Overview

The Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) is seeking a strategic planning consultant or consultants to facilitate a process to create a three-year Strategic Plan for 2024-27. A visioning retreat will take place at the Indigenous artist run centre daphne, in Montreal from October 4 to 8, 2023. As many as 12 board directors and 2 staff members will be in attendance. We seek a consultant/consultants to facilitate this process; maintaining a space of productive dialogue. In advance of the retreat, the consultant/consultants will conduct focused engagements with partners, members, and the board that will inform the strategic plan. Following the retreat, the consultant/consultants will draft a strategic plan for review and revision by the board.

Following 5 years of exceptional growth, the ICCA is in a state of transformation. As the ICCA seeks an Executive Director who will build a new staff team, it is an important moment to take stock. We are seeking a consultant who can guide a review and realignment of the ICCA with its core vision and mandate. This includes ensuring the capacity of ICCA to meet its current programming commitments through the sustainable development of our human and financial resources. The board will set new strategic goals for the next three years to guide the organization in this work as well as identifying key areas for board development.

About the ICCA

As an Indigenous-run and led non-profit organization, the ICCA aims to support and connect fellow Indigenous curators, artists, writers, academics, and professionals through various methods of gathering. We engage in critical discourses, increase professional opportunities for our members, develop programming, and work to build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous curators, artists, communities, and the institutions we engage with.

Vision

The ICCA activates Indigenous creative sovereignty, ensuring future ancestors have agency over their own cultures as an Inherent Right.

Mission

• Advocates, Activates, and Engages
  • The ICCA is an Indigenous arts organization that advocates, activates, and engages on behalf of Canadian and international Indigenous curators, critics, artists and representatives of arts and cultural organizations.
• Develops and Programs
  • The ICCA develops and programs curatorial projects, researches Indigenous practices and educates through critical discourses on Indigenous arts and cultures.
• Builds Relationships
  • The ICCA builds relationships for Indigenous artists and curators by supporting equitable collaboration and exchange within larger arts communities.
• Increases Opportunities
  • The ICCA focuses on increasing opportunities for Indigenous artists and curators within established arts institutions and champions the development of new Indigenous-controlled arts spaces.
• Collaborate, Challenge and Engage
  • The ICCA collaborates, challenges, and engages in critical discourse, always viewing the arts through a contemporary Indigenous lens.

History

In 2005, a group of Indigenous curators came together to develop a long-term strategy in order to better support a community of current and future Indigenous curators. Key members brought forward the idea of creating a collective of Indigenous curators and to create moments for conversations about the state of Indigenous curatorial practice in Canada. The Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (ACC-CCA) was launched as a response to the authority afforded to the non-Indigenous curatorial and academic community within the discipline of Indigenous arts in Canada.

Scope of Work

The selected consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Conducting a focused assessment of the ICCA with stakeholders, including board members, community members, and institutional members. The primary method for this analysis will be an email survey, and targeted meetings with a few key stakeholders.
• Facilitating strategic planning with ICCA’s board of directors in Montreal from October 4 to 8, 2023.
• Building on the ICCA’s established mission, vision and values, and assessment conducted by the consultant, develop a strategic plan that outline the ICCA’s goals, objects, strategies, and tactics for the 3-year period.
• Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the progress and success of the strategic plan.
• Providing recommendations for the implementation and monitoring of the strategic plan.
• Presenting the strategic plan to the ICCA’s Board of Directors and other relevant stakeholders.
• Incorporating feedback and revisions into the final strategic plan document.

Timeline

July 24, 2023: project commencement

August to October 2023: focused assessment and stakeholder engagement

October 4 to 10, 2023: strategic planning session in Montreal and Toronto

November 2023: presentation of draft strategic plan to board

December 2023: board review of draft strategic plan

January 2024: revised strategic plan presented to community members

February 2024: final presentation of strategic plan for board approval.

Budget

$20,000 CAD + travel, accommodations and per diem for strategic planning meeting

Submission Guidelines

Candidates are requested to submit the following documents:

• A cover letter outlining your approach, and identifying why you are interested in working with the ICCA
• A sample of past work/outcomes as a consultant, facilitator, or equivalent role
• Two references who can speak to your qualifications for this role
• Your CV

As the ICCA is an organization founded and run by and for Indigenous people, it is important that this role is filled by an Indigenous person who can confidently demonstrate their connection to their Indigenous community/ies. 

The ICCA will do its best to respond to applicants in a timely manner, but only those who advance in the application process will be contacted.

The ICCA is committed to equity and dignity in our recruitment and employment practices, and welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Please submit your proposal by July 7, 2023 to the following email: hr@iccaart.com. 

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed the week of July 17, 2023.