NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
February 1, 2013

1.5-day event includes keynote address, roundtables, and panels

(Calgary, AB) Calgary Arts Development is pleased to present the second Arts Champions Congress on February 21 and 22, 2013. The Arts Champions Congress is a meeting of individuals who make Calgary’s arts sector a vibrant and exciting place to work and our city a great place to live.

The 2013 Congress is a 1.5-day event, offering sessions formatted as conversations, roundtables and panels. Sessions are programmed within three different streams:

▪ a Peer Networks stream, including Executive-in-Residence consultations, where attendees can learn from experts in arts administration;
▪ a Calgary Arts Development-programmed stream, including sessions such as Creative Placemaking, Art Spaces, and continued work on Calgary’s Arts Plan; as well as
▪ a legacy stream inspired by the work of Calgary 2012, such as their Artist-in-Residence programs and the crowdfunding platform InvestYYC.

Each stream runs concurrent 90-minute sessions, with 30-minute breaks between sessions. The complete schedule is available online at Congress.CalgaryArtsDevelopment.com.

This year’s Congress features keynote speakers John Michael Schert and Jodi Peck of contemporary dance company, the Trey McIntyre Project, who will be speaking from 9:00am to 10:30am on Friday, February 22. As leading examples of the role of the arts in creative city-building, Executive Director and Co-Founder John Michael Schert and Founding Board Chair Jodi Peck will share their insights and experiences of how the Trey McIntyre Project has found a welcoming and accessible home in Boise, Idaho, and in turn how the company has become a national and international ambassador and innovation catalyst for Boise.

“One of Calgary Arts Development’s roles is to convene and facilitate connections between those working in or in collaboration with the arts,” says Terry Rock, President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development. “The Arts Champions Congress is a valuable opportunity for artists, administrators, board members, volunteers, corporate champions, government representatives and policymakers to engage with each other to help build the capacity of the arts sector in Calgary.”

2013 Arts Champions Congress
Thursday, February 21: 2:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday, February 22: 9:00am – 5:00pm
BMO Centre, Stampede Park, 20 Roundup Way SE
Registration: $10 (includes lunch on Friday)

About Calgary Arts Development
Calgary Arts Development plays a leadership role to promote, foster and direct investments that develop the capacity of Calgary’s arts sector to achieve public and artistic impact. As the city’s designated arts development authority, we are a central hub that learns about, promotes, connects, advocates for, and leads strategic initiatives in the arts to animate Calgary as a vibrant cultural centre. Calgary Arts Development allocates municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary through granting programs that support operations and innovation for more than 190 arts organizations in Calgary.

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Further Information
Cadence Mandybura
Community Manager, Calgary Arts Development
Phone: 403.264.5330 x 201
Email: cadence.mandybura@calgaryartsdevelopment.com