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Joni Hamlin Programming and Operations With over 30 years of experience in event management, volunteer coordination, and office administration, Joni Hamlin is dedicated to fostering a thriving and inclusive arts community in Ottawa. As the Programming and Operations Manager at Arts Ottawa, she oversees a diverse portfolio of initiatives, including donation campaigns, membership engagement, program development, and both small and large-scale event management. Her expertise lies in bringing people together—artists, donors, community leaders, and arts supporters—to create meaningful experiences that celebrate and sustain the arts. Whether managing logistics for major events like the Arts Ottawa Awards, coordinating co-creation programs, or building relationships with equity-deserving communities, she is committed to ensuring every initiative runs smoothly and makes a lasting impact.

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Is your artistic practice or arts career ready for the next step? Whether you’re an artist, administrator, or cultural worker, the Arts Ottawa Mentorship Program (AOMP) provides guidance, support, and connections to help you grow. Arts Ottawa Mentorship Program Is your artistic practice or arts career ready for the next step? Whether you’re an artist, administrator, or cultural worker, the Arts Ottawa Mentorship Program (AOMP) provides guidance, support, and connections to help you grow. Photo: Deena Alsaweer ABOUT THE ARTS OTTAWA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM The Arts Ottawa Mentorship Program (AOMP) connects artists and cultural workers across Ottawa to develop skills, share knowledge, and build meaningful networks. Participants are paired with experienced mentors to address professional goals, overcome roadblocks, and gain practical insights. This year, AOMP will run two focused mentorship cohorts : Social Impact Measurement and Evaluation (onboarding late 2025) Creative Spaces Mentorship (onboarding early 2026) Each cohort includes tailored mentorship (either through mentor-hubs or 1-on-1 support), workshops, and resources designed to support the cohort’s theme and mentee-driven goals. More about each Cohort below. WAYS TO GET INVOLVED Apply as a Mentee Mentees work with experienced professionals to grow their practice or advance their career. Benefits include: $ 500 in stipends and financial support for costs associated with mentorship activities Free access to workshops and resources, including the AOMP online bulletin board and forum. Engagement with a diverse cohort of peers for learning and networking Apply as a Mentor Experienced artists, administrators, and arts leaders can guide emerging professionals. Benefits include: Contributing to the growth of the next generation of arts professionals $ 500 in financial compensation for participation Free access to workshops and resources, including the AOMP online bulletin board and forum. Connection with a diverse cohort of participants for sharing and networking MENTORSHIP COHORTS Cohort 1: Social Impact Measurement and Evaluation (onboarding late 2025) Participants at all career stages engage in reciprocal learning around social impact evaluation, community engagement, and storytelling practices across disciplines. Supported by: Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, Toronto Arts Council, Robin Sokoloski (Mass Culture ) , Natasha Qureshi (SYMPL Solutions). Goals & Outcomes: Develop skills to process, articulate, and report qualitative and quantitative data Build confidence in tracking and implementing impact indicators Address roadblocks like HR capacity or skill gaps in evaluation Leverage impact evaluation skills for fundraising and advocacy Engage with national and regional networks, aligning work with other impact-indexes, like the United Nation’s 16 Sustainable Development Goals Timeline: October 14: Program launch at Ottawa Art Gallery November: Application assessments December: Notifications and onboarding January 2026: Mentorships begin Cohort 2: Creative Spaces Mentorship (onboarding early 2026) Focused on developing, managing, or revitalizing creative spaces, this cohort explores social-purpose real estate principles, cultural space management, and community readiness. Supported by: Arts Build Ontario, Carleton University’s CIMS Lab, and Ottawa-based arts and culture leaders. Goals & Outcomes: Understand diverse cultural space management models Learn sectoral trends in cultural space development and land adaptation Gain confidence in civic engagement, land-use planning, and downtown revitalization projects Contribute to open-source data and geo-spatial mapping projects Collaborate with Cohort 1 on impact evaluation frameworks for cultural spaces Timeline: October: "Get.Together”/Shared Ground Learning Lab event October–December: Promotion and communications for mentorship activities Early 2026: Mentee applications open February–March: Assessment and integration into Shared Ground ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Mentorship participant selection is based on our evaluation rubric. Successful applicants demonstrate: Clear and achievable goals Goals align with mentee’s professional or artistic trajectory or career Demonstrate impact on Ottawa-region arts and culture community OUR FUNDERS AND PARTNERS

Cassandra Olsthoorn Co-Leadership, Strategy & Community Mobilization Cassandra has been leading and developing noteworthy projects for the Ottawa arts community through different roles at Arts Network Ottawa for 15 years. Her visionary, thoughtful approach to a team-driven workplace focuses on the delivery of dynamic programming and services to the community. Her unique brand of leadership has positioned Arts Ottawa as a collaborative champion within the sector. Cassandra is passionate about Ottawa and believes that the arts help build strong, vibrant communities.

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Arts Ottawa is advocating for greater investment in the City of Ottawa's Culture Funding Envelope City Budget 2025 Arts Ottawa is advocating for greater investment in the City of Ottawa's Culture Funding Envelope Arts Ottawa delegated to the Community Services Committee on Tuesday, November 26th, 2024 to speak to the importance of greater investment in the City of Ottawa's Culture Funding Envelope, and its new Cultural Plan. We asked that the plan have an appropriate budget for the scale and scope of the work it is undertaking, with residents able to contribute and help direct the future of arts and culture. We also advocated for significant increases to the cultural funding envelope so the sector can prepare to deliver on the outcomes of the plan and support all Ottawa communities to thrive. The 2025 draft budget, approved by City Council, shows a 2% increase in the Cultural Funding Envelope, representing an additional investment of $285,000 in 2025. Learn more about what services benefit from this advocacy. Watch the Delegation

Support Arts Ottawa Photo: Eric Reid

At Arts Ottawa, we believe that the arts thrive when communities have a voice in shaping them. That’s why we’re launching the Arts Ottawa Giving Circle, an innovative initiative that invites you to invest in the arts AND play an active role in deciding how funds are used to support artists and cultural programs across the city. Giving Circle: Help Shape the Future of the Arts in Ottawa At Arts Ottawa, we believe that the arts thrive when communities have a voice in shaping them. That’s why we’re launching the Arts Ottawa Giving Circle, an innovative initiative that invites you to invest in the arts AND play an active role in deciding how funds are used to support artists and cultural programs across the city. Here’s the reality: → The need for arts funding is growing, but resources remain limited. → Artists and arts organizations need our support now more than ever. → We can’t do this alone. We need a community of committed supporters who believe in the powerof the arts and want to ensure their future. That’s where the Giving Circle comes in. What is the Arts Ottawa Giving Circle? The Giving Circle is a community-led philanthropy initiative with a goal of raising $10,000 to sustain key Arts Ottawa programs. As a member, you won’t just donate—you’ll help determine how the funds are allocated through a collaborative, transparent decision-making process. How It Works: 1. Join the Giving Circle – Beginning in June 2025, make a monthly ($100+) or annual ($1,200+) contribution and receive a tax receipt. 2. Engage in Shared Decision-Making – Meet with fellow supporters 3 to 4 times a year (1-2 hours) to discuss funding priorities and collectively allocate where resources are needed most. 3. See the Impact – Receive transparent, regular updates on how your contributions are strengthening the arts community. To join the Giving Circle, contact: Nicole Milne Co-Leadership, Operations & Revenue Generation Thank you to our current Giving Circle Members: Barbara and Glenn McInnes Family Fund – Ottawa Community Foundation The Blue Pearl Foundation Fund – Ottawa Community Foundation Bill Staubi Jeff Richstone Rob Henderson Anne Jolicoeur

Calling in Leadership on Cultural Spaces and Reimagining Downtown Through Arts and Culture Shared Ground Calling in Leadership on Cultural Spaces and Reimagining Downtown Through Arts and Culture Photo by Jeffrey Eisen (Un)Common Grounds and Community Living Rooms Join us on October 29th at Urban Art Collective from 6:00 - 8:00pm for round-table conversation on cultural space and community infrastructure. Learn More and Register SHARED GROUND: A Framework for Cultural Co-Design in Downtown Ottawa This Action Lab is presented by Arts Ottawa in collaboration with ArtsBuild Ontario, Memetic Media, and the Ottawa Art Gallery ACE District Initiative. Downtown Ottawa is on the brink of transformation—and artists, creatives, and cultural leaders have a vital role to play. In response to the call for a downtown that is vibrant, resilient, and inclusive, Arts Ottawa is convening artists, community and business leaders, and creative thinkers to imagine what’s possible when arts and culture are embedded into the fabric of our city. This Action Lab aims to explore - and take action on - sector readiness for cultural space developments, and reframing underused spaces. Arts Ottawa launched this Action Lab with an event on June 25th at Place de Ville , a unique former cinema connected to the Lyon LRT station. Shared Ground marked our first steps—bringing the community together for a day of learning and collaborative design as we began shaping a collective vision for arts sector readiness. From these conversations, we identified clear takeaways and a path forward. For those seeking deeper context and analysis, a full formal report is available, offering comprehensive insight into our discussions and next steps. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE About June 25th → Click here to view the Recap video of our first Shared Ground even t On June 25th, Arts Ottawa hosted the first event under our Action Lab, Shared Ground —a day of learning and collaborative design , where we began shaping a collective vision for arts sector readiness. Our learning day was hosted at Place de Ville, and 300 Sparks where a unique former cinema connected to the Lyon LRT station resides. Together, we mapped, prototyped, and modeled sustainable, arts-forward space activations through community visioning and participatory design.  Learnings from the day shaped a charrette exploring how vacant urban spaces can be transformed into cultural assets. This day also launched the Shared Ground Leadership Circle, calling in community voices to contribute to this Action Lab as it identifies strategies and pathways to bridge the gap between artists and revitalization projects We explored how we can future-proof arts spaces as places for community gathering, creativity, and collaboration—grounded in cultural co-design, community expertise, and the power of imagination in city-building. CLICK HERE TO READ THE EVENT SUMMARY REPORT About the presenters at Shared Ground on June 25th: Kwende Kefentse (he/him)Memetic Media Kwende Kefentse is a creator, researcher, administrator and cultural innovator based in Ottawa. His 20+ year career bridges the worlds of creative practice, the research and development of cultural industries, and civic leadership / city building. Most recently he was the first Executive Director of CKCU-FM, reimagining the station's operations post-pandemic, focusing on technological modernization and community reconnection. In his former position as Cultural Industries Development Officer for the City of Ottawa he led the development of Ottawa's Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage, and Culture (2013-2018) and the Ottawa Music Strategy (2018-2020), among other critical city-wide cultural initiatives. He serves on the Boards of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, Ottawa Film Office, and Carleton University Art Gallery. As DJ Memetic of the TIMEKODE collective his productions have received critical acclaim from international outlets like Vice Thump, Radio Nova, and Wax Poetics. He has been requested as an opening performer for luminaries like Nas and Barack Obama. Kwende has earned a Masters of Research (MRes) from UCL's Bartlett School of Architecture focussed on modelling the spatial dynamics of cultural production in the music industry. In 2025 Kwende is establishing his consultancy Memetic Media, and launching the TIMEKODE CoLABoratory, a dynamic, interdisciplinary project that commemorates 20 years of local nightclub heritage, while charting its future through innovation, collaboration, and community engagement. Alex Glass (she/her) ArtsBuild Executive Director Alex has been with ArtsBuild for over eight years and successfully grown ABO’s programs and partnerships. Alex managed the development of the Accessibility Toolkit for Creative Spaces in Ontario and corresponding six-part webinar series, the Creative Spaces Case Study Series, and the expansion of SpaceFinder across Canada in 11 communities. Bringing 14 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Alex has previously worked with organizations such as the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Talisker Players Chamber Music and Canterbury Hills Camp & Conference Centre. She has an honors degree in English and Cultural Studies from McMaster University and graduate certificate in Public Relations from Mohawk College. Eva Hellreich (any pronouns) ArtsBuild Program Manager They are passionate about providing under-served communities access to resources, knowledge and networks that enable and sustain self-empowerment through creative leadership and community building. They bring over 7 years of arts and funding administrative experience spanning non-profit, community arts, festivals and government funders, as well as experience as a youth and adult educator. In addition to ample experience with program development and service delivery, they served a 3 year term as a working Board member of Mayworks Festival of Working People and are currently serving a 3 year term on the Toronto Arts Council’s Creative Communities Committee. Eva has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Immigration and Settlement from Toronto Metropolitan University, where they conducted primary research for their Major Research Paper on the experiences of newcomer artists and art as a tool for civic engagement. Eva is enthusiastic about sharing their passion for project management, collaboration and creative problem solving with community engaged artists and organizations through skill and resource exchanges, collaboration, and peer mentorship. Eva believes in art for art’s sake and challenges the influence of capitalism on determining the value of a creative practice or production. Their personal practice includes photography, textile art, and creative writing. ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) ABO is a provincial arts service organization that provides small and medium-sized organizations with tools, training, and advice to successfully manage physical and digital creative spaces. ABO works to reimagine the future of creative spaces through dedicated research projects and an engaged network of supportive partners. Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners from June 25th Shared Ground in the Media Shared Ground: A Framework for Cultural Co-Design in Downtown Ottawa By Kelly Wilhelm New Shared Ground event explores who will lead the transformation of Ottawa’s empty spaces By Willemijn Bunskoek , apt.613 Newly formed Arts Ottawa wants artists to be involved in office conversion discussions By Mia Jensen, OBJ The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), engaged by the City of Ottawa, is leading the development of a downtown Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (ACE) District. This year, OAG will create a framework, brand, and implementation strategy for the District. Outlined as a key initiative in A Living Capital: Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda (May 2024), the ACE District aims to revitalize the core by fostering placemaking, cultural initiatives, and strengthening Ottawa’s creative economy. Shared Ground will help guide and inform this work. If you are interested in getting involved with this initiative or exploring partnership opportunities, please reach out to Cassandra Olsthoorn at cassandra@artsottawa.ca

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