The Reception

Save the Date for The Reception: November 29-30 at The Spice Factory, Hamilton, ON

The Reception is a two-day forum that aims to help decolonize arts institutions through community-building, advocacy, and socially-engaged art events and workshops. First conceived of by Centre for Margins* (Carmela Laganse + Taien Ng-Chan) as a participatory lecture and relational banquet inspired by Laganse’s Filipina heritage, The Reception adopts the ethos of a kamayan or communal-style feast, in keeping with the idea of hospitality and celebration, as well as activism and rites of solidarity.

Born of a desire to bring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) arts communities together to improve the current cultural landscape, the event is intended to strengthen the arts sector in southwestern Ontario by providing opportunities for shared learning and networking in the arts, specifically focused on BIPOC artists and cultural workers. In response to the need for educational tools and best practices for inclusion, methods to navigate inhospitable terrain, and models for solidarity in action, workshops will explore such subject matters as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, activist burnout, and embodied strategies for enacting structural change.

The Reception is presented in partnership by McMaster University’s School of the Arts and The Socrates Project, Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice, Centre for Margins*, Coalition of Black and Racialized Artists (COBRA) Hamilton, and the NEW Committee at the Hamilton Artists Inc. The relationships formed and knowledge gathered during the event will facilitate creative research, alternative governance practices, and innovative dissemination pathways for each partner involved.

The Reception’s steering committee acknowledges our funders and sponsors: The Canada Council for the Arts, McMaster University (School of the Arts), The Socrates Foundation, York University’s Department of Cinema and Media Arts, The Spice Factory, The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and McMaster University Choir.

Venues will be accessible.
Questions can be directed to receptionmarketing19@gmail.com for more information.
Follow us on Instagram @c4m_thereception or visit www.thereception.net for updates!