2023 OVERVIEW
This year has been a whirlwind of excitement and filled with plenty of partnerships. In 2023, the IRP ran independently and without outside funding sources, turning to mutual and cooperative event planning alongside supporting organizations. We deeply thank all of the organizations that helped to put on meaningful events and artist opportunities to our community!
Our two main pillars of operation continue to be:
Supporting Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs by showcasing and promoting their personal social enterprise.
Provide inclusive and accessible arts and culture activities to Indigenous participants in the Kamloops area, with the main focuses being to bypass financial barriers to participation and welcome all participants regardless of background or social standing.
Our top community partners in 2023 were:
Kamloops Arts Council
Arts BC
2 Rivers Remix Society
Kamloops Film Society
Tk'emlups Business & Economic Development Department
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
2023 Artist Gathering: Navigating A Digital Age
February 4th and February 5th
The 2023 Artist Gathering: Navigating A Digital Age was a new take on artistic education in the area and open to the public. This was put on in partnership with Kamloops Arts Council and one of the first times in recent history that there has been such a cross between the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlups Reserve in terms of public artistic programming.
This event was focused on providing resources to artists, and some of the workshop overviews included:
Social media management and navigation
Introduction to digital programs and design software
Developing a professional portfolio
Grant writing and accessing funding sources
Free professional headshots
This event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of several funding organizations and supporting arts and culture bodies from across BC.
Photography: Bob Clark
Redefining the Perspective: the many forms of Indigenous art
Exhibition run from June 3rd - July 27th
Photography: Shay Paul
This collective exhibition is a way to show the unique and intricate diversity of artists in the area. Indigenous artists and the pieces they create come in many different shapes, sizes, and designs - some following familiar patterns of traditional practices and others recontextualizing art in new and modern styles.
Nine different artists, coming from several different areas around the interior, participated in this group exhibition. The exhibition ran from Saturday, June 3rd, to Thursday, July 27th, 2023 and was made possible by the Kamloops Arts Council and their partners.
2 Rivers Remix Society: Tk'emlups Feast of Contemporary Indigenous Music & Culture
July 7th, 8th, 9th
Photography: Billie Jean Gabriel
Over the last two years, the 2 Rivers Remix Society has partnered with the Indigenous Resurgence Project for Kamloops-local event consultation and artisan market coordination, as well as to help coordinate the non-musician artists and vendors for the annual Indigenous music festival. This year's festival was a fantastic celebration of Indigenous musicians from all across Turtle Island, and we hosted artisan vendors from as far as Edmonton, Alberta!
IN THE COMMUNITY
TteS Business and Economic Development Department
February 25th
Working alongside the Business & Economic Development Department at Tk'emlups te Secwepemc, we hosted an Artist Networking event to connect artists and small businesses with Tk'emlups services and other small business support services.
THE CONFLUENCE/SKƏLƔAP
Penticton, March 26th, 27th, 29th
The IRP was invited to the 2023 Confluence Gathering hosted by the En'owkin Center and Post Secondary Institution on traditional Syilx territory. The IRP Project Director spoke on the Bearing Witness panel alongside 5 other artists.
The event lasted four days, wherein the IRP made some deeper connections with the Arts and Culture professionals in the Okanagan Region.
Artwork by Shay Paul
Shaw Spotlight
In June, the IRP was approached by the Shaw Spotlight team to talk about the arts and culture initiatives being undertaken by the project. This video as well as the Creating Community Interview series aired on the Shaw network community television channels.
Music for the People Concert
September 17th
The Margit Sky Project has a long standing relationship with the IRP, and has been involved with our events since the inception of the project. The IRP was honored to be involved and be able to help support this wonderful music experience.
STSEPTÉKWLES RE SK’ELÉP INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL
October 14th
This year the IRP was involved with the 2nd Annual Kamloops Indigenous Film Festival, presented by the Kamloops Film Society. As apart of the festival programming, an artist networking event was put on, with a presentation by Ryan Denault of Healing Between Worlds.
ONLINE CONNECTIONS & SHARING INFORMATION
The IRP continued to provide online support, but pulled back on some of the more time-consuming platforms like the online events calendar. We pivoted to sharing more information through our newsletters and Facebook platforms.
In 2023, the IRP also started an Instagram account. This account serves more for special event documentation and upcoming event posters. Facebook remains our #1 platform for information and resources.
Our monthly e-newsletter continues to be one of our most used resources. Over the course of the year, we averaged with a 50% newsletter opening rate, with an average 17% unique click rate per e-newsletter sent out. Our newsletter includes upcoming events, artist call-outs, arts funding opportunities, and job offers. We are happy to all of those who utilized our newsletter to apply for new positions, join events, and receive grants.
KUKWSTSETSEMC
For all the wonderful and continued support over the last year. It's all thanks to the people who engage with us and support our events, workshops, and platform - people who share, gave us feedback, and tell us what they want to see from a community-based platform. So thank you all for helping us be the platform we are, because we couldn't have done it without you!