Abstract

In a city like Montreal, where language, race and class divide the city into visible and not so visible ways and geographical patterns, it is important to analyze the often unquestioned positions of privilege held both by individuals and institutions. The need to create spaces where critical thought and reflection may take place is therefore important. Based on an anti-racist feminist framework rooted in a thorough literature review, I undertook a case study based on action research, to experiment with the possibilities of opening accessible and inclusive spaces for knowledge creation and exchange in a diverse society.

The evidence presented in this thesis brings together my personal experiences with outreach programming, and the acquired information and feedback from a two day Recognizing Privilege & Oppression Workshop carried out with the board of directors and staff of articule, an artist run community centre. Data were collected utilizing both ethnographic and auto-ethnographic approaches as well as through participant worksheets, recorded notes from the workshops including key points and decisions taken, as well as the centre’s strategic plan documents.

The research questions addressed are: What changes can artist-run centres implement to be more connected to the communities in which they are located? Are notions of access and privilege being addressed on a continuous basis? How can changes be actualized under budgetary constraints? In what way should curatorial, programming, and display practices be challenged and/or modified? And what can museums and larger civic institutions learn from community run centres?