The Reception was a two-day forum that aimed 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 adopted 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 was 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 explored such subject matters as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, activist burnout, and embodied strategies for enacting structural change.
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 was presented in partnership with Coalition of Black and Racialized Artists (COBRA) Hamilton, the NEW Committee at the Hamilton Artists Inc., and Centre[4]Arts (formerly known as Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice).
Special thanks to the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Sozo, York Univeristy, McMaster University Choirs, and The Spice Factory.
