The text below is from the second Living a Creative Life tactical plan, current to March 2015. Please refer to the Tactical Plan section for background on what tactical plans contain and how they will be used.
The outcomes and visions of Living a Creative Life will be realized through the work of signatories. Calgary Arts Development will continue to engage signatories throughout the life of the strategy and will support them in aligning their current and future activities to the tactics below. Calgary Arts Development will also be responsible for collecting data and reporting back on success indicators annually.
Vision: Calgary is regarded as a world-class city because its artists, arts organizations and presenters import and export the highest quality of work on regional, national and international markets.
Outcome One: Calgarians benefit from experiencing world-class art presented locally.
Driver: Support and strengthen arts events and organizations that present national and international artists, performers and productions as part of their mandates.
Tactics:
- Examine the barriers to presenting the work of national and international artists to inform and advocate for possible solutions.
- Create and support large-scale arts events that specifically showcase world-class art.
- Establish a strong network of Western Canadian presenters that can work together to create attractive touring opportunities for national and international artistic work.
- Train Calgary arts organizations in how to navigate the customs system and import international talent.
Success Indicators
- Quantity of artistic work from outside Calgary presented locally, measured by:
- Number of artistic works presented and number of visiting artists in Calgary.
- Calgarians’ perception of Calgary as a world-class city, measured by:
- Perception survey of Calgarians.
- Local media coverage of national and international art presented in Calgary, measured by:
- Volume (number of articles) and tone (qualitative nature of articles).
Outcome Two: Made-in-Calgary artistic work has a high profile outside the city and is often found on tour in other regions, provinces and countries.
Driver: Raise the profile of our outstanding local artists and arts organizations.
Tactics:
- Encourage national arts critics and media outlets to visit Calgary and provide informed criticism of our artists and arts organizations’ work.
- Train Calgary artists and arts organizations in creating “export-ready” products that attract tourists from outside the city limits.
Driver: Ensure that artists are included in trade missions at the municipal and provincial levels.
Tactics:
- Encourage partnerships that increase the prevalence and prominence of Calgary’s artists and arts organizations at international arts exhibitions, festivals and trade shows.
- Create opportunities to host and attract international presenters to Calgary to scope out our local talent.
Driver: Ease the touring process for Calgary artists and arts organizations.
Tactics:
- Work with the public and private sectors to create new funding opportunities for touring.
- Facilitate memberships to international organizations that promote artistic exchange.
Success Indicators
- Quantity of Calgary-based artistic projects exported beyond the city, measured by:
- Number of Calgary-produced artistic works toured outside of Calgary.
- Non-Calgarians’ perception of Calgary as world-class city, measured by:
- Perception survey of non-Calgarians.
- National and international media coverage of Calgary-produced artistic work, measured by:
- Volume (number of articles) and tone (qualitative nature of articles).
The following signatories are currently contributing to tactics in the Artistic Exchange focus area:
- Afrikadey! Arts and Culture Society
- Alberta Craft Council
- Alberta Music Industry Association
- Alberta Printmakers Society
- Alberta Theatre Projects
- Alliance Française de Calgary
- Alberta Media Artists Alliance Society
- Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta
- Beakerhead
- Book Publishers Association of Alberta
- Calgary Animated Objects Society
- Calgary Arts Development
- Calgary Boys’ Choir
- Calgary Economic Development
- Calgary Folk Music Festival
- Calgary Hotel Association
- Calgary International Fringe Festival Society
- Calgary Men’s Chorus
- Calgary Opera
- Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
- Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers
- Cowtown Opera
- Dancers’ Studio West
- Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
- Foothills Brass
- Fort Calgary
- Honens
- Land’s End Ensemble
- Loft 112
- Mount Royal Conservatory
- National Music Centre
- New Works Calgary
- Old Trout Puppet Workshop
- PARK (Promoting Artists Redefining Kulture)
- Regroupement artistique francophone de l’Alberta
- Springboard Performance
- Structured Abstraction
- Theatre Alberta
- Theatre Calgary
- Theatre Junction GRAND
- Tourism Calgary
- Wordfest
- YMCA Calgary