I used to be a policy analyst for BC's Ministry of Women's Equality. Pretty dreamy job for a gal just out of university with a degree in Women Studies and Anthropology. I started working there when my daughter Bea was 1 (now she's almost 30!) I was tasked with developing an equity lens: a tool to enable decision-makers to consider a continuum of perspectives when developing policies and programs.
A few years later I left government to try my hand at furniture making, and have been financing my ever-evolving creative pursuits (welding, blacksmithing, sculpture, concrete) ever since as a freelance marketing writer for Taiji Brand Group.
About 5 years ago I started volunteering with a few arts councils, eager to explore some new ideas for supporting and marketing the arts sector on Vancouver Island. Fast forward to today, and I'm fortunate to be continuing these conversations with a fabulous array of folks from within and outside the sector, through my role as Creative Coast co-chair.
And that is how I have come to share zoom meetings with Elliott Hearte, Director of Programs and Services at ArtsBC. We're exploring a resource hub for artists and arts administrators, and so is Elliott - so we meet from time to time to catch up on our progress. Elliott's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is deep, and she is determined to assemble a resource collection that amplifies under-represented voices and empowers diverse communities.
And that's how I am, 30 years later, once again working on an equity lens! Full circle. We'll be posting more about the equity-informed resource hub in the coming weeks.
This useful Virginia Libraries Journal article called 'collecting for equity' got us pointed in the right direction.
Image credit: Nik West, Taiji Brand Group
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