Winnipeg Arts Incubator Program
The Latest News
Our People Our Climate: How Indigenous Arts Are Bridging Climate Awareness and Cultural Entrepreneurship
January 2, 2025
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, an exciting arts initiative is reshaping the way Indigenous youth interact with the arts and climate action.
Winnipeg Arts Incubator Program
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 growing Community of Practice and Care, 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 hub has grown to collaborate with other arts programs and community-driven projects across Manitoba, and regions across the circumpolar world.
The Latest Winnipeg Arts Incubator Stories
2023-2024 Activities, Impacts and Outcomes Report
We’re thrilled to share our 2023-2024 Activities, Impacts, and Outcomes Report! This year has been transformative, as we continued rebuilding our facilities, expanded our arts-based programming, and deepened our focus on climate entrepreneurship and creative leadership.
Jamie Bell
December 24, 2024
Transforming the Future With AI, Game Design and Participatory Arts Research
This year a small, grassroots arts hub in Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba is revolutionizing Northern arts and community research fusing art and AI. From skills to streamlining administrative tasks, empowering youth with gamified learning, and creating digital archives, this innovative program is building the next generation of leaders while addressing complex local issues with cutting-edge technology.
Art Borups Corners
December 23, 2024
How Learning About Experiential Design Can Transform Opportunities for Artists and Their Communities
Emerging artists in Winnipeg and Minneapolis have been stepping beyond traditional studios to address critical issues like food security and climate resilience through experiential learning. By combining hands-on practice with creative reflection, they’re using art as a powerful tool for community transformation while gaining invaluable real-world skills.
Art Borups Corners
December 17, 2024
From Biophilic Design to VR: The Next Era of Artistic Storytelling?
Revolutionizing the arts in rural and northern communities, a Winnipeg-based program is merging UX/UI design, virtual reality, and biophilic principles to craft cutting-edge, sustainable solutions. By blending technology, storytelling, and nature-inspired design, the initiative empowers under-resourced arts organizations to thrive, adapt, and connect with global audiences—while staying deeply rooted in their local identities.
Art Borups Corners
December 13, 2024
Exploring Climate Diplomacy Through Art, Storytelling and Creative Leadership
How do we tackle the big questions about our planet’s future while making space for personal stories, shared laughter, and transformative ideas? This fall and winter, our program is turning to climate diplomacy, oral history, and creative leadership to find answers. It’s not just about policies or protests—it’s about conversations that bring people together, foster understanding, and inspire action through the power of storytelling.
Tony Eetak
December 11, 2024
Winnipeg Artists Using Storytelling, Events, and Curation to Inspire Change
Rooted in creativity and community, a Winnipeg-based program led by interdisciplinary artists Jamie Bell and Tony Eetak is blending participatory storytelling, innovative technologies, and mentorship, to inspire artists and organizations to amplify their voices, plan impactful events, and curate transformative exhibits—all while staying true to their cultural identities.
Art Borups Corners
December 6, 2024
Designing a Hub for Participatory Arts
In 2022 our program hosted artists and educators from across Manitoba and around the world gathered at the University of Winnipeg and Qaumajuq to explore arts-based and participatory methodologies to establish a hub for collaboration with support from members of the UNESCO Chair for Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education.
Research and Reconciliation
We’re incredibly proud to be featured as a chapter in Research and Reconciliation: Unsettling Ways of Knowing Through Indigenous Relationships, a groundbreaking collection that redefines the role of research in reconciliation efforts. Edited by Shawn Wilson, Andrea V. Breen, and Lindsay DuPré, this book emphasizes decolonizing methodologies, relationship-building, and honoring Indigenous perspectives.
It’s a powerful exploration of how research can move beyond traditional frameworks to foster genuine understanding and reciprocity. Being part of such an inspiring and transformative work is an honor, and we’re thrilled to contribute to the dialogue on Indigenous knowledge and reconciliation.
SOME OF our favourite moments
I Shall Not Be Moved
Enjoy a photo slideshow of scenes from Manitoba, Nunavut and Ontario with this rendition of “I Shall Not Be Moved” by musicians Tony and Paul Eetak.
This September, artists, lawyers, educators and people from all walks of life gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to experience the Right to Be Known in a special participatory arts project led by the University of Manitoba.
Visualizing Climate Change for Impact
In March 2023, Our People Our Climate held a special workshop and delivered an expanded program based on the original 2020-2021 pilot with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). We were so happy to experience this program again!
The Ripple Effect with Global Dignity Canada
In this short video by Tony Eetak, experience some of the special guest speakers, artists and creators who have made time for our programs and activities with support from Global Dignity Canada.
Sometimes it's just for Fun
We work with small and large organizations, art and community centres across Manitoba and the world. But sometimes it’s just about spending time in Central Park jamming on a pawn shop guitar with a broken string.
Our People Our Climate: Manitoba
In 2022-2023, and with support from the Manitoba Arts Council youth artists learned about modern and traditional approaches to storytelling, photography and the arts to express perspectives on climate change.
What We've Learned So Far
With support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and the ArcticNet Network Centre of Excellence Inclusion in Northern Research project, we explored storytelling and what it means to be included in participatory arts and community-based research.
Inclusion in Northern Research: The Space Between Things
This year our Winnipeg team was thrilled to be part of a special international dialogue on storytelling, arts, research and resilience with Dr. Andrea Breen from the University of Guelph and Dr. Shawn Wilson from Opaskwayak Cree Nation alongside the Inclusion in Northern Research program.
Our programming would not have been made possible with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and the Manitoba Arts Council. We thank them for their generous support of our activities.
OUR PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED BY
