Niagara’s Journey Towards a Culture Plan

Presented byTerri Donia

TORC Municipal Cultural Planning ForumNovember 17th, 2008

Governance Issues

• Two-tier structure• Little mandate at Regional Level for

Culture Planning / Programming

Yet…

• Region provides Smart Growth Incentives

• Strong political advocacy for culture• Desire to maintain ‘Sense of Place’ in

communities• Historic Places Summit• Events / Projects e.g. Niagarapalooza

Need for…

• Coordination• Facilitation• Coming together as a group• Larger Issues (e.g. Welland Canals

Heritage Corridor)

Creation of Culture Committee

Created in 2006 with the following goals:

• To advise the Regional Municipality of Niagara regarding ways to enhance arts, culture and heritage in the fulfillment of its responsibility to its citizens.

• To act as advocates on behalf of the arts, heritage and cultural sectors.

• To develop a Cultural Policy and Strategy that is endorsed by Regional Council.

How to Achieve Goals?

• Need an understanding of the existing situation

• Need to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of existing cultural sector

• Need to ensure that the efforts dovetail with other programs of the Region – sustainability

Municipal Cultural Planning

• Provincial Process• Provides integration with other

sectors• Provides an overview of existing

assets• Can provide an action plan of where

to go and how best to get there

Cultural Policy Development

Cultural Asset Mapping

Build on Regional Strengths

Identify Gaps andOpportunities

Culture Plan and

Implementation

Where are we now?

• CAM• Culture Plan

Cultural Assets by Type(Total 3645)

Cultural Facilities

Cultural Organizations and Education Providers

Cultural Festivals and Events

Cultural Businesses and Industries

Cultural Sites

Artists

Culture Plan Process

• Background• Workshops – SWOT Analysis• Initial Goal Setting• Preparation of a Terms of Reference• Consultant Hiring• Work plan Finalization• Expectation of Completed Culture

Plan

Goals of Culture Plan• correlate pillars of a sustainable and healthy society• realize the potential • identity & local pride• build Niagara’s cultural infrastructure• sustain and enhance cultural industries• increase opportunities and community interaction • comprehensively analyze the cultural sector• recognize the power of culture to stimulate imagination,

promote creativity• improve resource base for the cultural community• raise the profile of culture• articulate the role of culture as an economic driver • outline programs, especially those that tie to other

initiatives of the Region e.g. artsVest Niagara Public Art Program

Culture Plan Deliverables

• short, medium and long-term actions, • communication / facilitation strategy • best practices / strategies for the

Cultural Asset Mapping database • a preliminary economic impact

analysis of sector• a defined role for the Region in culture • recommendations for other research

deliverables

Where are we now?

• Hired Consultant• Initial Meetings• Establishing Committees • Background Information• Working with Branding Exercise

Next Steps• Expected timeline 8-12 mos.• Community consultation• Council Adoption• Integration of Components into Policy

and Actions