Annual Report 2020-2021 Highlights
This past year has undoubtedly been one for the books. But through all of the stress and upheaval, the arts has been there to soothe and entertain, help us express the inexpressible, and connect us all.
Here at Business & Arts NL, we believe in the intrinsic value of the arts and the benefits it brings to communities and society as a whole, and we’re proud to have a group of dedicated volunteers, members and community partners who feel the same. The arts play a vital role in thriving communities, telling stories that encourage diversity and inclusion, helping build social cohesion and revitalize places, diversifying our approaches to problem solving, and so much more.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past year, helping create a community that encourages creativity and innovation through collaboration with the arts. Through our Creative Edge program, eight artists participated in training, led by the Gardiner Centre, focussed on designing and delivering creativity-based training to those outside the creative sector. Our newly-launched Creativity Moments initiative is also introducing people to the idea that creativity can be taught and so far, has helped over 100 participants to discover their own creative strengths.
This year, we also connected artists and the community in over $103,000 worth of opportunities, projects, commissions and sponsorships. In April, we were pleased to partner with Stingray, Genoa Design, MusicNL and VOCM for the VOCM Variety Hour - a very special project consisting of musical and literary performances that helped local artists stay connected to audiences, earn performance fees, and keep creating.
This year also saw our Business Workshops for Artists go online. These workshops wouldn’t be possible without our volunteer facilitators, who freely give of their time, talents and expertise to help artists and arts organizations build upon their skills and knowledge. And while we wrapped the first phase of our ArtSupport NL program, the second phase is in full swing, continuing to provide arts organizations with professional fundraising support. Our Holiday Gift Guide, which featured over 50 artists from our local creative community, was also a resounding success.
Jordan Coaker and Kirsten Rodden-Clarke of Quote the Raven were just a couple of the talented local artists who appeared on the VOCM Variety Hour.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the past year:
8 - Number of artist facilitators trained to develop workshops for teams through our Creative Edge program
12 - Number of stories featured in our “Pivot Like an Artist” series in our Spotlight on Partnerships blog
54 - Number of artists featured in our Holiday Gift Guide
55 - Percentage by which fundraising revenue increased (collectively) for the 10 organizations participating in Phase 1 of our ArtSupport NL program
100+ - Number of participants reached through our Creativity Moments program
450+ - Number of artists reached through our Business Workshops for Artists series
1900 - Number of customers who browsed the Holiday Gift Guide
$3000+ - Amount of pro bono support received by arts members through our Business Volunteers for the Arts program
6000+ - Number of people who read the Spotlight on Partnerships blog
(Click here to check out the complete Annual Report.)
A vibrant and flourishing arts community benefits us all. To all those artists, businesses and community partners that have helped us to grow and strengthen this sector, we say a big thank you.