The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) recently appointed Trent alumna Sara Roque to the position of aboriginal arts officer.

Ms. Roque is a filmmaker, writer, arts administrator and activist who has worked on a number of community-based arts projects and with a variety of organizations. She received a B.A. in Indigenous Studies from Trent in 2003.

"Sara has impressed us with her insight and her commitment to the work of Aboriginal artists," said John Brotman, executive director of the Ontario Arts Council. "We are looking forward to the leadership she will bring to her sector."

Since graduating from Trent, Ms. Roque has worked as a development coordinator at The Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto; programmer at Te Wairiki Purea Trust, a Maori arts and cultural organization based in Rotorua, New Zealand; and programmer of the O'Kaadenigan Wiingashk Collective based in the Kawarthas, a collective dedicated to raising the profile of Indigenous artists and training in the region. She has been acting aboriginal arts officer with OAC since September 2007.

“The arts is more than just aesthetic expression, it is also a powerful meeting ground for informed dialogue, passion and change,” Ms. Roque said. “Trent gave me a strong base and the tools to better understand the foundations of this country which are unequivocally based on nation to nation agreements. It also gave me the cultural knowledge to better understand my own foundations as a Métis woman and in turn different cultures around me.”

The Ontario Arts Council is the province of Ontario’s primary funding body for professional arts activity. Since 1963, OAC has played a vital role in promoting and assisting the development of the arts and artists for the enjoyment and benefit of Ontarians.