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Home My WebLink AboutArts & Culture - 2013-11-19 Minutes ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES NOVEMBER 19, 2013 CITY OF KITCHENER PRESENT:Helena BallREGRETS:Laura Lee Dam (leave of absence until Mark DerroDecember 2013) Danielle DeveauCouncillor Frank Etherington Allan Hoch (from 4:32)Councillor Kelly Galloway-Sealock Earl McCluskie(leave of absence) D. Morton Caroline Hissa Sean PuckettMark Logan Radhika Subramanyan STAFF:Silvia DiDonato, Manager, Arts/Culture Emily Robson, Coordinator, Arts/Culture Carrie Kozlowski, Recording Secretary GUEST:Cory Bluhm, Manager, Downtown Community Development Shelley Adams, Director, Creative Enterprise Initiative (CEI) CALL TO ORDER: Earl McCluskie, Chair 1.0Acceptance of Agenda Agenda accepted as circulated 2.0Acceptance of October 15, 2013 Meeting Minutes Accepted as circulated DELEGATIONS 3.0Innovation District: Cory Bluhm The Economic Development Advisory Committee(EDAC) inspired the ‘Innovation District’, which is a600 m zone surrounding the intersection of King and Victoria, featuringthe University of Waterloo’s Health Science Campus, the Tannery and Communitech Hub, and the BreithauptBlock development. A future multimodal transit station will locate here, presenting an opportunityto add workspace and attract additional jobs/residents. There are development opportunities in the district, including the city’s obsolete Bramm Street works yard, which could become an urban business park. To further grow the Innovation District, it needs a brand. What is the story that we should tell investors to attract them to the Innovation District? ACAC’s commentson the features of the district to promote: It’s anintersection between design, technology and business Provides opportunities to engage and collaborate with like-minded high-tech firms thanks to the convenience of proximity(especially technology and health focused firms) Good mix of new and established, small and large firms. Not big businessorcookiecutter. Ensure rents aren’t so high that they prevent small creative firms from locating there. These firms are key to creating a funky, interesting atmosphere Don’t make the district too homogeneous; allow different types of businesses. Residents will require cafes, restaurants, services within a walkable zone. Promote it as an up-and-coming district surrounded by old neighbourhoods with manufacturing roots Attract a critical mass of businesseswhich will fill the district with enough people living/working in innovative sectors to give the district its own unique personality. This will, in turn, attract more business andresidents. Where would the arts fit? Content creators, and working in the supporting industries. The Creative Enterprise Initiative’sGrand Social web site might provide data about arts/cultural activities currently taking place in the Innovation District. The district has no performance venues within its radius. Is this a need? 1 November 19, 2013-ACAC Minutes ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES NOVEMBER 19, 2013 CITY OF KITCHENER 4.0Creative Enterprise Initiative Update: Shelley Adams Grand Socialhas been running for 5 months. 916 registered users (mostly artists in various disciplines, but hope is to attract more users in design fields). Spoke to over 200 peopleduring its recent road show in the region. Many attendees were familiar with Grand Social; wanted to know how to better use this tool. Festivals and events provide the best opportunities to engage with their target markets about Grand Social. Connecting with Human Resource associations. Grand Social can be used as a toolto show the volume of arts/culture activities available in our region to attract employees. The Waterloo Region Tourism and Marketing Corporation features a link to Grand Social from its web site. Now running a survey of Grand Social’s users about the site and what activities are missing in the region. Future plans for Grand Social: organize the data better; confirm gaps in the site (dining options and trail locations, for example) and respond as required. A software application is a future possibility CEI received a Creative Communities Prosperity Fund grant to produce an asset map with data points, demographic profiles of arts/culture amenities. Will then identify gaps and strengths. ArtsBuild Ontario is a partner,undertaking a facility survey. Smart Region is another collaborator, considering how to build audiences, meet identified needs, and determine where investments are made. Now taking stock of 2013’s accomplishments and developing a strategy for 2014, which will include finding new investment sources, ways to reinvest in arts/culture, how to build capacity, opportunities to mentor. DISCUSSION 5.0Regional Arts/Culture Advisory Committees joint meeting debrief Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge arts/culture advisory committees had a joint meeting on Thursday, October 24 atthe Regional Museum. Purpose: get to know each other. Findings: all the committees have similar goals for the region’s arts/culture scene. All the committees want to work together and share information about what each group isdoing. Borders are artificial. Activities across the region should be integrated. ACTION: ACAC to consider agenda items at its January or February 2014 meeting for a possible May 2014 joint meeting 6.0Vital Signs Report follow-up On a motion made by D Morton seconded by DanielleDeveau: “That levels of arts/culture funding be considered; that consideration be given to whether or not there is a link between underfunding and lack of employment in cultural industries, and further, that the situation of underfunding and lack of employment be addressed. MOTION CARRIED Discussion: As the last meeting ACAC discussed that the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation’s annual community checkup report suggested a decline in art/culture employment, but the committee lacked quorum so didn’t make a motion. The workforce labour board is investigating the decline. This is an opportunity to explore whether or not arts/culture is underfunded in our region. ACTION: Staff to add this item to December ACAC agenda. 2 November 19, 2013-ACAC Minutes ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES NOVEMBER 19, 2013 CITY OF KITCHENER INFORMATION ITEMS 7.0Working Group Updates Music Working Group:identified priorities. Now seeking leadersfor each priority, and considering how to best move forward. Arts/culture strategy development and culture planning in regional context group: considering best process and approach for the development of Kitchenernext cultural plan. 8.0Public Art Working Groupreport: Sean Puckett On a motion made by D. Morton, seconded by Danielle Deveau: “That Dwight Storring be appointed as the 2014 City of Kitchener Artist in Residence with his project, “Neighbourhood Voices.” MOTION CARRIED Discussion: The Public Art Working Group selected Dwight Storring as the 2014 artist in residence. His proposal, titled “Neighbourhood Voices”, will engage Kitchener residents in the making of a collaborative documentary film as a catalyst for community engagement, using personal stories of family and community to shine the light on the richness of life in Kitchener’s neighbourhoods. 9.0Downtown Advisory Committee update, D. Morton: No update, last meeting cancelled 10.0Economic Development Advisory Committee update, Mark Derro: No update, mtgcancelled 11.0Council report: No update in Councillor Etherington’s absence. 12.0Members’ news D Morton: Striking 12(Hans Christian Anderson-inspired musical) opens a three week run at KW Little Theatre on November 28. A call for monologues and short theatre pieces for a Queer Theatre event taking place in September 2014is now open. Unhinged Festival of Disturbing Theatre opens on November 21. Sean Puckett:accepted a role in KW Little Theatre’s Book of Esther, which opens a three week run on January 23. AllanHoch:The Velveteen Rabbit plays at the Registry Theatre from December 4-7. Appropriate for ages6 and up. EarlMcCluskie:the Registry Theatre features a Tribute to Boston on Tuesday, November 26. ADJOURNMENT The chair adjourned the formal portion of the meeting at 5:15 pm. NEXT MEETING Date: December 17, 4:00 p.m., Conestoga Room Following the formal portion of the meeting, ACAC members broke out into the following subgroups to make progress on the work plan: 1.Music Works 2.Arts/culture strategy development and culture planning in regional context 3 November 19, 2013-ACAC Minutes