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A Message From the Chair: Lauren Howes
Hello MANO/RAMO Members and Friends,
I would like to kick off our first monthly newsletter with an update on the last year at MANO/RAMO. It has been a busy year of planning and consultation, with our Managing Director, Kerry Swanson, leading a province-wide community consultation process that took us to Ottawa, Windsor, London, North Bay, Sudbury, Guelph and Kingston, where we gained valuable feedback on the unique challenges and opportunities facing media artists across the regions. We also met with the IMAA Ontario caucus in Banff and are finishing our tour with a final consultation with the Thunder Bay community.
The feedback gained on the consultation tour fed into MANO/RAMO’s first Strategic Plan, which was created in partnership with MDR Burgess Consultants. Through our work we will aim to achieve the following:
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Improve the working and living conditions for Ontario artists through specific programming activities and advocacy initiatives at the provincial level.
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Create opportunities for collaborative exchange and information sharing among experienced, mid-level and emerging Media Arts organizations and collectives.
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Respond to the needs of the provincial Media Arts community with action-based initiatives and communications.
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Garner greater support and profile for the sector in the province’s cultural policy.
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Create awareness of and engagement with the breadth of Media Arts activity in Ontario.
Once the full plan has been passed by the membership at our AGM, we will make it available to the public on our website at www.mano-ramo.ca.
In the coming year, we have a number of initiatives on the horizon that will allow us to fulfill our organizational vision and goals. We plan to host the MANO/RAMO Debates, a series that will explore timely arts issues through irreverent panel debates. Stay tuned for more news about the first debate in April 2013.
We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting a bi-annual symposium, with the first one taking place in October, 2013, in Ottawa, in partnership with SAW Video.
MANO/RAMO’s vision is of a strong and sustainable Media Arts community in Ontario that is diverse, expansive and inclusive. We want to be a part of creating national models and conversations that can impact the whole sector. We can’t make it happen without your enthusiasm and support. Attend the upcoming AGM, check out our Facebook page, browse our website or connect with our staff and Board to find out how you can get involved.
I want to extend our gratitude and thanks to Kerry Swanson for all of her hard work and without whom none of the above activities would be happening. I would also like to thank Christie MacDonald for her assistance with her contributions to our social media strategy. I will also take this opportunity to extend my thanks to the MANO/RAMO Board of Directors for their time, energy and support, you are all a delight to work with, and the Media Arts Sector of Ontario is gaining strength through our community efforts!
Happy Holidays and we look forward to working with you in the New Year!
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MANO/RAMO Partners to Create Best Practices Tool Kits for the Media, Visual and Craft-Based Arts Sectors
Strengthening the Sector: Resources and Best Practices for the Visual, Media and Craft-Based Arts Sector is a three-year project focused on researching and developing resources and tools for the visual, media and craft-based arts sectors. The ultimate goal of the project is establishing a set of best practices to advance industry standards through a consultative, consensus building process. The resulting ethical and practical professional standards and best practices developed will provide guidance in areas where regulation and agreements currently do not exist.
The project is being led by an alliance of CARFAC Ontario, Ontario Crafts Council, Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario (ARCCO), Media Arts Network of Ontario (MANO) and the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (ACC).
A community engagement process involving regional forums and a community survey will provide opportunities for participation and input to the project. Further information on dates and locations for the forums will be available shortly.
Please participate to help shape this important initiative to advance the visual, media and craft-based sector.
For more information check out:
http://www.carfacontario.ca/page/strengthening-sector-_110/
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MANO/RAMO Welcomes New Members
We would like to welcome the following recent new members to MANO/RAMO. Add them to your community lists and ensure that they become welcome additions to our provincial network.
Please tell your colleagues about MANO/RAMO and help us build our membership over the coming year!
A Space Gallery, Toronto
www.aspacegallery.org
C.A.S.T. Inc., Brantford
www.castinc.ca
Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival, Sudbury
www.cinefest.com
Cinema Politica, Toronto
www.cinemapolitica.ca
Fanshawe College Film Studies Department, London
www.fanshawec.ca
Indigenous Culture and Media Arts Innovation (ICMI), Ottawa
www.icmi.ca
Parkdale Film Festival, Toronto
www.parkdaleshowcase.com
The 8 Fest, Toronto
www.the8fest.com
Weengushk Film Institute, Manitoulin Island
www.weengushk.com
White Water Gallery, North Bay
www.whitewatergallery.com
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MANO AGM: Limited Travel Subsidies Available
The date is set! MANO/RAMO’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday, January 11th, from 1-4pm. The location is Studio 408, 401 Richmond St. West, Toronto. Refreshments will be provided!
Limited travel subsidies are available, with priority given to regions in the north. Please contact Kerry Swanson at director@mano-ramo.ca to express interest and approximate funding needed.
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Join MANO/RAMO on Facebook + Access Shared Calendar
For ongoing information about news, initiatives, projects and events in the media arts in Ontario, join our Facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MANO-RAMO/246265215503039?fref=ts
For more information about events, membership, advocacy or our mandate visit us online at www.mano-ramo.ca
Watch out for our Shared Calendar, launching this month on our website. Plan your events to avoid conflicts, find out what is going on provincially, and don’t miss out on the latest things happening in your own backyard! We will be updating the calendar regularly, so please send us your events any time at director@mano-ramo.ca
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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