Elan Language Arts Network

History

ELAN Milestones

 

2012 - ACCORD phase II: coordinate 26 touring performances to 13 English-speaking communities around Quebec. Set-up phase for COM-MEDIA linguistic duality project to promote English-speaking artists to Francophone majority. Revision of 5-year strategic plan. Schmoozer networking events expanded beyond Montreal to include Eastern Townships, Wakefield (West Quebec), Quebec City and the Laurentians. Creation of Media Committee to address severe problem in Quebec Media. Received funding from Quebec Ministry of Culture to identify problems with access to Artists-in-Schools program for English-speaking artists.

2011 - State of the Arts: Artists' Forum, panel discussions, artistic showcases and launch of Minority Report book (based on RAEV histories). Set up phase for ACCORD (Arts and Community Culture On the Road) : create website, register artists and presenters, hold workshops with 11 regional associations. Becoming an Artist Workshops (music, visual arts, writing and theatre).

2010 - First phase of Recognizing Artists: Enfin Visibles! launched. (see RAEV profiles on website).  Professional Development Panel Discussions for visual artists at Articule artist-run-centre; dancers and choreographers at Studio 303; and filmmakers at the Segal Centre's Cinemaspace (see transcripts and audio recordings in archives). Second half of Residency Exchange Program took Townships artist to Montreal. Article on Arts and Culture written for the Association of Canadian Studies. (see Quebec’s English-speaking Artists: Reinventing a Cultural Landscape in document archives). First regional schmoozer in Gatineau region at Wakefield.  Working relationship established with Deux Montagnes arts community. Mentorship program created for emerging artists in all disciplines. Language Exchange Program created to partner English-speaking and French-speaking artists to increase language skills. Second phase of Recognizing Artists: Enfin Visibles! created video-profiles of artists. Website completely rebuilt.  

2009 - First half of Residency Exchange Program took Montreal artist to the Townships. First Professional Development panel served musicians. Partnered with YES Montreal for Self-employed artists conference and mega schmoozer.  Began making regular representations to the CRTC and other broadcasting regulators/funders (see briefs in document archives.) Collaborated with the Quebec Community Groups Network to draft a policy framework for community development. (See Policy Framework in document archives).  Five year strategic plan drafted (see 2009-2013 strategic plan in document archives). Offices moved to 460 Ste-Catherine West. 

2008 - Music and Dance communities surveyed for needs and priorities (See MAAP II report in document archives). ELAN began chairing arts and culture table of the Greater Montreal Community Development Initiative. First regional schmoozer in Townships.  Board members organized Art Storm - multi-disciplinary performance evening.  Advisory Board created. Wrote article on Arts and Culture for the Canadian Institute on Linguistic Minorities. (see The Artistic and Cultural Vitality of English-speaking Quebec in document archives).   Collaborated with Office of Commissioner of Official Languages on culture report (see Federal Government Support for the Arts and Culture in Official Language Minority Communities in document archives) Membership fees introduced for professional members. 

2007 - First Schmoozer organized for Valentine's Day, becomes monthly networking event.  Arts Services Kit (ASK)completed and incorporated into website. Strategic Plan produced (see 2007 strategic plan in document archives)   Canada Council Grant Writing Workshop attended by 100. (see Workshop Notes in document archives.)

2006 - Visual Arts community surveyed for needs and priorities (See MAAP I report in document archives). Website expanded with funding from Canadian Content Online: Artist's Showcase, Events Calendar. First issue of ELANews. Moved offices to Lachine Canal Complex, St Henri.

2005 - ELAN incorporated (April), received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage, created small website.  Offices located in the Atwater Library with the Quebec Writers' Federation.

2004 - Quebec Arts Summit (November 25-27) began process of creating a multi-disciplinary network for Quebec's English-speaking artists.

PRE-ELAN

In 2000, the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) advised the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) that they were negotiating a matching grant agreement with Canada Council to increase support for minority language communities. PCH asked QCGN if English-speaking artists would be interested in negotiating a similar agreement.

In May, 2001 several dozen representatives of the English-speaking artistic community were invited to a meeting at the McCord Museum. The problem for English-speakers in Quebec is not language retention but population retention. During the preceding three decades, hundreds of thousands of English-speakers chose to move away from Quebec in a steady exodus that left the community enfeebled, fragmented and vulnerable. The challenge in Quebec was to build a sustainable community so that artists and cultural workers could stay in Quebec rather than leave. A consensus was reached that, in some areas at least, English-speaking artists are a minority in need of assistance.

In October 2001 a draft agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) for an initial three years of support Subsequently renewed for an additional three years) was signed by PCH and Canada Council. The resulting IPOLC program distributed a considerable amount of extra money to English-speaking artists via regular Canada Council programs. Six volunteers were appointed to a committee to negotiate with Canadian Heritage and Canada Council.  During their regular meetings, the idea of an English Language Arts Network began to emerge.  

The Quebec Arts Summit, held in Montreal on November 25–27, 2004, assembled more than 200 artists, government officials and community partners. It was the first time that representatives of the entire English-speaking arts community had been brought together. They concluded that the creation of an English Language Arts Network could help create conditions to empower English-speaking artists to live and work in Quebec.