(francçais si-dessous)

* Come see installations from Ste-Émilie’s archives, eat snacks, elect members to our Board of Directors, adopt a constitution, dance, hangout, see what we’ve been up to in the past 6 years!

Saturday, April 20th, 2013 – 6pm-8pm – Party at 9pm!
@ The Ste-Émilie Skillshare
3942 rue Ste-Émilie*
Montreal, QC
(metro Place St-Henri)
*We regret that our space is not wheelchair accessible

The Ste-Émilie Skillshare has recently taken steps towards ensuring the solidity of our future.  For many years, this volunteer-run organization has provided marginalized communities and those who work in solidarity with marginalized communities with: project support, programming in and out of our space, as an event venue, and as a screen-printing workshop, among other things. With our emphasis on self-representation and self-expression from an anti-oppression framework, our members have been building an organization dedicated to social transformation.  
Our Mandate:
The Ste-Emilie Skillshare is a community art space devoted to empowerment, self-determination and collective liberation. It is a space run by and for people who are trans, two-spirit, queer, Indigenous and/or people of colour* and friends. As a collective of activists and artists, we work within an anti-oppression framework toward social and economic transformation. We share skills and resources to create art in the spirit of self-representation and revolution.

As a volunteer organization that relies almost entirely on donations since 2006, as well as the support of QPIRG Concordia, we have been able to do incredible things with our limited resources; however, we have realized that we have reached our capacity and need to take steps to ensure that Ste-Émilie continues to grow and thrive in our political and social communities.  For these reasons we are excited to announce our 1st annual Annual General Meeting (AGM).

At our AGM, we will review the successes and challenges of the past 6 years, and officially adopt our constitution (LINK).  We will also be inviting interested members to run for election for our volunteer Board of Directors.

We are seeking interested board members, particularly those who:

• are activists, artists and/or members of marginalized communities particularly queer, trans, racialized and/or Indigenous communities (as per our mandate)
• are committed to, and have an in-depth understanding of the principals of our mandate
• are familiar with our activities and the roles that Ste-Émilie plays and can play in marginalized and social-justice communities
• have specific skills that they can contribute (i.e. creative skills, fundraising, event organizing, etc.)
• can help build Ste-Émilie’s network in accordance with our mandate and organizational needs (i.e. in queer/trans/racialized/Indigenous/francophone/Art sector/social justice communities)
• can commit 15-20 hours a month or more (meetings are scheduled bi-weekly with committee meetings and tasks taken on between meetings, in accordance with each board member’s capacities and availabilities)
• are interested in contributing to the growth and development of the Ste-Émilie Skillshare in accordance with our mandate

Elected board members will be responsible for:

• the basic functioning of the centre, including programming, outreach, fundraising and administration
• developing current and future projects such as: a queer and trans youth of colour arts program, an artist residency program, the art gallery, the Sidetracks volunteer program, the skillshare workshop series, etc.
• developing and working towards long-term goals including: financial autonomy, building a new studio space, long-term collaborations

All members running for the board of directors will be asked to present themselves at the election of the AGM.  A set of introductory questions will be given to you by the interim board of directors prior to the AGM.

If you are interested in becoming a board member, please email us at info@steemilieskillshare.org by APRIL 12th, 2013.

Any member of Ste-Émilie may vote at the AGM and may run for election for the Board of Directors. A member is defined in our constitution as anyone who meets the following criteria:
a. Agrees with the mandate and objectives of the organization AND
b. Has contributed to the organization with a financial donation or as a volunteer within the past 12 months OR
c. Has attended a Ste-Émilie event or accessed Ste-Émilie’s resources within the past 12 months

In accordance with our constitution, the agenda of the AGM will consist of:
a. a review of the year’s activities
b. financial report
c. an update on planned activities
d. the election of the Board of Directors
e. all other subject matters proposed to the organization at least 14 days prior to the AGM and approved by the Board of Directors

Election procedures are outlined in our constitution (LINK).

Examples of some of our past successes (more photos on facebook – LINK):

• “White Momma” art show and performance night
• “Anxiety Zine” zine launch and art show
• printing of Head and Hands volunteer t-shirts
• OUTwords collaboration photovoice project with queer spectrum youth
• “Unicorn Heros on the Wrong Side of the Tracks” art zine by Sidetracks volunteers
• screen-printing workshops with youth at the annual NDG Art Walk
• “Fight Boredom” ‘zine distro residency collaborations
• Anarchist People of Colour potlucks
• HAVEN art auction fundraiser for the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal

Read our full mandate and guiding principals on our website: LINK

Objectives:

• To provide an accessible community art space run primarily by and for people who are trans, two-spirit, queer, Indigenous and/or people of colour.
• To develop and host programs and programming that reflect our anti-oppression mandate.
• To promote artistic expression and representation within marginalized communities.
• To support grassroots community activism that reflects our mandate.
• To promote the accessibility of resources and the sharing of skills, particularly as related to artistic expression.

* Ste-Emilie is a working group of QPIRG Concordia (www.qpirgconcordia.org)