Changes to the board of directors at the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA).
The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) is proud of the role it has played in advancing environmental sustainability in the arts across Canada and beyond. Through its flagship programs—such as Creative Green Tools Canada, Climate Change Theatre Action, Fireside Chats, The Department of Utopian Arts and Letters and Convergence—and research publications—such as the CSPA Quarterly, the CSPA has supported thousands of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions in measuring and mitigating their environmental impacts and building climate resilience.
The Creative Green Tools now have over 1000 users in Canada, with representation in almost every province and territory. The recently launched Futureproofing the Arts project—which aims to build a framework for the mitigation of climate-related disaster risk within the sector—has seen an overwhelming amount of engagement from across the country, with over 120 organizations vying for 10 funded places in the participatory process. By fostering cross-sector collaboration and providing accessible tools and education, the CSPA has helped embed sustainability as a core value in artistic practice, policy development, and cultural infrastructure planning.
It is with a mix of excitement and reflection that we announce significant changes to the board of directors at the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA). Founded in 2008, the CSPA operated for many years as a for-profit corporation, offering consultancy and research services in close partnership with nonprofit organizations committed to sustainability in the arts. In 2021, we transitioned to nonprofit status in order to better support the development of the Creative Green Tools in Canada. This shift enabled us to work more directly with public funders and to provide free, accessible tools for measuring environmental impact across the arts and culture sector.
With this change, we welcomed our first board of directors—charged with offering strategic guidance and helping us remain ambitious in our efforts to support artists and organizations as they integrate sustainability into their work and operations. As this board’s inaugural term comes to a close, we recognize that the evolving landscape of arts funding, capacity, and policy demands a new kind of support from our governance body. The CSPA now requires a more engaged, working board—one that can help sustain and strengthen our commitments to providing open environmental data tools and promoting climate-conscious approaches to cultural practice in Canada.
While the commitment to a more sustainable arts sector is as strong as ever, securing consistent resources to support this work has proven more challenging than expected. Our current board members, though deeply committed, are unable to provide the level of operational support required at this moment of transformation. In mutual agreement, all members of the current board will be stepping down to make way for a newly formed board focused on reimagining governance, establishing sustainable revenue models, and ensuring the CSPA continues to model the very values it promotes. This change comes with the full support of the outgoing board, in recognition that accelerating progress sometimes requires passing the torch to those with the time and expertise to meet the needs of today.
We are immensely grateful for the leadership and dedication of our outgoing board.
We’re pleased to announce that longtime collaborators Meghan Moe Beitiks and Chantal Bilodeau have agreed to join the new board. Meghan served as lead editor of the CSPA Quarterly for a decade before passing the role to Jamie Morra and Evelyn O’Malley. Chantal, director of the Arts and Climate Initiative and co-producer of Climate Change Theatre Action, has been a key partner in our work over many years. We look forward to deepening these relationships and are actively seeking additional board members with expertise in administration, finance, fundraising, legal affairs, and governance to support this next chapter.
Outgoing board chair Marie-Claude Mongeon will provide transitional support as we establish the new board. Marie-Claude provided the following statement:
“ The essential work of the CSPA—advancing practical climate action in the arts and culture sector—has never been more urgent. At the same time, this sector is facing increasing challenges, from unstable funding to the escalating impacts of the very climate crisis we seek to address. This moment demands bold, decisive action. Originally conceived as a think tank to support strategic guidance, the CSPA board must now evolve into a more hands-on, proactive body—one capable of dedicating time and securing resources to ensure the organization’s vital work can not only continue, but thrive. In response, we made the collective decision to take radical action and reimagine the board to meet these present realities. As the current board steps aside and a new one takes shape, I’ll remain involved to support a smooth transition. This shift does not reflect a lack of confidence in the CSPA’s direction. On the contrary—it is a powerful gesture of trust and alignment, echoing the IPCC’s urgent call for “immediate, rapid, and large-scale” action on climate. We believe stepping aside is part of making space for the next necessary phase of this work. ”
– Marie-Claude Mongeon, Outgoing Board Chair
If you would like to join the new board or have any questions, please reach out to contact@sustainablepractice.org
