This session will explore alternative models for collaboration between education and curatorial departments within institutions through an examination of various programming and curatorial initiatives that focus on public engagement. This approach considers how art organizations  can re-articulate traditional hierarchical relationships between artists, cultural workers and audiences through the support of projects that entail research, production and presentation that are co-created with community partners. More specifically, this panel will focus on the role of the curator as an actor who is principally concerned with developing and nurturing sustainable relationships between the art organizations and its range of audiences, including artists.