Innovation and resilience in the arts, culture, and heritage in Canada

o The Carving on the Edge Festival was founded in 2010 by a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous carvers and artists in Tofino, BC as a way to deepen the knowledge and cultural exchange needed to sustain the practice of carving. [...] In the context of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, the writing collective significantly expanded its partnerships and reach, thereby helping to build both the organization and a sense of community among Black artists in Calgary and beyond. [...] The robot offered, for example, remote access to a virtual tour of the works in the Pointe-à-Callière Museum in Montreal, putting the individual at the centre of the experience. [...] The Takeaways: Make connections, test ideas quickly, and develop a network The creation of this project meets several social needs – the aging of the population, the stabilization of employment for cultural workers, and the lack of healthcare workers. [...] The Innovation: Working through a rapid shift in landscape Since the festival is held annually in late June, the planning and organizing for the 2020 edition of the festival fell right in the first and second waves of the pandemic.