Winter 2026
Introducing five suggestions and three scenarios to seed and grow the formation of a proposed Digital Arts Services Alliance in Canadian arts and culture with a local, regional to provincial, and national scope.
Written in 2025 to 2026, this proposal builds upon ArtsPond’s DigitalASO Knowledge Framework from 2021 and So Far: A Manifesto for a Positive Digital Future from 2024 to 2025. These resources summarize key insights gathered during community consultations across Canada from 2020 to 2023.
This is a living resource that will be updated over time based on your input. Share your feedback on the Scenarios here.
This report was made possible with the support of Canada Council for the Arts’ Digital Strategy Fund, Government of Canada, Ontario Arts Council, and Government of Ontario.
So, what?
This resource offers five simple suggestions for building a Digital Arts Services Alliance (DASA) in Canadian arts and culture. Its core purpose is to support a fair and accessible digital life with, by, and for under-served artists, creative gig workers, cultural groups, and small enterprises from diverse communities. It will help people feel safer online, adapt to digital transformations at their own pace, and work together across regions.
This plan comes from many years of listening. From 2020 to 2023, people told us they want digital spaces that feel human. They want better tools, clearer support, and learning that does not feel overwhelming. They want stronger relationships, shared standards, safer digital environments, and technology that lifts up under‑served communities instead of leaving them out.
From these stories, five guiding suggestions emerged. They focus on strengthening People and relationships, Systems and governance, Learning and capacity, Collaboration and clustering, and Infrastructure and futures in and through the digital world. These areas help communities grow digital skills, build trust, and shape systems that serve everyone.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has arisen quickly since this work was unfolding. People want AI that respects rights, culture, disability access, and community values. They want guidance and co-design so AI does not cause more harm or erase human meaning.
The scope and purpose of the Alliance is flexible. It can begin small or grow across local, regional, and national scales. Each scenario can stand on its own and also strengthen the others. It can mix and match different elements based on the urgency of community needs. The goal is not a rigid structure but a living and caring network that evolves with the people it serves.
Stories
The ideas in this report come from hundreds of voices across Canada. People shared both the struggles and the possibilities of digital life. Many described exhaustion, loneliness, unsafe platforms, and the emotional weight of being online. Others spoke about connection, creativity, and new ways to reach people who cannot attend in-person events.
These conversations form the backbone of our proposals. They highlight the need for strong relationships, safer environments, fair digital rights, and tools that make participation easier. They call for shared language and clear supports. They ask for helpdesks, microcohorts, hybrid‑planning checklists, creative access templates, vendor‑screening questions, and ways to find each other without digging through endless links.
People also want clear guidance and guardrails for AI. They want cultural data protected and community-led interpretation. They want AI to support, not replace, human judgement.
Across all conversations, one message stands out. People want digital spaces that feel caring, accessible, and trustworthy. They want long‑term learning, shared resources, greener technology, and stronger systems that can respond to crisis without leaving anyone behind.
These needs shape the five suggestions in this report. Each suggestion includes paths for action at local, regional to provincial, and national levels. Local actions focus on trust and direct support. Regional actions focus on connecting communities and reducing duplication. National actions focus on shared infrastructure, accessible governance, and planning for the future.
To make this real, the report outlines potential budgets and timelines for the first three years after public launch of the Alliance. Public funding will help build the foundation. Earned revenue would grow slowly and remain affordable. Modest private support could fill gaps without shifting values.
The Alliance is designed to be adaptable. Communities can prioritize one path or mix and match. They can build their own versions based on what they need most. At ArtsPond, we imagine ourselves as a national connector and incubator providing support to local and regional ecosystems. From all the possibilities in this report, we seek your input on what feels the most meaningful to you.
Together, these suggestions form a caring response to what people across Canada have shared. They help translate lived experience into practical options for safer digital practices, better learning, deeper collaboration, and long‑lasting digital infrastructure for arts and culture. They honour what is still unfinished and welcome long‑term stewardship. The work continues as communities build a more caring digital future together.
Suggestions
These five suggestions reflect what communities across Canada told us they need for a fair, caring, and accessible digital future. They offer starting points that anyone can adapt. They respond to concerns about access, trust, learning, governance, and fast‑changing technology.
Before we begin, here are a few recommendations that will help implement all the suggestions and scenarios that follow:
- Boost equity and clear language
Use plain language. Center 2SLGBTQIA+, Deaf, Disabled, Francophone, Indigenous, Newcomers, Outside the Core, Racialized, Women-Trans-Nonbinary, Youth, low-income gig workers and small enterprises, and other equity and justice-deserving communities. Welcome creative expression as a valid way to speak and listen. Support translation across spoken, signed, written, and visual forms. - Use multiple engagement formats
Offer phone, SMS, radio‑style conversations, print materials, small circles, video sessions, and in‑person gatherings so people can choose what fits. - Share knowledge across ecosystems
Set up simple connector roles that move learning from local to regional to national spaces. Keep one national channel that shares community lessons and tools. - Practice data care
Gather only what you need. Ask for consent. Share why you are collecting data and give people easy ways to opt‑out or remove information. - Strengthen physical‑digital access
Use shared equipment pools, mobile labs, and rotating hubs. Provide loaner devices and step‑by‑step guides for first‑time use. - Build relational culture and repair
Normalize calling‑in instead of calling‑out. Support restorative conversations. Provide warm moderation so people feel safe to return after conflict. - Align vocabulary and reduce duplication
Create a shared ecosystem map and simple taxonomies so platforms and directories do not repeat work or confuse users. - Share open tools and templates
Publish adaptable kits like Helpdesk‑in‑a‑Box, Creative Accessibility Starter Kits, Hybrid Planning Checklists, data‑consent guides, and values‑aligned vendor questions. - Budget for access from the start
Include language interpretation, captioning, transcription, audio description, tactile interpretation, flexible attendance, and published access contacts for all programs.
Let’s introduce the five core suggestions now.
1. People and relationships
Purpose
Focus on the human side of digital life. Build trust, inclusion, safety, and wellbeing. Support communities facing burnout, isolation, and digital harm.
Local
Create small circles, listening sessions, and neighbourhood meetups that honour local knowledge and Indigenous protocols. Make participation flexible with phone‑in options, quiet spaces, and camera‑off choices. Support care pods and peer check‑ins with gentle moderation and wellness rhythms. Nuture avenues that lift up 2SLGBTQIA+, Newcomer, and Racialzied Youth in particular.
Regional to provincial
Connect communities through regional networks and advisory circles. Share cultural and trauma‑informed engagement tools in multiple languages. Create pathways that support Deaf, Disabled, and Indigenous Youth in particular.
National
Host national gatherings and publish shared guidelines for digital care. Fund long‑term relationship work and maintain a pool of trained facilitators who community groups can call on. Cultivate resources and networks that strengthen access for Outside the Core in particular, including suburban, rural, and remote communities, plus resource-desert areas in urban centers.
2. Systems and governance
Purpose
Build fair rules, clear expectations, and shared rights that protect communities in digital spaces. Support ethical data governance and human‑centered digital policy.
Local
Develop and share plain‑language guides on privacy, consent, safety, and data care. Co‑create community safety protocols and offer simple tools such as consent receipts and incident steps with Deaf and Disabled communities in particular.
Regional to provincial
Align directories and data standards with shared vocabulary. Offer policy and legal navigation for low‑income groups. Rotate leadership between Indigenous, Deaf, and Disability‑led governance each year.
National
Establish a cross‑sector advisory circle. Develop community‑owned governance models, shared data practices, and ethical AI standards. Publish accessible templates for consent, opt‑out choices, and rights‑based reporting. Strengthen intersectional allyships between digital justice and other social justice movements within and beyond arts and culture, including disability and environmental justice, spatial, social, and economic justice movements. Break down barriers and strengthen ties between Official Language Minority communities across Canada. Ensure resources and communications are available in Fluent and Plain English, French, ASL, LSQ, and selected Indigenous languages.
3. Learning and capacity
Purpose
Build digital skills through accessible, relational, and slow learning. Offer pathways for youth, gig workers, caregivers, and under‑resourced groups to grow at their own pace.
Local
Run drop‑in clinics, one‑on‑one coaching, pop‑up helpdesks, and device‑loan programs. Share printed guides, quick cards, and mailed tutorials. Support youth through micro‑internships and flexible schedules.
Regional to provincial
Coordinate micro‑credentials and shared digital literacy programs. Support mentorship rotations and small microcohorts for XR, AI, and creative accessibility. Provide regional helpdesks and microgrants for childcare, transit, and connectivity.
National
Build open online courses, a national resource library, creative help AI agents and chatbats, and a learning exchange that circulates local innovations. Advocate for professional development funding for gig workers and small organizations. Publish clear “first ten steps” guides for emerging digital roles.
4. Collaboration and clustering
Purpose
Support co‑creation, shared leadership, and cooperative models that help communities pool resources and build stronger digital ecosystems.
Local
Encourage neighbourhood clusters that share digital equipment, staff, and space. Build partnerships with libraries, social services, and community groups. Provide simple collaboration tools and templates for cultural safety and shared decision‑making.
Regional to provincial
Connect local clusters and create cross‑sector labs in arts, technology, and community services. Provide travelling equipment pools and digital expert crews. Map regional ecosystems and maintain collective calendars.
National
Develop a federated network of clusters. Support community‑owned digital platforms, trusts, and cooperatives. Create national directories that link regional directories through shared taxonomies and collective impact evaluation and reporting standards. Build partnerships with technology and research groups.
5. Infrastructure and futures
Purpose
Create sustainable, community‑owned digital infrastructure. Support ethical AI, environmentally responsible systems, and shared technical capacity that small organizations cannot maintain alone.
Local
Set up hybrid studios and shared coworking spaces. Provide cloud storage, basic hosting, and offline‑first options. Support device repair culture, device access, and flexible ways to join events.
Regional to provincial
Build technical teams for accessibility, updates, and cybersecurity. Create shared data hubs, archives, and open‑source tools. Address connectivity gaps in rural, remote, and Northern regions and provide regional security support.
National
Develop sector‑owned platforms, interoperable data systems, and national DevOps and hosting support. Lead guidance on ethical AI and climate‑care practices. Advocate for long‑term operational funding for digital stewardship. Maintain shared, well‑structured public data or data trusts for international rights protection, searchability, and findability of artistic, creative, and cultural wisdom and property. Advocate for and partner with Canadian governments and technology firms to establish sovereign AI infrastructure with Canadian data residency so communities, creators, and organizations can rely on systems governed by Canadian laws and values.
Scenarios
These three‑year scenarios show how a Digital Arts Services Alliance could start and grow at different scales. Each pathway connects to the five suggestions in this report. Public funding sets the foundation early on and earned or private revenue grows later. The numbers are guides, not rules. Communities can adapt them to their own needs.
At ArtsPond, we imagine our future role as a potential national connector and incubator providing support to local and regional networks. There are many possibilities for specific types of services our Alliance may offer. Below are a variety of ideas that we may choose from. Others not mentioned are likely to emerge over time. We are seeking your input on what feels the most meaningful to you.
1. Local
Proposed budget of $150,000 ($50,000 x 3 years)
Year 1: Quick progress and trusted access points
Focus on visible, relationship‑based supports that help people participate right away. Activities include hosting small circles and neighbourhood meetups that honour local knowledge and Indigenous protocols, with flexible participation through phone‑in options, quiet spaces, and camera‑off choices. Peer care pods, wellness rhythms, and gentle moderation help people return after conflict.
Pop‑up helpdesks use Helpdesk‑in‑a‑Box with device loans, printed guides, and mailed tutorials. Creative Accessibility micro‑labs, hybrid event basics in real and virtual life, consent and safety literacy, and introductory AI‑readiness sessions support local capacity. Mobile mini‑labs help people in neighbourhoods Outside the Core, including suburban, rural, and remote areas.
Stipends, transit and data top‑ups, and simple sign‑ups lower barriers. Special attention is given to 2SLGBTQIA+, Deaf, Disabled, Indigenous, Newcomer, and Youth participation, with near‑peer mentorship and culturally grounded space‑holding.
Outcomes
People feel safer and more connected. Digital tools become easier to use. Confidence and digital literacy begin to grow immediately.
Year 2: Strengthening local systems and shared tools
Focus on building consistency. Helpdesks stay open longer and device loans expand. Small learning cohorts begin for hybrid skills, XR, AI, and creative accessibility. Facilitators receive training in cultural, trauma‑informed, Deaf and Disability‑led, and creative safety approaches.
Affinity circles and care gatherings deepen relational work. Local partners use collaboration checklists and simple MOUs to support shared decision‑making. Basic hosting, cloud storage, and offline‑first options become available to small groups.
Youth, gig workers, caregivers, and low‑income participants receive flexible scheduling and support so learning does not compete with survival.
Outcomes
Local networks become more aligned. Pathways for learning and participation get clearer. Digital supports spread more evenly across the community.
Year 3: Local infrastructure and sustainability
Focus on lasting access. Hybrid studios and co‑working spaces provide shared tools. Basic hosting, cloud storage, and community archiving help small organizations stay active. Mobile mini‑labs continue to serve areas with limited connectivity.
A local cohort of care weavers, access coordinators, captioners, Deaf and Disability support peers, and youth mentors ensures the work continues beyond the project. Repair culture, access norms, and trauma‑informed digital practices become part of everyday community life.
Outcomes
Sustainable digital environments take root. Local leadership grows stronger and connects upward into regional and national systems.
| Expenses | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People and relationships | $22,000 | $15,000 | $13,000 | $50,000 |
| Systems and governance | $6,000 | $10,000 | $7,000 | $23,000 |
| Learning and capacity | $12,000 | $10,000 | $9,000 | $31,000 |
| Collaboration and clustering | $6,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $22,000 |
| Infrastructure and futures | $4,000 | $7,000 | $13,000 | $24,000 |
| Total | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 |
| Revenues | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earned | $12,500 | $15,000 | $17,500 | $45,000 |
| Public | $35,000 | $30,000 | $25,000 | $90,000 |
| Private | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| Total | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 |
| Revenue notes | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earned revenues (memberships) |
Individuals: 100 × $25 = $2,500 Micro orgs: 50 × $100 = $5,000 Small non-profits: 16 × $250 = $4,000 Small businesses: 4 × $250 = $1,000 Total: $12,500 |
Individuals: 120 × $25 = $3,000 Micro orgs: 55 × $100 = $5,500 Small non-profits: 18 × $250 = $4,500 Small businesses: 8 × $250 = $2,000 Total: $15,000 |
Individuals: 140 × $25 = $3,500 Micro orgs: 60 × $100 = $6,000 Small non-profits: 20 × $250 = $5,000 Small businesses: 12 × $250 = $3,000 Total: $17,500 |
| Public revenues (municipal + provincial) |
$15,000 (Provincial) + $20,000 (Municipal) Total: $35,000 |
$15,000 (Provincial) + $15,000 (Municipal) Total: $30,000 |
$10,000 (Provincial) + $15,000 (Municipal) Total: $25,000 |
| Private revenues (sponsorships) |
$2,500 × 1 sponsor Total: $2,500 |
$2,500 × 2 sponsors Total: $5,000 |
$2,500 × 3 sponsors Total: $7,500 |
2. Regional to provincial
Proposed budget of $300,000 ($100,000 x 3 years)
Year 1: Connect and coordinate
Focus on linking communities and building a shared picture of the regional landscape. A cohort of regional connectors bridges urban, suburban, rural, remote, and Northern communities. A regional ecosystem map and collective calendar help align work and reduce duplication.
Short metadata alignment sprints ensure directories use respectful vocabulary shaped by Deaf, Disabled, Indigenous, Newcomer, and Racialized communities. A regional Helpdesk‑in‑a‑Box rotates between communities with adaptable scripts and guides.
Creative Accessibility Labs, Hybrid Planning workshops for simultaneous events in real and virtual life, plain‑language policy guidance, and legal navigation support low‑income groups. Mentorship networks rotate their equity focus each year, highlighting groups such as 2SLGBTQIA+, Newcomer, Racialized, and Youth communities. Advisory circles and curated paid listening spaces support ongoing alignment.
Outcomes
Communities get a clearer sense of who is doing what. Knowledge flows more easily between regions. Duplication decreases and care pathways become easier to follow.
Year 2: Build shared infrastructure and services
Focus on supports that many communities can rely on together. Regional technical teams provide accessibility work, updates, maintenance, and cybersecurity, with attention to low‑bandwidth and multilingual contexts.
Specialists are pooled for DevOps, cloud hosting, light server administration, and open‑source support for small organizations. Shared data hubs, archives, and open‑source tools expand with different artistic or cultural disciplines emphasized each year.
Cross‑sector labs bring together arts, technology, community services, Indigenous knowledge keepers, and educators. Regional training, micro‑credentials, AI readiness, and sustainability practices strengthen learning options. Microgrants help cover childcare, transit, and access needs.
Outcomes
Small organizations spend less time solving problems alone. Access to specialized expertise increases. Systems across communities become more stable and consistent.
Year 3: Deepen equity and governance
Focus on long‑term stability and shared standards. Contract terms, privacy expectations, open‑data practices, and rights‑based reporting become more aligned across funders and intermediaries.
Indigenous‑led and Deaf and Disability‑led governance fellowships strengthen community leadership on digital rights and data care. Regional servers or intranet models support communities with unreliable internet or high connectivity costs. Staffing structures for connectors, technical teams, and mentorship networks become more secure.
Outcomes
A strong and equitable regional digital ecosystem takes shape, supported by shared governance practices that work across multiple provinces or territories.
| Expenses | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People and relationships | $30,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $75,000 |
| Systems and governance | $20,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $65,000 |
| Learning and capacity | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $60,000 |
| Collaboration and clustering | $15,000 | $15,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 |
| Infrastructure and futures | $15,000 | $15,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 |
| Total | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
| Revenues | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earned revenues | $28,000 | $35,000 | $35,000 | $98,000 |
| Public revenues | $65,000 | $55,000 | $50,000 | $170,000 |
| Private revenues | $7,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $32,000 |
| Total | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
| Revenue Notes | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earned revenues (memberships) |
Individuals: 125 × $40 = $5,000 Micro orgs: 60 × $150 = $9,000 Small non-profits: 30 × $400 = $12,000 SMEs: 4 × $500 = $2,000 Total: $28,000 |
Individuals: 150 × $40 = $6,000 Micro orgs: 80 × $150 = $12,000 Small non-profits: 35 × $400 = $14,000 SMEs: 6 × $500 = $3,000 Total: $35,000 |
Individuals: 175 × $40 = $7,000 Micro orgs: 80 × $150 = $12,000 Small non-profits: 35 × $400 = $14,000 SMEs: 4 × $500 = $2,000 Total: $35,000 |
| Public revenues (municipal + provincial) |
$40,000 (Provincial) + $25,000 (Municipal) Total: $65,000 |
$35,000 (Provincial) + $20,000 (Municipal) Total: $55,000 |
$30,000 (Provincial) + $20,000 (Municipal) Total: $50,000 |
| Private revenues (sponsorships + donations) |
Regional Sponsor: 1 × $5,000 = $5,000 Supporters: 4 × $500 = $2,000 Total: $7,000 |
Regional Sponsors: 2 × $4,000 = $8,000 Supporters: 2 × $1,000 = $2,000 Total: $10,000 |
Regional Sponsors: 2 × $5,000 = $10,000 Supporters: 5 × $1,000 = $5,000 Total: $15,000 |
3. National
Proposed budget of $900,000 ($300,000 x 3 years)
Year 1: Shared direction and foundational standards
Focus on bringing the sector into alignment and initiating national coordination. Form a cross‑sector advisory circle across arts, technology, disability justice, Indigenous data sovereignty, community services, and environmental justice.
Create a seed taxonomy and ontology group. Publish first‑draft national guidelines for digital care, cultural safety, access, consent, and trauma‑informed practice. Gather cross‑sector partners to assess collaboration readiness and shared values.
Release foundational governance templates such as consent forms, opt‑out choices, rights‑based reporting, data‑care guidance, and values‑aligned vendor questions. The national learning exchange expands with starter courses and creative help AI agents and chatbots. Begin a national directory using common consent and data patterns.
Host the first biennial national symposium in Eastern Canada with options for phone‑in, low‑bandwidth, plain‑language, and multilingual participation.
Outcomes
Shared vocabulary and principles emerge. People gain a stronger sense of purpose and direction for the Alliance.
Year 2: Shared systems and core capacity
Focus on major infrastructure and technical capacity. National teams begin building community‑governed platforms, interoperable data spaces, and cross‑sector data agreements.
Develop DevOps pipelines, national hosting support, and open‑source stewardship. Build national tools for analytics, financial and statistical intelligence, creative accessibility support, and AI guidance.
Test interoperability between regional directories and ecosystem maps. Develop training modules for access coordinators, captioners, digital care leads, data stewards, XR practitioners, and AI readiness roles.
Mobile national labs travel to communities with limited access, supporting rural, remote, Northern, and resource‑desert regions.
Outcomes
Stable national systems reduce the burden on local and regional organizations. Communities rely on shared services rather than rebuilding infrastructure alone.
Year 3: Stewardship and long‑term futures
Focus on long‑term strength, responsibility, and sector‑wide care. Finalize community‑governed data trusts with cultural protocols and shared taxonomies for searchability and rights protection.
Expand national care and calling‑in practices across sectors. Strengthen multi‑year funding strategies for digital stewardship. Deepen national leadership on ethical AI, sustainable digital practices, Indigenous data rights, disability access, and environmental care.
Maintain open, structured public data linked to shared taxonomy standards. Advocate for and form partnerships to establish sovereign AI infrastructure with Canadian data residency, so communities, creators, and organizations can rely on tools governed by Canadian laws and values.
Host the second biennial national symposium in Western Canada.
Outcomes
A sustainable national digital infrastructure supports every scale of the ecosystem. Canadian arts and culture strengthen their international position through values‑based leadership grounded in equity, care, and community stewardship.
| Expenses | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People and relationships | $120,000 | $60,000 | $120,000 | $300,000 |
| Systems and governance | $70,000 | $100,000 | $60,000 | $230,000 |
| Learning and capacity | $40,000 | $70,000 | $50,000 | $160,000 |
| Collaboration and clustering | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $120,000 |
| Infrastructure and futures | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $90,000 |
| Total | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $900,000 |
| Revenues | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earned revenues | $150,000 | $165,000 | $160,000 | $475,000 |
| Public revenues | $120,000 | $105,000 | $90,000 | $315,000 |
| Private revenues | $30,000 | $30,000 | $50,000 | $110,000 |
| Total | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $900,000 |
| Revenue Notes | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earned revenues (memberships) |
Individuals: 200 × $60 = $12,000 Small non-profits: 112 × $500 = $56,000 Large non-profits: 28 × $1,500 = $42,000 Networks / institutions: 16 × $2,500 = $40,000 For‑profit SMEs: 0 × $1,500 = $0 Total: $150,000 |
Individuals: 250 × $60 = $15,000 Small non-profits: 120 × $500 = $60,000 Large non-profits: 30 × $1,500 = $45,000 Networks / institutions: 18 × $2,500 = $45,000 For‑profit SMEs: 0 × $1,500 = $0 Total: $165,000 |
Individuals: 250 × $60 = $15,000 Small non-profits: 130 × $500 = $65,000 Large non-profits: 30 × $1,500 = $45,000 Networks / institutions: 14 × $2,500 = $35,000 For‑profit SMEs: 0 × $1,500 = $0 Total: $160,000 |
| Public revenues (federal + provincial) | $100,000 (Federal) + $20,000 (Provincial) | $85,000 (Federal) + $20,000 (Provincial) | $70,000 (Federal) + $20,000 (Provincial) |
| Private revenues (sponsorships + donations) |
National sponsors: 3 × $7,500 = $22,500 Supporters: 7 × $1,500 = $10,500 Total: $30,000 |
National sponsors: 3 × $7,500 = $22,500 Supporters: 7 × $1,500 = $10,500 Total: $30,000 |
National sponsors: 4 × $7,500 = $30,000 Supporters: 10 × $2,000 = $20,000 Total: $50,000 |
So, then?
The ideas in this report point toward a simple belief. A better digital future for arts and culture is possible if we build it together and if we build it with care. The five suggestions and three scenarios offer practical starting points for communities of all sizes. Local efforts strengthen trust. Regional work connects systems. National coordination makes long‑term stability possible. Each scale supports the others.
What comes next is a shared choice. The Digital Arts Services Alliance can begin small or start wide. It can be a fluid, living organism with many local and regional groups. It can be a more formalized national body. It can grow slowly or move quickly where energy is strong. It can focus on leading innovation and change. It can prioritize strengthening access and care. It can take many shapes as long as it stays rooted in equity, access, cultural safety, and community leadership. What matters most is that the work stays people‑centered and future‑focused.
The digital world will keep changing. AI will keep evolving. Crises will come and go. Communities will continue to face uneven risks and uneven access. A caring digital ecosystem is one that adapts with integrity. One that treats learning as ongoing. One that makes space for rest, repair, and creativity. One that listens and responds without leaving people behind.
So, then? At ArtsPond, we commit to bringing communities together. We move forward with curiosity and courage. We keep the door open for those who have been pushed out. We build tools that reflect our values. We share what we learn. We grow the conditions where care, creativity, and collaboration can thrive online and offline.
This work will take many hands and many voices. It is already underway. Let us continue to shape a digital future where everyone has a place, where access is expected, where relationships guide the way, and where the systems we build help people flourish.