Mission: to contribute to the growth and development of communities using arts & culture (and particularly dance) to contribute to collective, public vibrancy.

For more information, this Changeshop also has an application for BC Ideas: http://www.changemakers.com/BCideas/entries/sqx-danza

Problem

The SQx mission is to contribute to the growth and development of communities using arts & culture (and particularly dance) to strengthen collective public vibrancy. SQx is at its heart a long-term sustainable initiative, which has been strategically and metaphorically planted in the Columbia Basin to provide a CULTURAL GATEWAY from and between the Columbia Basin, BC, Canada, and beyond. SQx’s priority is to act as a catalyst between local (rural) and global communities in order to encourage excellence in arts and culture collaboration and cooperation. Exposure to our work will diffuse to like-events, and it is our belief that engaging with arts & culture is the necessary first-step in creating community awareness regarding the ability of arts and culture to build healthy communities

Solution

SQx’s contribution to the development of arts and culture opportunities and experiences within different levels of community groups is successful because of the equal gravity that our team places on each of our activities (educational events (SQee), productions (SQp), and research and development (SQr + d)), in addition to SQx’s holistic approach to event and initiative organization. The representation of SQx’s artistic and executive identity is that of a tree, where without the provisions and encouragement of all its elements, the organism could not survive. Furthermore, not often citizens of of rural communities have the opportunity to closely engage with professional arts expertise of an international standard. Moreover, young people especially will come to understand the value of arts and culture as community assets. Consequently, our work will be indispensable in creating and fostering a positive image for artists, the arts, culture and heritage organizations.

Example

Both founders are currently pursuing PhDs, and our research interests separately inform SQx’s evolution and growth. The Artistic Director’s research is primarily concerned with new methods of performance techniques, which SQx communicates in two-folds: 1) Small groups of students in our educational events, 2) Large groups in production initiatives. The Executive Director’s research concerns the economic and market development of cultural organizations both locally and globally. Furthermore, her research is the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between foreign policy, international relations, and national identity and how these international and domestic interests affect cultural dissemination and consumption. SQx global, corporate expansion strategies are tangible examples of executive methods that the Executive Director uncovers as her research continues to unfold. The different spheres of our organization, (SQee), (SQp), and (SQr + d), organically cross-inform to achieve an unprecedented model of internal growth. Our dedication to holistic internal structuring permits successes and miscues experienced in each of our programs to encourage the cumulative SQx team to develop and evolve to the changing demands of the arts and culture industry. Because no individual SQx activity has priority over another, SQx is innovatively equipped to face the challenges of the ever-changing local and global arts and culture scene. International flare ensures that SQx simultaneously contributes to both local and global communities at home and around the world.

Marketplace

SQx has two types of peers and competitors: arts and culture groups such as dance companies (eg. Kidd Pivot) and social justice groups (eg. Free the Children). However, both of these models fail to provide the complete service of SQx. Arts & culture organizations are formed to communicate the aesthetic legacy of an individual artist or collective to bring about international acclaim and artistic and commercial success--with no consideration for the potential of art & culture to act as tools for human development. Nevertheless, the primary mandate of SQx is to use art & culture to strengthen public vibrancy (no aesthetic legacy is specified). SQx was created with the belief that the organization should and could thrive without its founders. SQx is an art/culture/social justice hybrid.