RAIL is a emergent project focused on the unique role that rural arts play in the larger British Columbia arts ecosystem and the barriers to people trying to access it.

Rural arts and artists are often marginalized by a system that favours large established urban organizations. The unique contributions of rural arts are often overlooked. There is a systemic lack of capacity for smaller organizations to tell their stories. There are incredible multidisciplinary placed-based projects happening in remote locations, and arts are frequently at the centre of rural communities.

The challenge of access is also repeated within rural organizations. In small communities, folks who have been marginalized by the dominant system are often “extreme minorities”. This coupled with the lack of equity awareness in established organizations does not create true places of safety or belonging.

RAIL is focused on building relationships, listening, and co-creating a shared language so that we may work towards a future that better serves all people. The process is participatory, not extractive. We invite people to first self-educate, then we work to provide brave and thoughtful spaces for exploration of ideas and relationship building.

the effect of the pandemic on the arts

The pandemic has been particularly hard on the arts. Much of our sector is based on large gatherings and personal connection between artists and audiences. We were the first sector closed and will likely be the last open. We are entering our third year of navigating these challenges. The effect on artists who are often marginalized has been devastating.

The pandemic also amplified all of the inequities in our current dominant system. Attempts have been made to have quick solutions to these problems. Without the deep work of education and trust-building, these efforts are often superficial. The problems are urgent but our responses must be thoughtful and take time.

The beauty and the hope lie in the fact that arts have always led the way and provided a way for society to look at itself. Arts play a role in disrupting and getting to the truth of issues in subversive and overt ways. Artists are continuing to find ways to create beauty during the pandemic and many dedicated arts workers are finding new ways to support and amplify their work.