Exploring the Power of Participatory Media Arts, Journalism and Oral History Storytelling
Society today faces numerous challenges that hinder the ability to thrive and adapt in an ever-changing world. Issues such as social fragmentation, underrepresentation of marginalized voices, and the pressing impacts of climate change are pervasive across many regions. For many northern Canadian communities, these challenges are further compounded by a lack of communication capacity and a lack of capability within arts and non-profit organizations.
The program also builds directly on work piloted with funding and support through the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse, Manitoba Arts Council, Manitoba Agriculture, the ArcticNet Strategy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion from 2019-2024. With the goal of exploring subjects like climate entrepreneurship, storytelling and climate diplomacy through the arts, the program integrates lessons learned from several iterations of the Our People Our Climate project, seeded with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
This participatory journalism and storytelling project works to build youth, community, and organizational capacity for effective communications, storytelling, and community building through the media arts.
Designed in alignment with the principles of the Government of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) and the Google News Initiative (GNI) this project supports the creation of original civic journalism that addresses the diverse needs of underserved communities. Leveraging print, digital, radio, virtual reality (VR), television and AI-powered platforms, the project will equip participants with hands-on experience in content creation, curation, and media arts production.
These highly successful programs have demonstrated the effectiveness of combining media arts education, creative leadership development and entrepreneurship with northern communities. These programs have successfully fostered environments where youth, artists and community members can develop their skills, share their stories, and drive positive change within their communities.
THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM
News Media meets Participatory Arts
Indigenous youth from the Our People Our Climate and Carving Out Testimony projects joined the Art Borups Corners Winnipeg Arts Incubator to learn about media interviews and storytelling with CBC North and CBC Winnipeg. The program was created in 2021-2022 with funding and support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council.
It is important that communities have the tools and skills to tell their own stories.
Many northern organizations continue to struggle with post-pandemic recovery, have limited resources, an increasingly aging population, and insufficient pipelines for youth leadership development. The scarcity of effective communication, public relations, journalism, and storytelling skills inhibits the ability of many organizations to connect with their communities, share their narratives, advocate for their needs and to communicate their successes.
The primary objective of this project is to establish a multimedia Community Media Arts Platform that serves as a hub for storytelling, artistic expression, and dissemination of information on community participatory arts, climate entrepreneurship and environmental issues.
One of the project’s primary goals is to provide comprehensive training in creative leadership, climate entrepreneurship, and storytelling, equipping artists with the skills to become proactive agents of change. Incubating a Community of Practice and Care, we intend to promote mutual learning, shared responsibility, and a supportive environment for personal and collective growth.
Amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups is essential to ensure inclusivity and diversity within community narratives. Strengthening community cohesion by facilitating collaborative projects, promoting cultural exchange, and encouraging active participation in community life is also a fundamental goal of this initiative.
Youth will play a central role in producing and disseminating content, ensuring that they have the opportunity to take ownership of their narratives while also developing essential skills in leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration. The project will not only work to enhance the technical proficiency of participants but to also cultivate a deep understanding of the power of storytelling to create lasting community change.
In adapting these successful journalism and storytelling frameworks to northern contexts and embedding them within a Community of Practice and Care model, we will cultivate an inclusive and transformative youth and community-driven media arts initiative. Approaches will emphasize hands-on, peer-to-peer learning, shared responsibility, and supportive relationships, cultivating a network of individuals and organizations committed to personal growth, capacity building and community well-being.
The program will develop a media arts and training and skills development program that collaborates with established and experienced journalists, science communicators, public affairs professionals, and storytellers from multiple communities in Canada and the United States. This program will address communication gaps by working to build local and regional capacity in storytelling, journalism, and public relations.
Growing a Community of Practice and Care Through The Arts
Changing the Story about the Arts, One Project at a Time
The primary objective of this project is to establish a multimedia Community Media Arts Platform that serves as a hub for storytelling, artistic expression, and dissemination of information on community participatory arts, climate entrepreneurship and environmental issues. The goal is to provide comprehensive training in creative leadership, climate entrepreneurship, and storytelling, equipping participants with the skills to become proactive agents of change. Incubating a Community of Practice and Care, we intend to promote mutual learning, shared responsibility, and a supportive environment for personal and collective growth.
Amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups is essential to ensure inclusivity and diversity within community narratives. Strengthening community cohesion by facilitating collaborative projects, promoting cultural exchange, and encouraging active participation in community life is also a fundamental goal of this initiative.
In adapting these successful journalism and storytelling frameworks to northern contexts and embedding them within a Community of Practice and Care model, we will cultivate an inclusive and transformative youth and community-driven media arts initiative. Approaches will emphasize hands-on, peer-to-peer learning, shared responsibility, and supportive relationships, cultivating a network of individuals and organizations committed to personal growth, capacity building and community well-being.
The program will develop a media arts and training and skills development program that collaborates with established and experienced journalists, science communicators, public affairs professionals, and storytellers from multiple communities in Canada and the United States. This program will address communication gaps by working to build local and regional capacity in storytelling, journalism, and public relations.
Connecting Communities
Nestled in the heart of Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario, Art Borups Corners is a dynamic participatory arts collective and land-based living lab, where innovation and creativity thrive. In existence since 2014 and formally launched in 2021 and 2022 with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and Minneapolis College of Art and Design, we fuse traditional and participatory media arts with artificial intelligence, music, storytelling and community-driven, land-based artist residencies to cultivate new voices and bold ideas. Whether through collaborative projects or immersive experiences, our small but vibrant community supports creators to explore, experiment, and connect. Join us at the intersection of artistry, technology, culture and community—where every moment is a new opportunity to create.
Located in the heart of Winnipeg, our Arts Incubator collective is a small, but dynamic hub for collaboration, innovation, and growth. Established in 2021 with funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and with projects supported by the Manitoba Arts Council, our incubator fosters the intersection of digital arts and artificial intelligence, groundbreaking community-based participatory research, and mentorship for creative leadership skills. As a central gateway and gathering point for our collaborating programs, we empower artists, researchers and cultural connectors to push boundaries, connect with community, and spark lasting change. Join us in shaping the future of arts and culture—one innovative project at a time.
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is a thriving center for a growing community of practice and care. Through its Creative Entrepreneurship and Master of Arts in Creative Leadership programs, MCAD nurtures skills in creative leadership, climate entrepreneurship, and world-class community-based participatory arts and research. Collaborating with northern and Indigenous communities from Minnesota to Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, Nunavut, and beyond, MCAD fosters transformative connections and empowers leaders to drive change through art, innovation, and care. We’re proud to say our arts incubator programming, launched in 2021 with funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse is “Made with MCAD.”
FOUNDATIONS FOR A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AND CARE
It’s important communities have the tools, and skills to tell their own stories. This next iteration Journalism and Media, Oral History and Storytelling program builds on experiences and lessons learned from the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism and the Arviat Film Society.
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