Calgary Arts Development has launched a a new process for groups and individuals wishing to secure city land or funding for capital projects that create new arts space.

Arts and culture play a central role in Calgarians' view of what it means to have a high quality of life. Calgary Arts Development's ongoing research has brought forward a clear message about arts spaces: Calgarians want visionary thinking with a vibrant Centre City region featuring iconic anchor facilities and incubator spaces, supported by arts-infused communities.

Calgary Arts Development has enacted a series of initiatives to enable the creation of new arts spaces for Calgary. These include:

• The completion of the research report ‘The Current State of Cultural Spaces for the Arts in Calgary' and accompanying strategy for arts space development ‘Reclaiming Calgary's Cultural Identity: Art Spaces Strategy and Capital Plan'

• The launch of the Art Spaces Investment Process, a program for groups or individuals wishing to access City funding for their arts space capital projects (see Art Space Investment Process).

The Art Spaces Investment Process exists to make Calgary a city known for its great arts spaces. Calgary Arts Development's vision is to develop a catalyst process for the creation of:

• A cultural cluster in the city centre with a downtown that boasts internationally significant iconic arts anchor facilities and city centre neighborhoods that house incubator spaces for emerging artists and organizations.

• Arts facilities as a core part of complete communities with facilities built specifically for arts experiences serving as defining feature for all geographic areas of the city and a well developed network of small scale dedicated arts spaces to support arts activities in suburban regions.