Around Canada
Part IV: What's Next? Long Term Goals for Arts Development in Calgary: Incubate
- Posted by Terry Rock on February 9th, 2011
In my previous 3 blog posts, I've covered some philosophical ground about the kind of organization we are and aspire to be. I've also talked about our past activities and achievements. Now the fun stuff. Where to next? In this and the following four blog posts, I'll talk about our latest strategic thinking. Though we have already taken steps to change our organization to be able to deliver on this new direction, we will be forming working groups with members of the community who are interested in helping to refine and further build them. Consider this the first draft of the strategy, with the next drafts to be written in conjunction with the community.
(Note: I'm really interested in what you think about all of this! If you'd like to get involved in further refining and shaping this work, please get in touch, either in the comments, or by e-mailing terry.rock@calgaryartsdevelopment.com. And, if you really really like this, and would like to be part of our team, we're hiring!)
Long Term Goals for Arts Development: A System Capacity Approach
Starting in 2011, Calgary Arts Development is shifting our strategic focus from improving base arts system infrastructure (funding, space, awareness/participation) to goals that relate to the capacity of the arts & culture system. We obviously still need more base infrastructure, but our new focus helps us prioritize investments and sharpen our program objectives.
Through our research and past experience, we've determined that the arts system requires five capacities to function at a high level. Those capacities are:
- SEEDING interest in the arts at a young age
- INCUBATING the next generation of professionals
- ACCELERATING those with proven potential
- ENGAGING citizens in meaningful experiences
- EXPORTING work to and attract interest from other markets
Tune in 7pm tonight
- Posted by Erica Mattson on April 30th, 2008
This just in - you may want to tune your radio dial to 102.1FM in Calgary before you read.
The Calgary Girls Choir has just won the CBC Radio Choral Competition in the Youth Choirs Category! The choir performed this afternoon as part of a "live-to-air" broadcast today, April 30. If you were unable to attend in person, tune in to CBC Radio Two tonight at 7 p.m. MST or listen via the internet (see below).
A huge congratulations from all of us at Calgary Arts Development to the Calgary Girls Choir, artistic director Elaine Quilichini and all the hard-working parents and volunteers behind the scenes!
Internet Listening Instructions
1. Go to http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/ Read more »
Music Lives Everywhere
- Posted by Karen Ball on March 1st, 2008
Last night I had the pleasure of attending two incredible musical events. The first was Mystic Signs a concert by the Renaissance Singers with guests Calgary Men's Chorus and EnChor. This amazing concert of ancient and contemporary choral music was presented in the dome theatre of the Telus World of Science. It was a selll out show with audience ranges from eight years old to seventy eight years old. After the concert I went over to MacHall to see Guitar Mania, a presentation of the Calgary MidWinter Blues Festival just in time to catch blues legend Hubert Sumlin. It was an amazing show, transforming MacHall for one night into one of the best Blues clubs in North America. Another sell out with an incredible range of audience, I even ran into Marge our favorite elevator operator from our office building. Read more »
Building Blocks
- Posted by Catherine Knops on November 26th, 2007
Vancouver 2010. Having been there and in Whistler for the past week, there are sites earmarked all over the area for development ahead of the Winter Olympics. A series of high class venues and buildings, all built to house this great sporting event.
However, my friend, who lives in Whistler, was wondering about all this construction. Why, she asked, when you're surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in Canada, would you want to erect a series of "iconic" buildings? Read more »
Calgary music meets Toronto!
- Posted by Erica Mattson on November 7th, 2007
Major music happenings have occupied my thoughts lately. Richard Branson strode into town awhile back on a crazy horse-drawn carriage to kick up a big fuss about the Virgin Festival coming to Calgary this June (right around the time of Sled Island and followed by the Calgary Folk Music Festival). Michael Green, Blake Brooker and the rest of the team at One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre announced January's sizzling High Performance Rodeo line-up - there are some fantastic music events including a new arrangement of Tubular Bells, presented in collaboration with Alberta Ballet and Honens.`And of course, the 2008 JUNO Awards are coming to Calgary this April! Read more »
Ad-Hoc Art Tour of Eastern Canada
- Posted by Holly Simon on August 29th, 2007
I usually make a yearly trip to my childhood home of Summerside, PEI, taking in as much arts and culture as I can manage between beach
trips and card games. This trip, ending last week, reminded me again of what a
small art town Canada
is... Read more »
Talk about job perks!
- Posted by Erica Mattson on May 1st, 2007
The latest installment in Yann Martel's whatisstephenharperreading.com project is Orwell's book Animal Farm. After reading this article from the Globe and Mail, it seems that the newest great thing about being prime minister is getting really good books hand-delivered to your door every two weeks along with an insightful letter about the book by one of the country's best writers. Read more »
whatisstephenharperreading.ca/
- Posted by Erica Mattson on April 17th, 2007
This website from CanLit rock star Yann Martel caught our attention. Here's an excerpt from Arts News Canada that provides a good synopsis of a fantastic arts action project taken on by one of the country's top artists: Many of you would have seen Yann Martel's article in the print edition of the Globe and Mail over the weekend. Martel, one of the 50 artists selected by the Canada Council to represent the work of the Council over its 50 years of being, complained that the recognition of Canada's artists last month went mostly unnoticed by the powers that be in Ottawa during the celebration. Read more »
Free for All
- Posted by Erica Mattson on March 1st, 2007
The Art Gallery of Alberta has been getting some great press coverage lately with their new show, Free for All. Hundreds of people have been lining up to submit their own artwork to the gallery -- kind of like a Canadian Idol audition for visual art. The tremendous popularity of this initiative is really inspiring, showing just how important art is to so many people. Check out this link from CBC Arts Online for more information, and if you find yourself at the Art Gallery of Alberta over the next month (the show runs March 3-24), be sure to let us know what you think (an entry in our Creative Calgarians Journal would be an ideal way to share this information!).
A fiesty Margaret Atwood speaks out on cutting culture
- Posted by Karen Ball on January 30th, 2007
There was an interesting article in the weekend's Globe + Mail by Margaret Atwood. In it she provides her thoughtful and angry response to the Federal Government's cuts to funding for promotion of Canadian artists internationally.
If you do not have an on-line subscription to the Globe, you can read the article in its entirety through the North Edmonton Sculpture Workshop's bolg, Studio Savant .
