Brampton Arts Organization

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The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO), previously the Arts, Culture & Creative Industry Development Agency (ACCIDA), is a unique organization incubating within the City of Brampton focused on growing, celebrating, advocating for and connecting the creative sector by offering a range of programs, services and resources. We are a key partner in delivering the City’s ambitious vision for the arts, culture and creative industries as articulated in the City’s strategic vision and Culture Master Plan.

Vision: A thriving, confident, and valued creative scene and cultural ecology is the heart of our prosperous mosaic city.

Mission: To incubate, advance, connect and advocate for Brampton’s arts, culture and creative industries.

Values: Passion and Ambition, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Service, Community and Collaboration, Excellence and Innovation, Optimism.

We are focused on providing programs and services in collaboration with inter and cross-sectoral partners in the areas of:

  1. Funding, finance and investment.
  2. Leadership, advocacy and innovation.
  3. Sector development and growth.

BAO is a member of the Alliance of Arts Councils of Ontario (AACO).

2022 highlights include:

  • 605% increase in Brampton Arts Organization event and program attendance in 2022.
  • More than 3,240 local artists participated in one of our 87 events, programs and workshops in 2022.
  • 132 Brampton artists showcased through 10 calls for submission in 2022.
  • ​Launched the Creative Space Catalogue: a public space inventory of more than 200 Brampton sites where arts and culture activities can take place.
  • Launched the BAO Ambassador Program with Brampton representatives including: Director X, Rupi Kaur, Haviah Mighty, Sasha Leigh Henry and others across creative disciplines.

Read our full BAO-2022-annual-report-final.pdfBAO-2022-annual-report-final.pdf.

Read our 2021 Annual Report​.

 

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Announcements

Art Lives Here! Brampton Cultural Days Festival Hub

From Sept. 22nd to Oct. 15th experience arts & culture in Brampton. Choose from a variety of activities hosted by local artists, galleries, arts orgs, the City of Brampton & BAO.

Call for Assessor Nominations 2023

The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) seeks local artists, musicians, writers, performers, arts workers, and community members to serve as peer assessors for our calls to artists and programming on an ongoing basis.

ACCIDA is now the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO)

The Arts, Culture & Creative Industry Development Agency (ACCIDA) is now the Brampton Arts Organization (BAO).

BAO Land Acknowledgment

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples inhabited and cared for this land, and continue to do so today. Brampton Arts Organization is located on the Treaty Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Huron - Wendat; Haudenosaunee. Brampton resides within Treaty 19 and is referred to as the Ajetance Purchase. BAO recognizes the Indigenous peoples whose names were not recorded have travelled through and cared for this territory from time immemorial. We acknowledge and respect that all life comes from the land and that we must also care for this land and all life that inhabits this land.

We recognize the enduring presence of First Nations, Metis, Inuit on Turtle Island and strive to deepen our own understanding of the host Nations on whose territory we reside and we encourage all those that now call Brampton home to learn about the history and respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are grateful for the opportunity to grow our families on this land and promise to care for the waters, the sky and all beings looking Seven Generations ahead.​​​​​​

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Get in Touch - We want to hear from YOU!

Contact:

Michael Vickers, Senior Program Lead, Brampton Arts Organization
michael.vickers@brampton.ca

Katy Belshaw, Programming Coordinator, Brampton Arts Organization
 katherine.belshaw@brampton.ca

Gardenia Flores, Audience Development and Marketing Coordinator, Brampton Arts Organization
 gardenia.flores@brampton.ca

Aisling Dunne, Finance and Administration Assistant, Brampton Arts Organization
 aisling.dunne@brampton.ca

Amanda Foulds, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator, Brampton Arts Organization
 amanda.foulds@brampton.ca