Project Overview
In 2022, DIA worked with the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund (RWAF) to review its policies, processes, and practices through an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) lens, with the goal of better supporting artists and arts organizations from historically underrepresented communities.
Project Description & Outcomes
The work included a review of existing grant processes, analysis of funding data, and engagement with BIPOC artists, arts workers, and community stakeholders in the region. DIA conducted interviews and facilitated EDI-focused sessions — including one with the RWAF Board and two with artists identifying as Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour. Key recommendations included:
- Collect and use demographic data to track progress and inform ongoing change
- Increase outreach and relationship-building with equity-deserving artists and communities
- Simplify application processes and provide more transparent guidelines
- Offer grant writing support and mentorship to reduce barriers for first-time and underrepresented applicants
- Diversify review panels and ensure EDI training for decision-makers
Interested in working with us on community-centred research and/or facilitation of equity conversations within your organization? Contact us.
What we Practiced
- Telling the Truth
- Weaving the Micro and the Macro
- Practicing Curiosity
What we Imagined
An arts funding ecosystem where the barriers of application complexity, lack of relationships, and opaque processes no longer determine who gets to make art — and where equity is built into the infrastructure of how decisions are made, not added as an afterthought.