Nia Centre for Arts

Project Name: Strengthening Human Resources so we can better serve community Toronto, ON

Nia Centre for Arts is a Toronto-based not-forprofit organization that supports, showcases, and promotes an appreciation of arts across the African Diaspora. They create spaces for Black Art by supporting professional and emerging artists to learn, grow and show their art.

“Nia” means “purpose” in Swahili. Nia Centre is embarking on a journey to transform their 14000 sq. ft. facility into “Canada’s first multidisciplinary professional arts space dedicated to showcasing art from the African diaspora.” A noble cause, for sure. You can check out their exciting vision in the form of floor plans and a 3D scan of their current construction progress on their website.

Nia Centre will also need to grow its operational management structure to match the expansions to its physical space. Human Resources and health and safety are top of mind for this organization. With funds from SBCCI, Nia Centre plans to hire a consultant to plan out important details for a growing enterprise, such as guidelines for maternity and sick leave, performance management, and recruitment and retention strategies.

We can’t wait to see the impact of these changes and what this growth will mean for artists in the Black community.