DigitalASO, incubated by ArtsPond in Toronto, is a national initiative to  foster an inclusive ecosystem for shared digital innovation in Canadian arts and culture.  Through this initiative, participants are looking to better understand  the needs and stories of people often left on the margins of society and the  digital world.

DigitalASO seeks to develop tools and expertise for all artists and arts organizations. This initiative is for you, whether you’re in film having to rely on Satellite Internet; or an Indigenous maker exploring online sales for the first time; or a person of colour looking to see themselves reflected through their own stories; or part of the LGBTQ2S+ community seeking to share their own artistic expression; or part of other groups that wish to see their experiences at the centre of conversations in the nation or in their artistic discipline. 

At this stage, a series of conversations is ongoing. They are designed to gain a greater sense of the common drawbacks and opportunities of the emerging digital arts ecosystem across the country and in all its regions, including the Northern Territories. This in turn means greater knowledge about how to foster connections and access to shared digital knowledge and resources for equity-seeking groups. 

The team of national and regional facilitators, themselves working digitally across time zones, is advancing the concept of what a Digital Arts Service Organization might look like through digital convening on a regular basis.

To keep track of opportunities to participate and read about the outputs of the work so far, visit DigitalASO

Equity-seeking groups include:

• Indigenous
• People of colour
• Women
• LGBTQ2+
• People of diverse physical and mental abilities
• Those of lower socio-economic capacity
• Young people from those groups
• Seniors/ elders from those groups