BIPOC Creative Association:
The BIPOC Creative Association looks to reclaim Black and Indigenous voices. They seek to empower talented creatives and take back their spaces within the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia. Together, the BIPOC Creative Association marks the beginning of reform for Black and Indigenous creatives. Through advocating for representation and the equal and ethical distribution of wealth, the BIPOC Creative Association will work together to create opportunities and spaces for BIPOC creatives to come together. They seek to bring communities to the forefront of the Arts and Culture industry in British Columbia, an industry in which BIPOC creatives have historically and systemically been marginalized.
Racism is inclusive of the body, cultural, psychological, and institutional impacts it has on the conditioning of the human mind and experience. Representation of Black and Indigenous creatives and leadership is often excluded from a seat at the table. As an industry, they have to work to unpack and understand the machinery that continues to benefit from the richness of our artistry, while simultaneously removing themselves from the forefront of creative progress. Within the context of Vancouver, Black and Indigenous artists are systematically disenfranchised voices within Vancouver arts and culture.
The BIPOC Creative Association is a newly formed organization. Culture Day, their first event on July 1st 2020, brought together members of communities in a celebration and protest. Moving forward, they aim to continue with organizing events, ensuring that artists are being paid fairly for their work, gaining exposure, and having a place to gather and create connections. Furthermore, they aim to expand to have a physical space for artists to come together. Safe studio and gathering spaces for Black and Indigenous artists have all but disappeared, and the organization seeks to bring back these spaces to ensure artists can excel together in the community.
Student Opportunity:
This student engagement opportunity will be undertaken by a team of 3-4 BIPOC students who will spend 4-6 hours each week during the months of Term 2 (Jan- Apr 2021) to work on PHASE II of a Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) project. The first cohort (PHASE I) began this project in the Fall of 2020. The second cohort, for which we are now recruiting, will build upon the work of the previous group by addressing the research questions below.
Participatory action research has the dual purpose of undertaking an in-depth analysis or study and then purposefully working towards transformative change on the identified issue. This project further approaches the CPAR process through a decolonizing lens that prioritizes an ethical framework that foregrounds BIPOC ways of knowing. Through this CPAR project, BIPOC-CA seeks to understand and act upon the following questions:
- Explore the interconnection and lived experience of physical and psychological safety for BIPOC Creatives pre- and during COVID-19.
- Increase awareness and understanding of BIPOC Creative’s unique lived experiences of practicing in the Vancouver Arts and Culture sector;
- Empower the entrepreneurship and leadership of BIPOC Creatives through healing workshops based on input gathered from our community through the CPAR study.
- Identify, name and advocate for transformative changes necessary to address systemic racism and discrimination in the sector, in part, through the collection of race-based participatory data.
Expectations:
- Attending a series of ORICE facilitated group sessions.
- Maintaining frequent communication with BIPOC-CA and taking leadership from the organization research coordinator.
- Collaborating with team members to create and follow through on a work plan, milestones, and outputs
Key responsibilities:
- Conduct a literature review to help inform further phases of the CPAR study.
- Conduct a review (environmental scan) of the cultural fabric in Vancouver e.g. number of BIPOC creative features in commercial galleries, creative pockets etc.
- Design and pilot participatory tools for community-based research.
- Identify and support grant writing for funds that will help to further the vision of BIPOC-CA as it relates to the mission of the organization and research being undertaken.
- Provide a final report detailing work completed in the study to date with recommendations for subsequent phases of the CPAR study. Note: This is an unpaid, research opportunity
Involvement dates: January 15th – April 2nd, 2021 (12 weeks)
Ethics of Engagement:
UBC ORICE is committed to embedding anti-oppression and social justice in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can apply an anti-oppression and social justice lens when producing and/or using the developed content through ORICE, as well as utilize connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the current pandemic, engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers among other ideas.
Eligibility:
- Open to Indigenous UBC undergraduate (with 60 credits by September 2020) and graduate students (domestic or international). Recent graduates are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to current UBC students.
- Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely.
- Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively, but also be open to learning from and understanding different perspectives.
- Prior knowledge about, or interest, in the creative sector.
- Prior experience or interest in critical participatory action research or participatory projects.
Timeline
- Deadline: January 12th, 2021 @ 11.59pm PST
- Successful candidates contacted by: On a rolling basis
- Short interviews: On a rolling basis
- Project dates: January 15th – April 2nd, 2021
How to apply
Applications have been extended for individuals who identify as Indigenous, please fill out the application form here. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will close once positions are filled.
Follow us on social media (@ubc_orice) to find out about future program offerings! Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.