Room 371 at Alberta College of Art and Design was set up like a lecture hall when our team from Calgary Arts Development arrived. Rows of chairs faced several tables lined up at the front of the room. It was an environment designed for one-way communication – those in the audience listening to the expert at the front.

The World Cafe dialogue process though, is based on the idea that we are all experts, and an essential part of the technique is creating a space where ideas can be shared on an equal basis. By simply moving the furniture into a cafe style arrangement, a more welcoming, democratic forum was created.

Energy was high throughout the entire discussion. All participants, whether students, faculty, alumni or people from outside the college, had plenty to say. As the debate continued, they recorded their comments on the paper table cloths and sticky notes. These ideas revolved around several common themes.

Many talked about the need for a whole ecosystem of arts spaces in Calgary. There is an artistic brain drain away from the city, and affordable live/work spaces would help keep human capital here. There was serious concern about new graduates who already carry tuition debt - they need affordable spaces in order to become practising artists.

Participants told us that not only do new spaces need to be created, but existing spaces need to be preserved. Artists need stability, and many artist-run centres are under stress because they are forced to move with rent increases. In addition, all new construction developments should be obligated to include cultural space.

Specific projects suggested included a large, contemporary public art gallery; refurbishing the old brewery in Inglewood as a multidisciplinary space and expanding Campus Calgary to include the arts. Cooperatively-run arts centres were on the list, as well as publicly funded production space that is visible to the public.

Distributing arts spaces across the city was also a major theme - participants saw value in both centrally located and suburban sites. A central hub would allow arts organizations to pool resources, while possibilities for outlying areas include hotspots or enclaves of activity, mixed use spaces and community artist- in-residence programs. One person pointed out that “120 000 Calgarians live south of Fish Creek Park, and they are hungry for arts programming.”

Funding is essential to arts organizations finding and keeping space. The main point participants made was that funding needs to be stable and long-term to enable growth, better planning and purchase of spaces. With new spaces come operating costs, and these must be funded in order to sustain activity.

Participants’ concerns were not limited to physical space. Many felt that better access to and awareness of the arts are key to making Calgary an artistically vibrant city.

It was mentioned that there is a perceived lack of interest in cultural issues at city council, and that city officials are not knowledgeable about the arts. A disconnect is also perceived between corporate Calgary and cultural Calgary.

Many suggested that the arts need to be incorporated as part of Calgary’s marketing strategy, and the city needs to create an international profile as a cultural centre. Local marketing is also essential - arts information needs to be easily accessible to everyone. Suggestions included advertising on Calgary Transit vehicles and an “Instant Coffee” style email list.

Better access also includes attracting broader audiences. It was noted that inviting non-traditional audiences means accepting that they may experience art differently. The different needs of culturally diverse citizens must also be taken into account when creating new spaces. In addition, many suggested that online tools could be used to foster a broader sense of community - the City of Calgary’s websites could be linked to artists websites.

At the end of the event, one participant made the comment “This was really exciting.” Several people who had just met promised to keep in touch and many stayed to ask staff for more information.