donna goodwin simcoe county
TRANSCRIPT
Culture in the CountyOctober 6, 2015
Who we are?
4,690.24 square km
277,614 population 16 member
municipalities Georgian College.
Laurentian University, Lakehead University
Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay
Background
Fall of 2012, a committee of The County of Simcoe County Council gave the go ahead to apply for funding through MTCS to undertake a study for culture
Primary purpose of the study:
Engage the arts and culture community Examine the role the County of Simcoe might play in supporting
the sector
Process:
Background research Review of current County initiatives Establishment of a framework to define culture in Simcoe County Inventory of Cultural Assets Community Consultation process
Why? What’s all the fuss about?
Culture is one of the fastest growing sectors in Ontario. It generates approximately $22 billion of Ontario’s GDP and supports more than 280,000 jobs.
Ontario has over 58,000 artists – nearly twice as many as any other province.
Nearly five million Ontarians are active library cardholders.
About 24,000 properties are protected under the Ontario Heritage Act and there are over 300 community museums in the province.
Ontario’s music industry is the largest in Canada, and in 2013-14 its film and television production supported over 44,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Province of Ontario (Cultural Strategy Consultation)
On the Same Wave Length
"A vibrant culture attracts talented and creative people, promotes business development, spurs population growth and revitalizes our communities, making them destination points for citizens, tourists and magnets for business."
"By focusing on culture as a driver of creativity and innovation, a community creates a competitive and adaptive economy, capable of dealing with increasingly complex issues."
Pride of Saskatchewan: A policy where Culture, Community and Commerce Meet. Government of Saskatchewan, 2010
"The benefits of a more integrated, collaborative approach to cultural development are many: from more employment in sustainable cultural industries to community revitalization, from enhanced creativity and innovation to the preservation of our cultural diversity."
Creative Newfoundland and Labrador: The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture, Government of Newfoundland &Labrador, 2006
Existing County Cultural Services
Tourism Simcoe County
Simcoe County Museum
Simcoe County Archives
Simcoe County Library Cooperative
Local Immigration Partnership
Finance and Geographic Information Systems
Common Themes
Funding Opportunities
Networking and Collaboration
Marketing
Education
Physical Spaces
Cultural Inventory
Grant Review and Options
identified that the County of Simcoe could play a more significant role in the arts and culture sector with a single grant process
rework the grant requirements/parameters to support other findings in the Plan for Culture
recommended changes to the grant program would come into effect in the year 2016
Staff Recommendations
Staff presented 4 Options to Council:
Continue doing what we were doing.
Ramp it up a bit by changing the grant structure in its current form, add some money to the pot and streamline the process so that we could help build capacity in the existing arts and culture community,
Enhance existing festivals/events and partner with some existing initiatives
Really get in the game – experiential development, workshops, marketing, grant
Mission Statement To promote Simcoe County as a first class
tourist destination by further developing the tourism industry and community partnership
Today…
Staff was hired in April to start to implement Option 4
Work has started with local arts and culture participants to map out next steps and support cultural planning/ placemaking and cultural experiential development
development of the new/ amalgam of the Cultural Grant (launch ???)
support for municipal cultural advisory committees/ heritage committees/ arts and culture programming where possible/requested
North of 9 Campaign
Option 4
Money was allocated for the production of 5 cultural vignettes
Leveraged part of the budget through RTO7 partnership funding
Allowed for 8 vignettes and still money left over for an advertising buy
Campaign developed around the concept of why drive north of HWY 9 ?
Odd, Authentic & Accessible
Festival du Loop – La Fontaine
Mariposa – through the Leacock Writers Festival and Mariposa Folk festival
Steampunk Festival – Victorian Village of Coldwater
Carrotfest – 70% of all carrots are from the Town of BradfordWestGwillimbury
9 Mile Portage - Festival at Fort Willow, Wasaga Under Siege
Small Halls Festival
First Light
Steampunk
9 Mile Portage
1st Light at Sainte-Marie
Creative City Network of Canada
Through its work the Creative City Network of Canada helps build the capacity of local cultural planning professionals – and by extension local governments – to nurture and support cultural development in their communities.
By doing so, the Creative City Network of Canada aims to improve the operating climate and conditions for artists, arts, heritage and cultural organizations across the country, and the quality of life in Canadian communities of all sizes.
http://www.creativecity.ca/www.Ontario.ca/culturetalks
