Please refer to the Program Guidelines and Criteria section of this website to find more information about: Eligibility Criteria, Program Criteria, and Application Process.

ArtsSmarts application forms can be downloaded from this website or received from the Manitoba Arts Council by mail or fax.

The ArtsSmarts handbook, a reference tool to guide you through the application process, can be obtained by contacting the National ArtsSmarts office or the ArtsSmarts Coordinator, Lisa Desilets at (204) 945-2670.

Get to know the artists in your community by contacting a local arts-based organization such as an art gallery or community arts centre. If you are unable to find a professional artist to work with you in the discipline you wish to explore, contact Lisa Desilets by telephone at (204) 945-2670 or email at ldesilets@artscouncil.mb.ca.

ArtsSmarts projects can be developed in any subject or area of study. Projects simply depend on realistic alignment of an art discipline and its practical/technical application with the learning objectives of provincial curricula.

For example: Grade 5 mathematical concepts of levers and pulleys could be explored through contemporary dance. But contemporary dance may not fit well when teaching Senior 11 consumer mathematics.

Grade 1 math concepts of rhythm and patterning could be explored through a study of drumming, simple mosaics or basic weaving techniques. But it may be unrealistic to expect 6-year-olds to learn the same mathematical concepts through musical composition.

The Manitoba Arts Council accepts project proposals for modest classroom-based projects as well as for large-scale school, multi-school or multidisciplinary projects.

A committee of artists and educational specialists assess all proposals according to the evaluation forms (available in the ArtsSmarts handbook) and the objectives of ArtsSmarts. After the merits of a project have been established, it may receive partial or full assistance, depending on the availability of ArtsSmarts funds. It should be noted that it is not possible to award ArtsSmarts funding to all applicants.

Requests for assistance can range from $0 to $1000 for developmental grants (ArtsSmarts I), and can extend to $10, 000 maximum for long-term projects (ArtsSmarts II).

An arts experience can occur on a variety of levels:

Arts presentation: e.g., students listen to musicians performing a concert at the local theatre

Arts instruction: e.g., students take dance lessons

Arts enhancement: e.g., students learn about a culture's traditional songs, dance forms, and language, and create objects inspired by techniques typically used in that culture

Arts integration: e.g., students explore the scientific nature of sound and musical instruments by building small electronic synthesizers and creating electronic compositions inspired by video clips of extreme weather systems

ArtsSmarts Manitoba encourages the kind of learning experience described in the last scenario. We think that art is the catalyst; the artist is the greatest resource for this sort of learning experience; and active engagement of the artist-teacher team is essential to a project's success.

Here is an example of a potential ArtsSmarts project about the characteristics of indigenous plants. Studying local indigenous plants, using only textbooks, might seem uninteresting to some students. Studying plants in their natural habitat with a visual artist, on the other hand, might intrigue and excite the same students. The artist could use charcoal or colour pastel techniques to help students observe shapes, textures and physical traits of plants. Students could develop drawings of the plants they studied. A teacher could help the students research and document their observations of the plants. Student art and writing could be compiled, under the guidance of the artist and the teacher, in a collection of simply designed hand-bound books. The books could be inspired by Japanese techniques and covered in handmade papers derived from plant materials. A project like this could have natural science, environmental (recycling and reusing) and mathematics applications.

The following concept maps represent project ideas generated by artists and educators who participated in orientation sessions.

• Calligraphy and Bookmaking Concept Map: Social Studies and the Arts - Grade 3
• Fabric Concept Map: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Arts - Grade 4
• Healthy Lifestyles Concept Map: Physical Education/Health Education and the Arts - Senior 1 & 2
• Mathematics and Music Concept Map

Artist and teacher teams may attend professional development sessions to learn about infusing art throughout learning. Lisa Desilets, the ArtSmarts co-ordinator, is available to provide guidance. She can be reached by telephone at (204) 945-2670 or email at ldesilets@artscouncil.mb.ca for additional information.

If you have never developed an arts-integration project before, start with one area of study and consider a modest set of goals. An introductory grant from the ArtsSmarts I program offers successful applicants an opportunity to: explore how art can be integrated into curriculum; consult with an artist; set up hands-on workshops; and try a small arts-integration project with an artist.

There are examples of local ArtsSmarts projects in our Project Gallery. Other ArtsSmarts partners post examples of their projects on their websites. You may get some ideas by reviewing some of these at www.artssmarts.ca/eng/network/partners.cfm. Another source of inspiration may be the ArtsSmarts story found in PDF at www.artssmarts.ca/eng/resources/.

ArtsSmarts projects reflect the interests of our partners—teachers, artists, schools and communities—from across Canada. Teachers are encouraged to focus on the learning process when they develop and teach arts-integration lessons. Generating a project with a specific end product does not need to be the focus. ArtsSmarts recognizes that planned, unplanned, great and small results are all part of the creative learning process which may be built upon in different ways in the future.

ArtsSmarts is devoted to promoting active learning through an art experience. Developing partnerships among artists, teachers, young persons and local communities is integral to this initiative. Consider partnering with parents groups, local youth centres, local businesses, government agencies, museums or galleries. These and other organizations may be able to complement or support your ArtsSmarts project through in-kind donations, resources material, equipment, field trips, etc.

As you think about how to increase the sustainability of your project, consider the following:

Sustainability may be practical. Could your project empower a teacher with the knowledge and skill they would need to repeat the project in subsequent years?

Sustainability may be financial. Could your project be repeated in the future without additional resources? Could the artist you use support future projects without ArtsSmarts assistance?

Sustainability may be systemic. Could your initial small-scale project (e.g., a classroom-based project) lead to a future large-scale project in your school (e.g., a whole-school arts-integration project)? Could an Artists Co-operative support annual ArtsSmarts projects in your school, division or district?

The ArtsSmarts initiative is intended to bring about long-term change in how we value the role of the arts in learning. Your ArtsSmarts application should demonstrate your consideration of this purpose.