HomeMy WebLinkAboutArts & Culture - 2003-09-093OI'NT MEETI'NG OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE ADVTSORY COMMI"I-rEE
AND THE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI"I-rEE
Tuesday September 9, 2003 - 3:00 p.m.
WALPER HOTEL
The Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and the Cultural Development Committee met this date, facilitated by
Stephen Preece, Wilfrid Lauder University.
Erina Harris (Arts and Culture Co-ordinator with the City of Kitchener) introduced co-chair Ron Green who
introduced ^C^C committee members. Betty Recchia (City of Waterloo Team Leader, Recreation and Leisure)
introduced CDC members.
Facilitator Stephen Preece, introduced the agenda. Six presenters shared information following which there was an
opportunity for questions and answers and time to discuss one-on-one. See agenda attached.
1. Waterloo Regional Arts Foundation - David Scott
The first round of grants was given out this summer totalling $75,000 (new money not given to our community
before). The next deadline for grant submissions is September :[5u~, based on applicant's letter of intent.
· Need to educate community about this new funding program
· Learning what the public's expectations are for WRAF
· Rally to request more money in the future
· The Foundation was created 3uly 2001 by Region of Waterloo to create an arms length funding body;
paralleled the WR Heritage Foundation.
· Council approved the first volunteer board 2002.
· Approved .18 per capita; 2003 it was raised to .20 per capita ($90,000 per year)
· Mandate to"make art happen in our Region" supporting or stimulating projects by groups and individuals
· "Meaningful" grants; not amounts so small that project cannot happen
· Not a registered charity so as not to restrict its ability to give money to individuals
· Board reviews the applications
· Criteria: artistic merit, benefit to the region, contribution to arts vibrancy; create art that reached the
public; viability; able to complete the project; would WRAF funding lever other funding
· Two time periods to apply per year
· "Gallons worth of demand and pints worth of money"
· The board will evaluate the process at end of the year.
· First stage of process very simple but forces applicants to be succinct
· The process is open to all sorts of artistic activity.
· Over time mandate and intention may change.
· Successful applicants who have received grants are required to sign a contract and report to the board
upon completion of the project.
2. Community Learning Spaces - Shirley Fenton, University of Waterloo
Research Project by Computer Systems Group
· Developing an on-line tool to help community groups get information on the web
· Developing partnerships with the people who have the information
· Five pilot projects: career services, arts and culture, economic development, rural switchboard, quality of
life indicators (Social Planning Council -the major partner)
· This is the second year of the three year project funded by HRDC.
· WRAC has been primary partner for arts and culture.
· Site contains info on groups, individuals, planning calendar, links to other resources
· People and orqan: Contains info from cultural directory- all of its database will be on-line.
· Provide listings from the directory sorted by discipline; can find the group on a map; can search by
specialty such as painting
· Also can search by map to find organization in a particular area.
· Going to develop a form on line, so groups can update their own info.
· Places and spaces provides information on performance venues; includes map searching; e.g. can search
for Waterloo galleries
\September 2003 - Joint Meeting Minutes ]
3OTNT MEETTNG OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE ADVTSORY COMMTTI'EE
AND THE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMTTI'EE
Tuesday September 9, 2003 - 3:00 p.m.
· Users will be able to print the information.
· Profiles: contains a list of featured artists with bio and photo; includes links to other media e.g. video,
audio
· Press room provides press release information
· Going to develop this so that groups can add their own press releases
· Calendar: contains a planning calendar; will be able to add your own events to this calendar
· Resources: links back to WRAC's site so as not to duplicate it
· Tssues: how to keep it sustainable financially; refine the tools to use it; how to update the material to keep
it fresh (as stated above on line forms will be designed - groups will be given a password and TD to do
this)
· Hope to take it to the broader community- beyond arts/culture
· Discussion - how to market this
3. Arts Vote - Martin DeGroot · A committee of arts organization members have been meeting as volunteers to design a questionnaire for
politicians with ten generic questions about the arts.
· Responses received will be graded A to F - the information will be made public for voters and will let voters
know where the politicians stand and how they feel regarding the arts.
· Also hope to hold a candidate's meeting for Mayors.
· Tnfo will be made available for organizations that may want to organize a candidate's meeting in their own
township or municipality
· Through the Chamber of Commerce creating and funding a Regional body to promote the arts
4. Arts in the Mid-Sized City - Robert Reid in his role as Writer-in-Residence at Renison College and
3udith Miller (faculty)
· Trying to find out what was happening in the community - what needed to be done and what was being
done
· Found out that there were many things happening in our community
· New friendships have developed and are continuing within the disciplines
· RR: "artists do not recognize the barriers of the different communities, glad to see city administration
recognizes this"
· 3udith, as a faculty member, has tried to build bridges between community and the university.
· The spring symposia: Waterloo Cura has just received a grant for two more years so we can continue to
develop ideas that began from this symposia - there will be a student researcher; one of issues will be to
discuss festivals - profile them. Action: our committees to be involved and encourage
participation/awareness in our communities.
· What is the criteria of the grant? Fairly open, must continue from what the symposia started.
· The results of the survey from the symposia will be circulated sometime this fall.
5. Festival of the Human Voice - Peter Nikiforuk · This is a (proposed) new festival that is still being developed.
· See printed material"summary of preliminary report".
· Trillium Foundation provided $40,000 funding to develop a business plan; hired a consultant Michael
Duschenes.
· Planning to obtain not-for-profit status.
· Peter cannot remain as artistic director therefore looking for qualified individuals
\September 2003 - Joint Meeting Minutes 2
3OTNT MEETTNG OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE ADVTSORY COMMT1TEE
AND THE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMT1TEE
Tuesday September 9, 2003 - 3:00 p.m.
· Peter noted important issues for our committees:
· Cities and Region have many different agendas; a common vision for a festival and accompanying financial
support may be difficult to achieve.
· Though many want to see this changed, our area is not a tourist destination. "Build it and they will come"
has been shown to be a debatable strategy in this community to attract tourists - festival will start small,
not focus on being a tourist destination at the start. Build a local audience first.
· Action item: cities need to look for funding for operating part of the festival; can obtain funds for project
part.
· The targeted date for the first Festival is 2005.
· Currently focusing on what mission should be; want it to be more than a choral festival; include spoken
word.
6. Centre for Cultural Management - Bill Poole · Bill circulated information for everyone.
· Municipal Cultural Planning at UW Leadership Opportunity- investigating whether UW should introduce a
post secondary program in municipal cultural planning (none exits in Canada) - designed for municipal
staff responsible for culture.
· Regional Municipal Cultural Forums 2004 - have received funding for these based on input from an
Advisory committee.
· Opportunity to share experiences and best practices
· Profile leading research and eg.
· Test and evaluate the effectiveness of such forums
· Think Tank on culture (see outline) - event to exchange policy and cultural strategies
· Role for our committees - be involved in the cultural forum or create awareness for citizens to be involved.
\September 2003 - Joint Meeting Minutes 3