Results of March 2011 Members' Survey
Background: At the ArtsLink NB Annual General Meeting and Forum in Nov 2010, 142 members participated in 2 sessions to help the ArtsLink NB Board of Directors build understanding about the needs and wishes of the membership.
In Session 1, artists in disciplinary groups raised issues and identified actions that could assist with their specific discipline. Comments were analyzed and arranged into areas of functional interest. In Session 2, members joined a “functional discussion” that interested them. These included business training, marketing, advocacy, education and so on. When the fora were complete, ArtsLink NB had hundreds of specific ideas for actions in many areas of concern. The data were cross-referenced and specific actions were arranged into Core Work Areas.
Then, in March 2011, ArtsLink NB went back to the membership, this time with an on-line survey. The results from the fora were set into the survey to allow members to rank and prioritize actions and to prioritize Core Work Areas. The survey also asked members about their on-line use and commonly used social media sites. 198 out of 505 members completed the survey, a response rate of 39.2%.
The results of the March 2011 ArtsLink NB Members Survey show the Core Work Areas with the top actions identified in each area. The core work areas and actions will form the basis of ArtsLink NB’s 2011/12 Operation Plan. Some more labour intensive activities will be developed into specific projects for 2011/12.
March 2011 Members’ Survey: The Results
Core Work Area: Public Relations- ArtsLink is active in a public role. Offer opinions and comments about arts issues in public forums, and create opportunities to build public awareness and understanding of the value and importance of artists to society, and the economic challenges faced by those working in this field.
Public Relations Priorities:
Promote increased coverage of NB artists in public media.
Develop new venues, exhibitions, events and showcases for ArtsLink NB members.
Share arts data and opinion pieces with public media and on-line forums.
Develop NB Creative Exports policy and work to help build awareness of NB art outside of the province.
Core Work Area: Communications: Share information, resources and events from around the province between members. ArtsLink NB is the information hub.
Communications Priorities:
Email a Monthly Newsletter with provincial highlights, grants, events and links to relevant sites.
Share the various events calendars from regions and different organizations effectively.
Collect information via surveys in order to create searchable databases of artists and organizations: asset inventory.
Core Work Area: Promotion and Advocacy- Represent NB artists and arts organizations at provincial planning, policies and budget events. Speaking to government, municipalities and business on behalf of the arts community. ArtsLink NB can be the voice.
Promotion and Advocacy Priorities
Gather input from a broad range of members to be the voice of NB arts, and work with other provincial arts organizations to present a strong union for the arts and culture sector in NB.
Develop positions on provincial issues to support the growth of NB arts and culture as an important employment sector.
Represent the anglophone arts sector at GNB planning and policy meetings.
Core Work Area: Networking: Build the NB arts community by helping artists discover more about one another, to define and realize the strength, depth and diversity of the New Brunswick Arts community.
Networking Priorities
Increase engagement with rural and small town artists.
Facilitate community gatherings- opportunities for artists to meet face-to face within their community.
Facilitate regional cross-pollination: create opportunities for artists to meet face-to-face with other artists from different regions outside their community.
Connect NB arts organizations from different regions and disciplines.
Core Work Area: Professional Skills Development- Work with professional, emerging and student artists to create a system of mentoring, training and assistance.
Professional Skills Development Priorities
Build "Artists’ Toolboxes for Professional Development": practical training guides for artists in business and marketing skills. Post these on-line and/or deliver workshops.
Create searchable artist database or a professional artists’ registry.
Develop mentoring programs, linking professional artists with emerging artists.
Core Work Area: Resource Development and Resource Sharing- Find, share and/or create the resources artists need to succeed.
Resource Development Priorities
Send out regular notices about grants and funding opportunities.
Share information about available training, and professional development workshops.
Provide grant-writing assistance- personal assistance to artists.
Core Work Area: Partnerships- Work with organizations in regions, disciplines and other provincial groups to build strength and unity in the NB arts and culture sector and beyond NB borders.
Partnerships Priorities
Work with the AAAPNB to learn to emulate their success and build a united NB voice.
Develop system of artist-in-residence program between different NB communities.
Host regular meetings and events between organizations and regional groups to cross-pollinate and create a better sense of provincial unity in the arts community.
Connect established arts organizations and institutions with emerging organizations and regional groups in rural areas.
Core Work Area: Education Active in public school programs & post-secondary, for emerging artists, educating the public about NB arts and culture.
Education Priorities
Share information with artists about opportunities for in-school residencies and government programs (K-12).
Work with Department of Education staff to increase knowledge of NB artists, like shared database (with artists’ permission).
Review successful Acadian arts & education integration process and build similar model in anglophone sector.
