History of the Awards

Now in its third year, Retreat provides an opportunity for leaders tasked with the management of business operations for Alberta-based arts organizations (Executive & Managing Directors, VPs, General Managers, Directors, etc.) to convene, converse, learn, reflect, and rejuvenate at a seven-day retreat that prioritizes their individual needs and takes place amidst the restorative and replenishing backdrop of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, with whom we are also excited to be partnering in the design and delivery of the program.  Retreat will take place Saturday, August 22 to Friday, August 28, 2026. Thanks to the generous support of the Flanagan Foundation, all costs are covered for all participants for the retreat, including travel, accommodation, meals and activities. Participants must be available to attend all dates.

 

Arts leaders are facing a time of immense challenge and complexity. Burnout is a constant reality, and leaders struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing demands of the job, never mind finding time to contemplate the bigger picture, plan for the future, or dream about what could be. Space for personal reflection and rejuvenation is rare.

 

Retreat is an attempt to begin addressing these challenges by bringing together a cohort of leaders of Alberta arts organizations of various disciplines and organization sizes to the Banff Centre for seven days to provide convening and learning opportunities, as well as time and space to undertake personal reflection and rejuvenation.

 

The formal programming of the retreat is minimal, consisting of a daily facilitated convening of about 2 hours. New for this year, in partnership with Banff Centre, these daily convenings will be organized around a central topic, Leadership Wellness, with the intention of summarizing the conversations, approaches, and practices that emerge into a summary of learning that can be shared more broadly. Through these sessions, we will interrogate questions like, “How can you take care of yourself while also taking care of your team?”, “What skills or systems are needed to support sustainable careers and a sustainable workplace?”, “How can arts leaders bring wellness into their everyday practice?” and “What is the cost of being needed as a leader, and who decides if it's worth it?”

 

Beyond the daily convenings, time at the retreat will belong to the participants to use as they see fit. Shared meals provide opportunities for casual conversation between participants, and open workspaces will be available throughout the rest of the day. In addition, optional artistic encounters, nature-based experiences, and social activities will be made available to participants.

 

Participants may choose to rest or engage in activities, focus on longer-term challenges within their organizations, or embark on a project that has been sitting on the back burner. There are no expected outcomes for participants beyond those they set for themselves.

 

Central to this initiative is the notion of this being a retreat, one that fuels these arts leaders in whatever way suits their needs. The only requests of the participants will be that they participate in the daily convenings and provide feedback through an end-of-retreat evaluation, which will inform future iterations.