At their retreat on November 18th, CADA’s Grant Allocations Committee took part in a World Café of their own. The theme, of course, was cultural space. Here are some of their ideas.

As in all the previous events, street scape was an important concept for many participants. It was suggested that Calgary’s streets should contain more art, including iconic, monumental public art, like a mural half the size of an office tower. Streets should be more human – friendly, with less glass and concrete. These better aesthetics and architecture could be encouraged through tax incentives, and Calgary could have “Imagineers” who would be imagine first and engineers second. Calgary’s archived art should also be on public display wherever possible.

The idea of a central hub for the arts was also discussed. A cultural district would allow audiences to access the arts conveniently – a one-stop shop. A Busker’s Square would contribute to more vibrant street life and more flexible licensing would create more places to socialize before and after work, encouraging people to spend time in the downtown core.

While a central hub is important, satellite spaces are also essential to bring art to all Calgarians. The arts should be accessible in suburbs in every quadrant of the city. One way of doing this could be to partner with churches to make their spaces available for rehearsals and performances.

Participants suggested that partnerships are a useful strategy to create new spaces for the arts. Arts groups should engage the corporate sector in order to share space – lunchtime concerts in building foyers and more art in office towers for example. Artists should also work with churches in order to allow their space to be used for rehearsal and performance. New developments should have a percentage of arts space and juries should work with developers to evaluate community arts spaces.

Participants noted an urgent need for several specific spaces. A large, “Western National” contemporary art gallery; a 7 - 800 seat performance space; studio spaces that are open to the public and more venues to show films. Live / work spaces are also in short supply – one way these could be created would be to relax city bylaws so artists can build or renovate their own studios.

Once again, participants noted that cultural vibrancy is a mindset. Calgary needs to decide that the arts are important. The city needs to look at what's already here, be proud of what we have and eliminate the “struggling artist” mentality. Calgary needs to be branded as a place of personal fulfillment, beyond financial gain – the arts promote tourism and the economy. Visible leaders from the arts community are essential to creating this mindset.

Better awareness of the arts in Calgary is key to developing a culturally vibrant mindset. People need to be allowed to know about the arts in their city, and more entry points into the arts community need to be created. Participants suggested that one way to do this is to improve the marketing skills of artists and arts organizations. Some other ideas to build awareness were: art kiosks at city hall, airports and hotels; more art events to help people learn about and interpret the work; a large annual art event like an “Art Rodeo”; an “Arts Shuttle”to move people to events and a “Cultural Passport” to encourage people to attend events outside their comfort zone – this could even be distributed along with admission to the Stampede.

Artists need to be able to create distinctly “Calgary” stories - more literature and information about local artists would help in this process. It was also noted that awareness needs to be developed early - children and youth education is key, as is a higher profile for the arts at the University of Calgary.

Many suggested that partnerships are also key to improved awareness. Hospitality staff in tourist locations should be trained in arts information; arts events should be promoted on Calgary buses and trains; sports and the arts should be better connected, so they are able to cross-promote.

Awareness about the arts in Calgary also needs to built outside the city, participants noted. Many suggested that our art needs to be toured more, and better international connections need to be forged.

Along with awareness, accessibility is necessary. Some ideas for financial accessibility are subsidized tickets – a free “Arts Day”; CADA sponsored “Pay what you can” events for smaller groups and a “Night of Theatre”.

Funding is also key to creating an accessible, sustainable arts community. Participants suggested that a clearinghouse be created for arts organizations seeking funding, and that the balance between funding for large and small organizations needs to change. It was also noted that arts organizations need to support to develop better business practices, a model like the Kahanoff Centre could be developed for the arts.