At ReDefine Arts, we’ve always believed that “art is a necessary tool for world-building and (re)imagination.” It’s a belief carried through over twenty years of community-engaged work, with more than 45 collaborative artworks, 25,000+ participants, and 50+ paid artist apprenticeships since 2005. Along the way, artists have shared a consistent message: mentorship is essential – not just for building skills, but for building confidence, networks, and a sense of belonging.
It’s from this history that we’re excited to introduce KIMI: the Knowledge Incubator & Mentorship Initiative, a pilot project funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. This initiative builds on our long-standing mentorship practices and responds directly to insights from the Countdown Public Art Project Evaluation Report (2024). The report echoed what we hear often: “gathering and creating with others makes me feel stronger.” KIMI is designed to transform that shared strength into equitable support.
Rooted in our ethos of “radical reciprocity and mutual care,” KIMI brings together Deaf, disabled, Indigenous, racialized, queer/trans, and rurally rooted professional artists as mentors whose lived experiences reflect the communities they’ll support. This pilot project aims to develop a mentorship model that honours diverse needs, practices, and ways of learning – an approach aligned with our commitment to “embracing multitudes.”
KIMI is not just a program; it is a space for imagination and creative lineage. A place where knowledge circulates generously, where expertise is valued and compensated, and where artists can flourish together.
– Anna Camilleri and Tristan R. Whiston, KIMI Program Directors
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→ Learn more about KIMI, apply for mentorship, and sign-up for the last drop-in Q&A session on January 7, 2026: linktr.ee/KIMIproject. Mentee applications close January 14, 2026.