*Speaker Key: -Julian Carvajal/Host: JC -Akshata Naik/Guest: AN *Note: Interview has been divided into segments based on the questions asked with time stamps marking minutes and seconds. PODCAST BEGINS * [00:00-00:10] Julian Carvajal/Host: Akshata Naik! Welcome and thank you so much for accepting this invitation to be part of our tenth anniversary podcast here with North York Arts. It is my pleasure to have you. Akshata, ah, can you tell us who you are? * [00:11-00:28] Akshata Naik/Guest: Sure! Ah, so my name is Akshata Naik and I'm a Program and Gallery Manager at Arts Etobicoke which is a North York Arts sister LASO and I'm also a practicing artist. I’m fairly new to Canada; it's been only lovely 4 years that I've been in this country and I call this country my home now. * [00:28-00:35] JC: So, I know you’ve mentioned the LASOs and, of course we are LASOs sisters, ah, what is your connection with North York art? * [00:36-00:58] AN: Sure, ahm, I might say that I began my career in the Board of Local Arts Service Organizations and Arts Administration in Toronto through North York Arts. So when I interned with them in -I believe- Summer of 2018? After finishing the Arts Administration and Cultural Management Program at Humber, NYA, North York Arts was my first stop to, you know, setting my foot into the arts career in Canada. * [00:59-01:03] JC: Akshata, How was your experience as an intern at North York Arts? * [01:04-01:34] AN: I should say it was great! It truly prepared me for the kind of work I wanted to do and the North York Arts team was so supportive, helpful, always ready to explain things and, you know, they invested time in me. They are very warm and welcoming. As a newcomer -especially for someone who has been here only for a year- when like, you know, I came here in 2017 and I was interning in 2018. So it was technically a year that I had been in Toronto and that opportunity helped me set foot in the art sector in Toronto and I’m forever grateful for that opportunity. * [01:35-01:46] JC: [Host chuckles] Thank you so much for sharing that. Ahm, Akshata, what did you learn at NYA that you have taken in your career, like, something in particular? I'm curious. * [01:46-02:14] AN: Sure! I would definitely highlight the skills to outreach, organize and plan that I learned from, you know, everyone, ahm, at the team at NYA and there was so much to learn from each of NYA’s amazing and talented staff! Like, also the skills that are needed to support and onboard interns, ah, because as a part of my job at Arts Etobicoke, I work with interns every year and this has been a huge support for all that I'm able to do and perform at Arts Etobicoke at my job at the moment. * [02:14-02:28] JC: It is incredible because then you see yourself reflected in those interns when you started at North York Arts. Why do you think it’s important to have a Local Art Service Organization that serves locally but acts citywide? Talking about The LASOs in general, yeah. * [02:29-03:23] AN: I think Local Arts Service Organizations work with the community at grassroots level and the community is changing so rapidly in Toronto, especially with the inflow of newcomers. These Local Arts Service Organizations -or LASOs as we call them- have become a very essential, you know, agencies, catering to the needs of these ever changing and growing communities, especially now in the pandemic, the work that we have done collectively as LASOs but also individually, say as, Arts Etobicoke in the west end of Toronto or North York Arts in North York communities. We have collaborated on projects for the upcoming year of public art and cultural hotspots and in the era of internet and digital platform, the geographical boundaries have become so flexible or, you know, they’ve just kind of disappeared all of a sudden and art services can accommodate people from across the city and I think it's essential to kind of rethink on what we could do collectively but also in our individual capacity but not just as Etobicoke or North York any longer. * [03:24-03:28] JC: Thank you, thank you for sharing. What are you hoping to see more in the arts scene in the city? * [03:29-04:25] AN: Wow! A lot of things! [Guest and host laugh] But definitely more investment in the community and public arts and opportunities for BIPOC and newcomer artists. More funds to all the Local Art Service Organizations to have, you know, to be able to perform, ahm, more of what they do as they all have done extraordinarily even in such challenging times, I believe! Being such an integral part of, you know, one of the LASOs and also North York Arts at some point, I believe the work that we collectively do is amazing! This includes not just opportunities to exhibit but also to learn, you know, learn from each other, learn from our Indigenous friends and artists and their cultures and newcomers! They bring in so much culture, food and arts with them, you know? It’s just not bodies moving but is kind of a country moving to another country, you know, they bring in so much value to our city and I believe that’s what makes Toronto a most amazing place for people to see hope and how everyone could not just live but grow and thrive in harmony by supporting each other. * [04:26-04:39] JC: John Tory, we need more money! You have heard [host chuckles] Akshata is telling us, is demanding money, no, that's totally Right and that's amazing. Thank you for sharing that! Akshata, eh, what are your wishes for the next 10 years of North York Arts? * [04:40-05:05] AN: Ahm, well, I definitely wish for them to have an amazing physical space of their own and you know, where they could render incredible programs! A space that has a gallery and seeing their Northbound Program grow, and you know, have more support and that, that also allows them to kind of promote more artists from diverse artistic as well as cultural backgrounds. I wish, wish, lots of success to North York Arts. * [05:06-05:17] JC: Yay! Thank you so much! I could feel the love of those words and when you said like, having a physical space, yes! I'm pretty sure Cecilia will be very happy when she hears this about Northbound as well. * [05:18-05:48] AN: I think how much ever we moved digitally or virtually. The physical presence is not going to take away, you know, it's an essential, an integral part of human interaction, you know, the physical interaction. We need to see each other! We need to hug each other! We need to work with each other! You know, in a space and not just virtually! I mean definitely virtual programs have been amazing, you know, they have worked out so well in such challenging times but it's not here to take away from what we used to do before but definitely become as a learning. * [05:48-06:02] JC: Totally, eh, the learning curve for everyone has been very big and curvy, very curvy [host laughs]. Last question: Akshata, is there anything that you think is unique or special about North York Arts? * [06:03-06:19] AN: Yes, yes! I truly feel the strength of NYA lies in its diverse and humble staff and the values that they each bring to this organization. Their understanding of community and their willingness to support emerging artists in their community is what makes them unique and, you know, they stand out in the community. * [06;20-06:35] JC: Thank you so much Akshata for accepting this invitation. It has been a pleasure. My honour learning from you, I had no idea that you were part of the team until we were doing all these discussions around the podcast and we wanted to bring you here so, thank you so much for accepting this invitation today. * [06:36-06:45] AN: Thank you so much. I am truly honoured that you’ve thought of me and to make me a part of this ten year amazing strategy or ten year celebration of NYA’s existence. * [06:46-06:47] JC: Thank you so much. PODCAST ENDS