Here are answers to some of the most common questions asked about FUTURES/forward.
- How much will I get paid? Each mentee will get $5000. Each mentor will receive $2000. Installments will be distributed over the term of the mentorship. Refer to the “What to expect” webpage to get an idea of when the installments will occur.
- What do you mean by “community-engaged art for social change (ASC)”? JMP/ICASC supports the work of ASC: that is art making done collectively by groups of people (who may not self-identify as artists) about what matters to them, with this process facilitated and nurtured by a specially-trained artist or group of artists. Designed to engage heads, hearts, and hands to create dialogue and positive change, ASC is rooted in furthering social, environmental, and political justice and is a form of cultural democracy. FUTURES/forward is all about this type of work and the mentees’ projects will all involve art making being done collectively by the project participants (the folks in the group/community) about what matters to them.
- How much time am I required to put in? We do not have hard numbers of hours you must put in. As applicants are to be mid-career, we expect that you will have good project management skills and are able to manage estimating and accommodating the time you will need to commit to create and implement your project. You will meet with your mentor at least bi-weekly and you will be expected to attend our monthly cohort meetings which are 1 to 1.5 hours long.
- I already have a project in mind and an organization that I want to work with, is it possible to apply to the mentorship program together? For this current call for applications to cohort #5, it is highly encouraged and recommended that applicants have started the process of obtaining a partner/host organisation before they apply to the program. This is an excellent opportunity for you to be supported at the initial phases of project development through to implementation. Host organisations must be introduced to the F/f program lead and read and agree to a contract with ICASC/JMP.
- Is everything online or in person? As the cohort is comprised of folks from all across Canada, all FUTURES/forward group meetings will be via zoom. Each mentor and mentee pair chooses the methods/modes that work best for them. They certainly have the option of meeting in person where/when possible. For the community-engaged art projects, past mentees have operated almost entirely during the COVID pandemic, so most projects have happened online with a few choosing a hybrid (both online and in-person) where possible according to health regulations. A very few were able to have in-person art making workshops. However, the lifting of health regulations now allows for more in-person events.
- May a mentor and a mentee apply as a pair? Yes. You may apply as a pair (please indicate the proposed pairing in each of your cover letters); however, you must each submit separate applications as each will be evaluated on their own merits. We cannot guarantee that both of you will be selected to the program. In the case of only one applicant being selected, you will be matched appropriately by our team. If you both are selected to the cohort, you will then be considered as your proposed pair.
- Can mentors have more than one mentee? The model we use is one-to-one. In very rare cases, we may review and consider giving a mentor two mentees.
- Do mentors and mentees get to choose who they will be working with? Each mentee will be introduced to a mentor proposed by us (each match is thoughtfully and carefully considered). The mentor and mentee will have the opportunity to meet, ask questions, and consider whether they think it is a good match. If one does not agree to move forward with the match, other possibilities will be offered until both agree to a match. Mentors and mentees may be from different regions of Canada.
- What is a “work plan”? For the mentor/mentee pair there is what we call a “Learning Agreement”, aka a work plan. This document is collaboratively created. We provide a customizable template for this process. It consists of questions to use as an opportunity to discuss and reach agreement on respective goals, responsibilities, commitments, schedules, and other aspects of the mentee/mentor partnership. This documentation is an important step to create and implement a productive and respectful basis to your relationship. There is also a “Triad Agreement”. In this document, we ask the artist-in-residence (with support from the mentor) and host organization to discuss and document the overall goals of the project, as well as the principles and expectations that will guide the relationship. Again, this is an important step to create and implement a productive and respectful foundation to your working relationship.
- What can I expect in terms of the mentorship timeline? We have a “What to expect” webpage dedicated to this very question.
- I am interested in working with children and youth (under the age of majority) and/or vulnerable populations. Is this possible?
- Our organization does not have the insurance and liability framework to support work with children and youth, people under the age of majority (the age of majority being 18 or 19 and older depending on each provincial/territorial legislation) and/or vulnerable populations. The onus will be up to you to find a partner organization who already works with this demographic and has the insurance and all necessary protocols, policies, criminal record checks, etc., in place as required. If the host organization and you decide to work with under-age and/or vulnerable people, it will be the host’s responsibility to have the insurance and all necessary protocols, policies, criminal record checks, etc., in place as required.
- What kind of community-engaged project may I do as an artist mentee? Each project is unique and many factors affect what is possible. To get a really good idea of the many different kinds of projects done in previous cohorts, browse our blog to read project summaries and reflections from past mentees.
- What kind of artists become mentees? To get a sense of the diverse artists that have been involved before, look through the mentee biographies.
- Is there a contract? Yes. Each mentee and mentor will sign a contract with Judith Marcuse Projects (JMP) at the beginning of the five-month mentorship term. Host organisations must also sign a contract.
- How long does the mentorship last? The cohort #5 mentorship will be five months long and will end on June 30, 2023.
