Ontario Museum Relief Fund, valued at $10 Million, in immediate response to the impacts of COVID-19—to support museums’ survival during periods of closures
2. A Digital Response Fund, valued at $10 Million over three years
3. Increased support for community museums by $10 Million per year to reach 300 communities across the province—towards stabilizing operations and local recovery

Join us for a member check-in! Back in 2020, the OMA started member check-ins as a way for the museum community to reconnect, share updates, and have an informal chat. Two years later, the social context of the world – and museums – has changed. As have the roles of museums. But what exactly are those roles? What are the responsibilities of museums in 2022? What is the role of museums in addressing urgent social issues such as homelessness/houselessness, racial justice, indigenous reconciliation, and climate change? How can museums contribute to progressive discourse in the public realm without being performative?

This session, facilitated by Workers Arts & Heritage Centre (WAHC) and Myseum of Toronto, invites participants to share the challenges and barriers to doing this work, as well as strategies for engaging communities around difficult conversations.

Do you have a topic you want to discuss? Share it with museum workers in Ontario by hosting a member check-in! Email your proposal to PD Program Manager Mary Collier at pd@museumsontario.ca

Member Check-ins will be held on Zoom.

Register HERE. 

Speakers:

On February 16, 2022, Minister Lisa MacLeod hosted a virtual multi-sectoral technical briefing to discuss the easing of public health measures impacting Ontario's heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries.

View the slides from the briefing HERE. 

Read a summary of measures for museums HERE. 
Read O. Reg. 364/20: Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at the Roadmap Exit Step HERE. 
For updated information as it becomes available, visit the Government of Ontario website HERE. 

 
The deadline for the Digital Access to Heritage under the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) is Tuesday, March 1, 2022 for projects taking place between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2024.

For full details on program eligibility and information on how to apply, please visit the Guidelines. Contact your regional office of the Department of Canadian Heritage to discuss your project and request an application package.

Watch Canadian Heritage staff John Bell, Sarah Hill, and Bruce Borysiuk discuss the Museums Assistance Program. They give an overview of the components of MAP and the application process, and participated in a live Q&A to help you make the most of your application. 

Watch the recording HERE. 

The Student Work Placement program supports cultural sector employers in hiring post-secondary students with wage subsidies of 75% of the full wage cost to a maximum of $7,500 per placement. With supplemental funding from Employment and Social Development Canada, Cultural Human Resources Council is offering a new round of internships for students of all academic fields to gain work experience.

Subsidies are available for internships starting soon or already under way. Subsidies can be awarded retroactively dating back to June 4th, 2021. Funding ends on April 30th, 2022. 

Read more HERE. 

The purpose of the Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts resource guide is to provide practical guidelines for respectful engagement with Indigenous Peoples. It is part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen respect for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis visual art and artists, and legal and moral rights in the lands commonly known as Canada.

This guide provides information about existing legal protections, as well as the ethical and moral considerations for working with Indigenous Peoples, or the use of Indigenous cultural material. The resource is also useful for Indigenous artists who are not well-connected to their home communities and need links to those resources. It is designed to help Indigenous artists protect their work, to educate non-Indigenous stakeholders in responsibly engaging with Indigenous artists and their work, and to provide tools that can be used to advocate for stronger legislative change.

Read more HERE. 

Culture Days events create opportunities to showcase, celebrate, share, learn, and express a life enriched by arts and culture. The next Culture Days national celebration will take place September 23rd through October 16th, 2022, for three glorious weeks of colour, creativity, and community. 

Registration for 2022 will be opening in May!

Visit the FAQ page HERE and review the Participation Guide HERE to learn more about organizing Culture Days events this year.

At this early time of the year, a lot of people start to review how far they have come along in their lives and consider some of those lifelong dreams they have yet to achieve. It may not be a surprise then, that a lot of people decide that they want to make some changes. In doing that, they will want to set up some prominent career and lifestyle goals. 

While some people end up deciding they want to change their career altogether, others may love the field they are in and want to advance their current career. But how do you do this? Where should you start? 

This guide maps out the next 12 months to get you started.  

Read more HERE. 

As museums across Ontario face the challenges of reopening safely and renewing relationships with your communities, the OMA is here for you. The OMA successfully advocated for federal emergency support funding through the Museums Assistance Program, the early and streamlined release of Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) funds in 2020 and 2021, and for an additional $2 million to support digital activities during pandemic closures. Your support, participation, and membership make our work possible.

Representing the interests of over 700 museums, galleries, and heritage sites across the province, the OMA offers regular webinars and professional development opportunities and resources for pandemic recovery. An OMA membership connects you with our network of over 1000 members, provides you with the tools and resources that support your professional practice, and keeps you informed of breaking news about funding opportunities and policy changes via the ONmuseums weekly newsletter and timely eNews alerts.

If you are already an OMA member, thank you! Please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder.

If you are not yet a member, please consider an individual, institutional, or commercial membership for yourself, your colleagues, or your institution. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.

You can make a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps. Every contribution adds to the collective strength of our sector. You can help us build a more resilient museum sector. Thank you for your support!

For all questions or inquiries please contact the OMA: community@museumsontario.ca or call 416-348-8672 / 1-866-662-8672.