If you've been tasked with finding a meaningful cultural program for your school, you've probably discovered there's no shortage of options. Drumming workshops, cultural speakers, visiting artists, reconciliation-themed assemblies. Some of them are excellent. Some of them are a day of activity that leaves nothing behind.
Here's how to tell the difference, based on twenty years of doing this work across Canada.
1. Does the program leave a permanent artifact?
A workshop is a memory. A song is forever. When evaluating any arts residency, ask what the school will have when it's done. If the answer is "a great experience," keep asking. The best residency programs produce something tangible: a finished recording, a video, a published book, a piece of public art. Something the school can return to, share, and build identity around for years.
2. Are students creating or watching?
There's a significant difference between a program where artists perform for students and a program where students become the artists. Both have value. But if your goal is engagement, confidence, and genuine cultural connection, the program where students hold the microphone and the camera is the one that changes them.
3. How does the program handle Indigenous language?
Be cautious of programs that insert traditional language as decoration. A word here, a phrase there, without real connection to a speaker or knowledge keeper. If Indigenous language is part of the program, ask how. Is there a language teacher or elder involved? Is the language integrated into the creative process, or added at the end? Language should be a foundation, not a garnish.
4. Who owns what gets made?
This matters more than most principals realize. If a song or video is produced during a residency, who holds the rights? The answer should be clear, in writing, and should favour the school and community. At Tribe of One, the school owns full rights to use the work however they choose. Make sure any program you book can say the same.
5. Can the program connect to your specific community?
A generic arts program delivered the same way to every school is not a cultural program. It's a touring show. The best residency artists adapt to the community they're working with. They ask questions before they arrive. They make space for the things that matter specifically to your students, your history, and your language.
If you're evaluating options for your school and want to talk through what a Tribe of One residency would look like for your community specifically, reach out. We're happy to answer questions before you make any decisions.