At North York Arts, we are lucky to work with so many incredible artists and arts workers in our city. One of these incredible people is Adom Acheampong, an arts programmer who currently works at the Nia Centre for the Arts. Adom has been immersed in the arts sector for many years and we are excited for her to be part of Northbound 2020 as a jury member!
We spoke to Adom about her arts background and current work, what she loves about Toronto’s arts community, and her involvement with Northbound 2020.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your arts background.
I’ve had the privilege of working in programming, mentorship, advocacy, and curatorial capacity in the arts for five years now, and am proud to be able to support the arts & cultural communities throughout Toronto – specifically for Black & Indigenous People of Colour. Currently, I am the Program Manager at Nia Centre for the Arts, and the Chair of the Decent Work Advisory Committee as part of the Ontario Nonprofit Network.
Creatively, I am a writer working mainly in short fiction and prose. My work has most recently appeared online with Broken Pencil Magazine, and will be featured in the forthcoming FEEL WAYS anthology. I am also currently one of four fantastic 2019 Writers-in-Residence at Firefly Creative Writing Studio.
Can you tell us about the work you do at the Nia Centre for the Arts?
As the Program Manager at the Nia Centre for the Arts, I work to continually advance our mission to support, showcase, and promote an appreciation for art from across the African Diaspora. This involves everything from developing meaningful and impactful partnerships and programs, developing opportunities for young people to find their purpose through the arts, continually evaluating programs, and of course, lots of grant writing and reporting! I work with a small but phenomenally powerful team, and every day brings new challenges and opportunities.
What do you love most about Toronto’s community arts scene?
What I love most about Toronto’s community arts scene is its transformative potential to truly bring out the creativity in everyone. Community arts is the hub for tough conversations, challenging ideas, and grassroots innovation. As artists, we are consistently at the forefront of social critique and change. Through community arts, everyday people can meaningfully engage in this critique, and drive social change in ways that are accessible and impactful to them and their respective communities. Toronto is a great example of how this creative potential manifests within a city.
What are you looking forward to about being a Northbound 2020 jury member?
Sitting on a jury is always an honour and a great experience. Although usually fun and incredibly engaging, I don’t take the responsibility lightly. Although I am very excited to review the submissions, I am most excited for the lively conversation that will undoubtedly take place during the jurying process amongst passionate jury members committed to equity, access, and creating meaningful opportunities for artists.
To learn more about the Nia Centre, visit https://www.niacentre.org/home. To learn more about our Northbound 2020 Exhibition Program, visit https://www.northyorkarts.org/project/open-call/.
