LIVING CULTURES
CULTURAL PROGRAM FACILITATOR
DEBRIEFING AFTER THE PROGRAM
Once you have completed your program, it will be useful to have the cultural facilitator, organizers and artists come together to discuss and evaluate the program. This is an opportunity for organizers to gain valuable insight from Indigenous artists. You may find that their input is valuable not only for this specific program but for your institution as a whole. Points you may want to discuss: Restate the desired outcomes articulated at the beginning of your program. Evaluate the program based on outcomes and intentions: Did your intentions change throughout the program? Did you fulfill them? In what ways could you improve your program to fulfill these intentions? Gather input from artists: What went well? What could be improved on for next time? What were the highlights? Discuss logistics of the program that worked well or could be improved (e.g., storage, time frame). Artists may be hesitant to bring up challenges they had; make sure they feel safe to do so. » You may want to frame questions around what they would like to see for future artists. How to foster a safe environment for open dialogue: Establish a mutually convenient time and mutually agreed-upon discussion topics for the conversation. Organizers should share with the artists ahead of time what questions they will be asking. This will give artists time to think about their responses and feel prepared to share their feedback. Offer time for artists to speak first. This will encourage organizers to listen first, before offering possible solutions for future sessions. Organizers need to be open to critique and ensure that they do not use defensive language.
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Living Cultures: An Empathy-Building Toolkit
