Ways to Locate and Identify Artist to Collaborate With
Numerous organizations (local, provincial and national) publish directories of artists on their websites or in print publications, which are available to the public.
A couple of examples in Manitoba are :
- The Manitoba Arts Council (Artist in the Schools Directory – juried)
- Manitoba Arts Network (Performing and Visual Artist Directories – not juried)
By attending art events you will get a sense of which issues and sectors of society a particular artist or group has knowledge of and interest in. You can approach the artist directly at the event if they are available, or follow up with them after seeing a performance or attending a show. You can also post an ad or a call for proposals or submissions on arts organizations and arts service organizations’ websites.
Be aware that not all artists are interested in collaborating with other artists, or they may be interested in collaborating with other artists but not in working collaboratively with non-artists.
Some artists have an individual art practice as well as a community-engaged or community-collaborative art practice.
Not all artists are effective arts educators, or they may be effective with one age group or specific population, but not with others. Being an arts educator requires a special set of skills and an aptitude for teaching.
An arts practice that involves an artist/s co-creating with specific non-arts communities is now being recognized as a distinct artistic discipline.
Terms commonly used to describe it are:
- Community cultural development (CCD)
- Arts-based community development (ABCD)
- Community-engaged arts practice
- Community-collaborative arts practice