We want to hear from you. In May of 2012, Calgary Arts Development embarked on a yearlong process to create a comprehensive strategy for arts development and investment in Calgary. The Arts Plan process was made possible through funding from Calgary 2012 and will be a major legacy of Calgary's year as a Cultural Capital of Canada. As we move into the final phase of the process, we encourage all Calgarians to take an active role in the creation of the Plan.
The arts in Calgary are for everyone
Vision: Calgary’s diverse and vibrant arts community welcomes and encourages Calgarians to experience the arts on a daily basis. Calgarians are inspired to continue to seek out new arts experiences.
A holistic approach to arts learning
Vision: Calgary fosters and supports quality artists and skilled teachers and provides a variety of opportunities for residents to continue learning about the arts. Calgary is recognized internationally as a vibrant cultural centre and a place where residents demonstrate a deep appreciation for a wide range of art.
Accessible, sustainable and integrated arts spaces
Vision: Calgary is renowned for state of the art facilities that include affordable and versatile production, rehearsal, and exhibition spaces. These spaces, to be located throughout the city, will promote artistic innovation and collaboration at both the community level and the professional level. Calgarians will be inspired to participate in a variety of arts-based activities.
Integrating the arts in municipal governance
Vision: The City commits to building a more collaborative working relationship with arts leaders and institutions. City officials will demonstrate the importance of the arts in civic life by helping to remove and prevent barriers to public participation in the arts.
Calgary welcomes, supports, and appreciates artists
Vision: Following its time as a 2012 Cultural Capital, Calgary is recognized as a thriving city that welcomes, attracts, and retains local, national, and international artists. Public and private investment provides artists with sustainable financial support and a strong sense of appreciation for their contribution to the city.
Creating a network for better communication
Vision: Artists, policy-makers, and citizens share their respective knowledge, skills and assets through effective communication. networks. These networks foster Calgary’s reputation as a city for the arts and will increase a sense of pride and participation amongst Calgarians.
Strengthening investment in the arts
Vision: Calgarians play a valuable role in maintaining the success and vitality of the city’s arts sector. The development of this sector is guided by a popular longterm strategy that ensures a sustainable level of investments. Funding mechanisms and investment are clearly and publicly communicated.
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Calgary has a shortage of
Calgary has a shortage of arts spaces for the purpose of creation, rehearsal or performance.
The original survey* on Calgary's arts spaces, commissioned by CADA produced three key findings in this area:
1. All of Calgary’s arts and culture facilities are operating at or near capacity, constraining the growth of the sector.
2. Calgary’s cultural space inventory is behind, and sliding further, relative to other cities.
3. Cultural spaces are integral to Calgarians’ views of quality of life.
*THE CURRENT STATE OF CULTURAL SPACES FOR THE ARTS IN CALGARY, Final Report March 15, 2007
An update to this report is expected soon, but is predicted to reach similar conclusions to the original.
One of the four guiding principles of Calgary Arts Development’s Arts Spaces Strategy is AFFORDABILITY: “Individual artists and non-profit arts organizations engaged in creating and presenting work in Calgary require low rents in order to sustain their activities, especially when centrally located in a large urban centre.”
If we agree with these conclusions, that:
1. Calgary needs more arts spaces, and
2. Spaces need to be affordable.
Then the action plan is obvious, in my view:
1. Provide capital funds to build space.
2. Provide operating funds to space owners, to make space affordable.
We have an excellent case study in the form of the Grand Theatre, purchased by Theatre Junction Society in 2004 and renovated in 2005.
Theatre Junction does not receive any public funding for the operations of the Grand. Therefore every public event that occurs at the theatre is made possible by, and at the expense of Theatre Junction. Many artists, cultural organizations, and non-profit service organizations have come to rely on Theatre Junction to maintain the operations of the theatre for their programs and events. In the last 6 years, we have dedicated valuable human resources and space to Decidedly Jazz, One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo, the Fluid Festival, SLED Island Music Festival, as well as many other public events outside of Theatre Junction’s artistic program. We rent our theatre to these groups at the rate of $800 per day. We also rent our theatre to the commercial sector at a rate of $2900 per day (meetings, weddings, xmas parties, etc.).
Theatre Junction is a non-profit organization and our priority is to serve our own mission and mandate. We have a better chance of recovering our operating expenses for the building by renting our theatre commercially.
Theatre Junction is not able to continue to support the programming of arts organizations in Calgary without significant public funding to support this programming.
The current model is clearly not sustainable, nor can the City of Calgary or its citizens expect to have public cultural space without civic investment. Theatre Junction can no longer bear this burden alone. Without support, we will no longer be able to provide public cultural space, and will be forced to rent the theatre exclusively for private events in an attempt to cover our operating costs.
Is this what a cultural space is to become? A conference centre? A wedding chapel?
The Epcor Centre enjoys public funding from the City for their operations. Why is there not support for other building owners? The City of Edmonton has a grant program specifically for building owners, because the Edmonton Arts Council recognizes the burden of operating a facility and supports organizations who provide public space.
Without a significant shift in the mindset at city hall, the future for affordable arts spaces in Calgary is bleak.
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