Call for Submissions: Conversations with Elders

Conversations with Elders
Call for Submissions

Project Overview
Asian Arts & Culture Trust (AACT), a Canadian Federal Not-for-Profit Organization, is calling artists to participate in our project entitled Conversations with Elders. This project aims to provide opportunities for elders in our community to share their lived experiences and wisdom.

In this project, we encourage artists to work with elders from various neighborhoods in Toronto to carry out a series of conversations (over the phone and/ or virtually for health and safety considerations).

Then through collaboration, for artists and elders to transform the conversations into artworks in any desired media (such as painting, sculpture, ceramic, poetry, music, textile, photography, installation, etc.). The finalists (each pair of artist and elder) will receive a project budget of $1,000.00.

The completed works will be exhibited during Asian Heritage Month in May 2022 in collaborating galleries in the City of Toronto. The main focus of this project is to produce opportunities for artists and elders to converse and connect in meaningful ways. During this process, we hope to foster stronger community connectivity and enhance the sense of belonging for people who live in the same neighborhood.

Are you an artist wishing to apply?
In Stage 1, we ask artists who are interested in participating to submit a proposal that addresses the following questions:

• Who do you plan to do this project with?
• How do you and the elder know each other?
• If you don’t have a partner, what strategies do you plan to use to find a partner for this project?
• How will you ensure your plan will fit within the project’s overall timeline?
• How will you ensure the health and safety of the elders while working with them?

The artists will also need to provide information about themselves, including:

• A short biography
• An artist statement
• A curriculum vitae (CV) [optional]
• Website and/or social media information [optional]

Are you an elder wishing to apply?
We also encourage elders who wish to share their stories and lived experiences to contact us and we will work with them to share their stories.

The deadline for the proposal submission is:
February 16, 2022, 11:59pm

Upon the conclusion of the open for submissions in Stage 1, a review panel will select 11 artist finalists. The finalists are selected according to the following criteria:

• Artistic merit
• Project feasibility
• Community involvement
• The project’s contribution to developing connectivity within and between local communities in Toronto

Artists and elders who self-identify as Asian or belong to other equity priority groups, will be given priority during the selection process. The list of 11 finalists will be announced on February 20, 2022.

For more information and general inquiries, please visit:
www.aact.community/conversations-with-elders

or, email us and we would be happy to chat:
aact.canada@gmail.com

Social Media:
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

This project is made possible with support from the Toronto Arts Council (TAC) Strategic Initiative’s Open Door Grant.

Image Description:
Two pairs of hands holding onto each other, one from a younger person and the other is from an older person. Photo: Michael Wang Ph.D.