HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-12-019 - Arts & Culture Advisory Committee Work Plan UpdateREPORT TO:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
May 28, 2012
SUBMITTED BY:
Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Development
PREPARED BY: Silvia Di Donato, Manager, Business Development
Carrie Kozlowski, Program Assistant, Economic
Development
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT:
April 20, 2012
REPORT NO.:
CAO-12-019
SUBJECT:
Arts and Culture Advisory Committee Work Plan Update
RECOMMENDATION:
That the work plan update report by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee be
accepted by Council as information.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1996, the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) has fulfilled an advisory role,
advocating on behalf of the arts and providing recommendations and advice to Council on arts
and culture matters to further the city’s strategic directions (quality of life, downtown vitality,
leadership, diversity, community development, environment).
The committee’s volunteers bring knowledge of arts and culture issues to their monthly
meetings, and share additional time and expertise as members of ad hoc sub-committees.
The committee’s work includes:
Advising Council on arts and culture policy issues;
Identification of priorities for community arts and culture development;
Advocacy for information sharing on arts and culture issues throughout the
community;
Facilitation of community dialogue on arts and culture matters, and
Support for arts and culture development issues in other city documents, such as
Plan for a Healthy Kitchener, the Official Plan, and various master plans.
In its May 30, 2011 report (CSD-11-070), ACAC presented its proposed two-year work plan to
Council and pledged to provide recommendations and information following research, study and
discussion.
Members are pleased to present a mid-term report to Council highlighting achievements,
findings and key priorities in future work at the City of Kitchener. ACAC’s current term ends in
November 2012.
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REPORT:
ACAC struck four subcommittees, each studying an area of focus identified as a priority in the
committee’s work plan. This work structure allowed for a more in-depth approach to considering
issues.
Though each subcommittee considered different areas of focus, a recurring theme emerged as
critical to future arts and culture development in our community: Kitchener’s need for an
updated cultural plan that includes an asset/relationship mapping component.
Consistent with this recognized need, Council has already supported the recommendation for
an upcoming application for Province of Ontario’s Creative Communities Prosperity Fund (CAO-
12-008). The purpose of the program is to fund and facilitate cultural planning in municipalities
and is conditional on the announcement of the fund’s availability in spring or summer 2012.
The main activities and findings of the four subcommittees to date are summarized below.
Subcommittee 1: City’s role in regional arts and culture development
This area of focus was deemed a priority due to recent changes in our local arts community,
including:
Expanded activities by neighbouring communities within Region of Waterloo;
Establishment of Waterloo Region Tourism and Marketing Corporation;
Establishment of Creative Enterprise Initiative;
Greater recognition of the value of arts and culture to economic development and quality
of life, and
An increasingly vibrant downtown.
The subcommittee first considered the city’s draft Official Plan using an arts and culture lens.
As a result, Council resolved that the ‘arts and culture issues’ identified by this subcommittee
and supported by ACAC in report CAO-12-006 be considered for inclusion in the draft Official
Plan.
Subcommittee 2: Examine community needs for space for arts purposes/multi-use arts space
and cluster strategy
This subcommittee completed the following tasks in its investigation of space needs:
Compiled an inventory of existing public and private arts facilities to understand the
current landscape;
Investigated other communities’ successes and challenges meeting community art
space needs to identify best practices, and
Surveyed the local arts community (130 respondents) about its need for space.
While the subcommittee was able to confirm a demand exists for additional multi-use arts space
(gallery, studio, and rehearsal) in our community, a more comprehensive understanding of the
topic and an action plan are required. These tasks, however, exceed the scope of the Arts and
Culture Advisory Committee volunteers.
The subcommittee’s findings include:
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The need exists for development and implementation of a concrete action plan;
As a learning opportunity, the local arts space initiatives in the region should be
monitored (e.g. Creative Enterprise Initiative’s undertaking on Erb Street in Waterloo),
and
Private and public solutions are needed to address arts space needs.
Subcommittee 3: Identify opportunities and partnerships to advance the convergence of art and
technology
This subcommittee’s work was based on the following tenets:
To continue growing, the digital media business sector needs to attract and retain
creative technical employees (content creators).
A vibrant arts and culture scene attracts and retains employees.
Our local arts and culture scene is a valuable asset to nurture and promote.
Technology is an increasingly important medium for artists. This trend presents an
opportunity for convergence with the existing digital media hub in Kitchener.
This subgroup held information-gathering meetings with stakeholders and community leaders to
generate ideas about how to create opportunities for the convergence of arts/technology locally.
Ideas include:
Engaging technology workers in art and culture events;
Supporting existing resources, programs for the arts, and grassroots initiatives;
Facilitating information sharing and communication, and
Providing incentives to foster collaboration.
The subcommittee’s findings include:
A cultural/relationship/asset map would be a useful tool to identify connections between
individuals and organizations in the arts and technology sectors. This would identify
opportunities for collaboration and networking to strengthen emerging clusters;
Statistics are required to demonstrate that the financial impact of arts and technology
convergence is high, and
Secondary and post-secondary education should be promoted to inspire viable careers
in the arts.
Subcommittee 4: Youth Engagement/Audience Development, Cultural Tourism
To date, this subcommittee has been monitoring community initiatives related to its area of
focus.
The subcommittee’s findings include:
Youth engagement strategies are being explored by independent organizations in the
arts community;
Audience development initiatives are underway through the Creative Enterprise Initiative
and the Waterloo Region Tourism and Marketing Corporation, and
Further work is required on this area of focus.
Additionally, ACAC as a whole is committed to monitoring the outcome of the city’s Arts and
Culture Unit’s shift from the Community Services Department to the Economic Development
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Department to ensure that the city continue to support arts and culture initiatives as vehicles for
community development, not solely economic development.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The four subcommittees’ areas of focus were considered through the city’s strategic lenses:
Quality
Considering the city’s role in regional arts and culture development aligns with
of Life.
Examining community needs for space for arts purposes and considering a cluster
Dynamic DowntownDevelopment.
strategy aligns with and
Identifying opportunities and partnerships to advance the convergence of art and
Dynamic DowntownDevelopment.
technology also aligns with and
Quality of
Youth Engagement/Audience Development, and Cultural Tourism aligns with
Life, Leadership and Engagement, Diversity.
and
Quality of Life
Furthermore, cultural planning initiatives contribute to in our community. The
Dynamic Downtown
strategic direction benefits from arts and culture vitality in the core through
creative businesses, festivals and other live performances as well as through public art.
ACAC’s volunteers and the work they do are consistent with a high level of community
Leadership and Engagement.
Arts and culture programming continues to be based on
community access and participation. The art and culture sector will continue to grow in our
Diversity,
community thanks to our community’s which encourages us to share and enjoy a
variety of cultural experiences and perspectives. ACAC’s work and contributions are based on
arts and culture as a factor critical to the health of the community through support for the goals
and objectives of Culture Plan II.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
ACAC is a committee of engaged community volunteers. During the course of their work this
term, the subcommittees made extensive use of community expertise and engagement outside
of the regular committee membership. This consultation function ensured a broader and more
complete picture of arts and culture activity in our community. In addition, committee meetings
are open to the public to observe as guests.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Rod Regier, Executive Director, Economic Development
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