The Grow North Creative Residency is an initiative by North York Arts to “pass the mic” to artists in our community. Local artists living in North York are given the opportunity to share information, teachings, and their artistic practice with our audience, and engage with the North York Arts community in meaningful ways.
An Interview with Tasneem Dairywala
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a visual artist and an art educator. I run a non-profit called Art Ignite and we do lots of fun art programs in Flemingdon Park. I’m also on my way to publishing my first children’s book, ‘How to Show Love’ after which, I will be able to change my status from writer to author!
What would you say are the most important parts of building a creative career?
- Continuous learning:
- By learning, I don’t mean acquiring an expensive degree or only learning about art-specific topics. Learn about whatever makes you curious, because it’s crucial to creative growth. Here are some free or low-cost education platforms that I’ve found very useful:
- Gale Institute
- TDSB classes for adults
- Coursera
- City of Toronto: Parks, Forestry and Recreation
- Toronto Public Library
- By learning, I don’t mean acquiring an expensive degree or only learning about art-specific topics. Learn about whatever makes you curious, because it’s crucial to creative growth. Here are some free or low-cost education platforms that I’ve found very useful:
- Building connections:
- Post-COVID, it would be wonderful to start attending art events again and building in-person connections. But in the meantime, there are other ways to remain connected:
- Ask every person you know if they know someone doing the same things as you. I have found this to be the absolute best way to accumulate knowledge and find collaborators.
- Join newsletters. Almost all organizations send them out, and they’re full of opportunities.
- Look at Toronto, Ontario and Canada Art Council’s websites. Search for grants related to the fields you’re interested in, look at who was funded by these grants in the past year, and reach out to them. This is how I came across NYA. They gave me the volunteer experience and mentorship needed to start my own business, and it all started with an email!
- Post-COVID, it would be wonderful to start attending art events again and building in-person connections. But in the meantime, there are other ways to remain connected:
- Being brave:
- You’ve already taken the first steps in this journey. Don’t be afraid to move forward. You’re good enough to get grants. You’re good enough to run projects. You’re good enough to do whatever you desire!
What are some of the steps you take to apply for grants?
- Attend grant writing workshops by funders.
- Include keywords from the grant description and evaluation metrics in my application.
- Talk to the grant officer before applying.
- Plan the budget before the project so I know what’s achievable.
- Make sure the support material is high quality.
- If they’re asking for reference letters, make sure the letter is signed, has a header, the correct date, and answers their questions.
- If they’re asking for art work, make sure it’s professionally documented.
- Break up long questions into smaller sections. This helps to ensure that the entire question has been answered and no details have been left out.
- Ask people to proofread. Most people want to help and will say yes!
- Start and submit the applications as early as possible to avoid getting stressed.
- Ask the grant officer for feedback if the application is unsuccessful.
- Pay someone to write the grant if the application is repeatedly unsuccessful. It’s a great learning experience and worth it, especially if the grant writer works on commission.
Are there any grants that are good for emerging artists?
- Art Reach is a great one if you’re under 30.
- Cultural Hotspot is also fantastic, but you have to partner with an organization.
- Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council applications are not too hard, but each program has a different eligibility criteria. Make sure you meet it before starting the application.
- Inspirit workshop is also great if you have a project idea specific to their mission.
- Microgrants are good starters, but they pop up randomly. Keep an eye on your newsletters!
Is there anything else you would want to tell an emerging artist?
The art world is like a buffet. You want to keep adding projects to your plate even after it’s full. But it’s not sustainable. It’s a long journey so take care of yourself and your mental health. There will always be more opportunities.
