Media Releases 2005

ARTS NOW INVESTS IN THIRTEEN COMMUNITIES FOR LOCAL CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Vancouver, B.C. (November 21, 2005): Thirteen communities have received funding from 2010 Legacies Now through Creative Communities, an Arts Now contribution program designed for municipalities and other arts organizations to undertake cultural development initiatives in partnership with community leaders.

"This valuable program supports communities as they undertake the essential strategic planning to maximize investments in arts and culture," said the Honourable Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. "By developing planning capacity in our arts and culture organizations we help ensure that future investments better meet community needs and are sustainable over the long-term."

The goal of Creative Communities is to encourage the use of cultural planning by communities to recognize the creative sector’s importance in and of itself and in attaining social and economic objectives.

"2010 Legacies Now, through Arts Now, is assisting British Columbia’s artistic community by strengthening and enhancing the creative capabilities of organizations and communities," said Marion Lay, President and CEO, 2010 Legacies Now. "Through the Creative Communities program arts organizations will work in partnership with municipalities to asses the needs of their arts and culture community."

The funding is available in two categories; Cultural Planning, which supports communities in creating a cultural plan that can be developed, implemented and evaluated; and Cultural Scan, which supports assessment initiatives that enable communities to take stock of local cultural assets, strengths, challenges and aspirations for the purpose of establishing the groundwork for the development of a cultural plan.

"The contribution from 2010 Legacies Now was matched by Area H (Regional District Okanagan Similkameen) and the Town of Princeton and after forming our committee and a consultant, we set a goal of inventorying community assets and did a survey to discover what people feel is lacking in arts and culture in our community," said Dawn Johnson, Chair of the Princeton Arts Now Committee. "We are on our way to breathing new life into our arts community and giving hope to many talented people who have come forward to provide input."

"This funding, through 2010 Legacies Now, will enable the town’s governing body and community groups to work together and develop a plan that will truly reflect and respond to local needs," said Lyle Thomas, Chair of the Princeton Spirit of BC^® Community Committee.

Arts Now funding applications can be found on the 2010 Legacies Now website, or by calling 604-659-1400. Applications for Creative Communities are ongoing.

2010 Legacies Now is a not-for-profit society that works in partnership with community organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), the private sector and all levels of government to develop sustainable legacies in sport & recreation, arts, literacy, and volunteerism. 2010 Legacies Now actively assists communities discover and create unique and inclusive social and economic opportunities leading up to, during, and beyond the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information about 2010 Legacies Now visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com.

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Media Contacts:

Ian Buckley
Manager, Communications
2010 Legacies Now
604-659-1394

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Recipients:

City of Revelstoke
$5,000.00

In partnership with various arts and cultural groups, the City of Revelstoke hired a consultant and developed a comprehensive Cultural Plan to assess and inventory the local artistic activities and groups. This will enable the City to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the cultural and artistic sectors and identify community priorities for the future. The City is planning to now work on a Master Culture Plan.

Town of Princeton
$4,245.00

The Town of Princeton, in partnership with the local First Nations Band, the regional Association of Arts Organisations and the regional government, will undertake a cultural scan to identify, inventory and assess the cultural assets of Princeton (visual arts, music, dance, heritage and others). Through this initiative, the Town of Princeton will be able to increase the community’s awareness of the existing arts and cultural resources, and promote and strengthen partnerships in the arts community.

City of Nelson
$10,000.00

Through the Initiative the Recipient will complete development of an Arts Advisory Board to guide planning and policy development. In addition, the Recipient will engage a consultant to develop a comprehensive arts policy that will define the vision for arts in Nelson and area.

City of Port Moody
$6,000.00

The initiative will engage two consultants to develop a Cultural Facilities Plan. This will be done in consultation with a number of existing arts and cultural organisations including the Port Moody Arts Centre, the Port Moody Station Museum, the Inlet Theatre & Outlet Stage and the Rocky Point Warehouse Artists’ Studios and Gallery. As one of the fastest growing cities in BC, Port Moody is looking to nurture and support the city’s arts and culture assets, and identify priorities for future development.

City of Castlegar
$5,000.00

The City of Castlegar will engage a consultant to perform a cultural scan as a first step towards developing a cultural plan for the community. The Castlegar Arts Council is an active partner in the project.

City of Nanaimo
$6,000.00

The initiative will include the development of an online Cultural Resources Inventory which will be a comprehensive searchable guide to Nanaimo’s arts and cultural community. It will include a list of the existing arts and cultural facilities, arts and cultural organisations and a calendar of arts, cultural and heritage events.

Musqueam First Nation
$15,000.00

The recipient will engage a consultant to undergo a strategic cultural scan as the first step towards mapping and planning for the Band. The scan will be achieved through focus groups to engage the community in the planning process, map cultural assets and establish community vision, principles and values. The plan will also take into account the development of the Musqueum First Nation Cultural Centre.

Regional District of North Okanagan
$10,000.00

The Regional District of North Okanagan in partnership with the District of Coldstream, the City of Vernon and other arts and culture organisations will engage a consultant to develop an Arts and Culture Master Plan for the City of Vernon and the surrounding areas. The Plan will be developed through a consultative public process, and will move towards making Arts and Culture a more integral part of local community life.

City of Campbell River
$10,000.00

The recipient will engage a consultant to draft a Strategic Cultural and Heritage Plan that will comprehensively reflect the community’s unique values and needs around culture and heritage. The city is committed to implementing the plan in guiding development of cultural and heritage practices, services and programs.

District of Vanderhoof
$4,000.00

The recipient will engage a consultant to draft an Arts and Cultural Plan that will comprehensively reflect the community’s unique values and needs around culture and heritage. The city is committed to implementing the plan in guiding development of cultural and heritage practices, services and programs.

City of Fort St. John
$7,500.00

In partnership with the Fort St John Community Arts Council, the City will take the first step of assessing and inventorying existing arts and cultural assets. The Scan will be the preliminary step followings a recent resolution by City Council to proceed with developing a comprehensive Cultural Plan for the City.

Golden Area Initiatives
$5,000.00

In partnership with the Town of Golden and Area ‘A’ of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Golden Area Initiatives will undertake an inventory of local cultural assets, strengths, challenges and aspirations. This assessment will be the first stage towards developing an Action Plan for Arts & Culture Development in Golden.

Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council
$5,000.00

The recipient in partnership with the Town of Smithers, the school district and the Office of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, will engage a consultant to draft a Strategic Cultural and Heritage Plan that will comprehensively reflect the community’s unique values and needs around culture and heritage. The town is committed to implementing the plan in guiding development of cultural and heritage practices, services and The recipient in partnership with the Town of Smithers, the school district and the Office of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, will engage a consultant to draft a Strategic Cultural and Heritage Plan that will comprehensively reflect the community’s unique values and needs around culture and heritage. The town is committed to implementing the plan in guiding development of cultural and heritage practices, services and programs.

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