HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-18-002 - 2018 Artist in Residence AppointmentREPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: February 5, 2018
SUBMITTED BY: Cory Bluhm, Executive Director, Economic Development, 519-741-2200
ext. 7065
PREPARED BY: Emily Robson, Coordinator, Arts/Creative Industries, 519-741-2200 ext.
7084
WARD (S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: January 4, 2018
REPORT NO.: CAO-18-002
SUBJECT:2018 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE APPOINTMENT
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RECOMMENDATION: That Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh be appointed as the 2018 City of
Kitchener Artist in Residence as recommended by Public Art Working Group and Arts
and Culture Advisory Committee; and further,
That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute an agreement, satisfactory to the
City Solicitor, with Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh, outlining the obligations of the Artist in
Residence appointment.
BACKGROUND:
Established in 1995 as the first municipal program of its kind, the City of Kitchener Artist-in-
Residence program aims to engage the community in the production of contemporary art that
reflects our shared identity and supports the development of local artists. The program delivers
on the understanding that meaningful engagement in the arts, and growth of the creative
sector contributes positively to the dynamism, authenticity, attractiveness and overall
competitiveness of the City of Kitchener.
Link: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/things-to-do/artist-in-residence.aspx
Make it Kitchener identifies the expansion of the Artist in Residence Program as an action item
The annual program includes community engagement components
such as workshops and events, exhibitions in the Rotunda Gallery and Berlin Tower
ARTSPACE, collaboration with City events, programs and facilities, and participation on Public
Art Working Group (PAWG), a subcommittee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee
(ACAC). The artist-in-residence is provided with an honorarium for the year.
Since 2015, the call has been broadened to include artists working in any discipline, a shift
developed in close consultation with PAWG and ACAC. Beyond visual arts, proposals can
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include performing arts, dance, design, digital and media arts, folk and traditional arts,
literature and spoken word, music, multidisciplinary works, opera, theatre, musical theatre and
performing arts. The program continues to emphasize a high level of community engagement.
Activities associated with the artist-in-residence program occur throughout the city over the
course of the year. Planning and preparation with city staff occurs from January to April. The
project may be adjusted collaboratively during that time period and will then be executed from
May to December 2018.
REPORT:
The annual call for proposals was advertised in the summer of 2017. Ten proposals were
submitted by the competition close in October 2017.Members of PAWG assessed the entries
based on:
Potential for meaningful exchange between the artist and community
Artistic excellence
Strength of the submission
Balance of professional practice and community engagement
Feasibility
PAWG reached consensus at their December 11, 2017 meeting, selecting Sumaira Tazeen
Shiekh a multidisciplinary artist - as the recommended 2018 City of Kitchener Artist in
Residence.
Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh investigates the discourse of how traumatic events disrupt the identity
construct (gender/female). She draws from wide sources of symbolism from nature, land,
religion, politics and historical and cultural events.As a newcomer to Canada, and a female
artist in the Muslim South Asian diaspora, Sumaira explores narratives on social issues of
displacement, abuse, alienation and belonging.
The artist proposes a series of participatory creative workshops to create collaborative
needlecraft and textile works alongside herself. The participants will also record oral stories
that convey the complications associated with immigration and the trauma they may have
experienced along the way. Furthermore, Sumaira plans to deliver a series of interactive
activities at community centres and during existing family and cultural events, to disseminate
information at various stages of the project thereby involving a wider community audience of
people of different gender, ages and cultural backgrounds. The community at large will have
the opportunity to address questions about cultural identity, personal behaviours, migration,
ideas about living heritage and Canada as a multicultural country. The works created during
the residency will be displayed in a public exhibition at City Hall and the ideas gathered
presented in a public seminar.
Through her residency project (Appendix A); will focus on engaging
immigrant women of colour, living in Waterloo region, to share in a communal collaboration to
tell stories of common experience. With staff guidance and facilitation, thee project will be
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delivered across Kitchener and in collaboration with organizations working with immigrant
women and will focus on building self-confidence and better integration of immigrants in their
local communities through art.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
through the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The $10,000 artist honourarium and $2,500 allocation for expenses are supported by
Arts/Creative Industry budgets
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
COLLABORATE An important component of the Artist-in-Residence program is the
requirement for meaningful public engagement. City staff works with the artist to identify
interesting opportunities for public engagement and develop creative programming to suit
these opportunities. Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh will engage the community in a variety of ways
including community events and collaboration with other organizations.
Engaging advisory committees: In addition to consulting on the Artist-in-Residence call for
entry, PAWG serves as the selection committee for the position, as a subcommittee of ACAC.
A PAWG motion that ACAC support the selection of Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh as the 2018 City
of Kitchener Artist-in-residence was considered and supported by ACAC on January 16, 2018.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, CAO
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CAO 18-002
2018 Artist in Residence Appointment
AppendixA:
Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh Proposal
1 Page
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Sumaira Tazeen Shiekh
City of Kitchener Artist in Residence
Proposal Summary
Conceptand Background:
Considering myself a new immigrant and a female artist in the diaspora, I want to highlight the
challenges faced by immigrant women the region. I feel that women moving from third world nations
face challenges because their cultural backgrounds tend to alienate them, adding pressures to their
experience. These female immigrants go through the burden of seeking employment to help support
their families, but specifically tend to struggle because of educational deficiencies, language barriers,
and other cultural constraints. I want to focus on this issue more publicly by engaging wider
communities sothatimmigrant families may lead successful lives intheir new homeland.
Strategy:
I would like to partner with organizations who work with immigrants and survivors of domestic abuse. I
propose to engage womenin a collaborative needle craft, textile, and audio-based art project that
explores and expressestheir experiences.
During the execution of the project, I would like to interview participants and encourage themto share
their stories and ideas on immigrant experiences, and adjusting to life in this community. These
interviews will then be converted into a sound installation. This will actas a form of stress relief for the
women while also allowing them tofind strength intheir shared experiences.
I would like todisplay my final bodyofworkinthe Rotunda andBerlin Tower ARTSPACE galleries.
Outcome:
The purpose ofmy project isto create awareness, raise questions, and explore solutions for the issues
preventing immigrant families from leading happy, healthy, andpeaceful lives.
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