Blogs

The Canada Council for the Arts is pleased to invite proposals for the Canadian representation at the 12^th International Exhibition for Architecture at the Venice Biennale in Architecture, which will open in September 2010.

 The
Venice Biennale in Architecture is among the most important and
prestigious international events in contemporary architecture. 
Cultural leaders, architects, artists, and nearly 150,000 visitors
attend the Biennale with the expectation of discovering the cutting
edge of architecture.  The Biennale offers a unique opportunity to
showcase Canadian excellence in architecture and provides a unique
occasion to share ideas with peers from around the world. 

The
proposed presentation should communicate excellence, innovation, and
currency in contemporary Canadian architecture including buildings,
landscapes and places, or in works of critical and (or) design research
on architecture, landscape architecture or the urban environment.

 Submission Deadline:30 June 2009

The submission forms and competition Information Package are available upon request.

All
interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the
architecture officer to discuss the specific challenges and
requirements of being selected as the Canadian representation at the
Venice Biennale in Architecture.  read more »

The sustainability of urban, suburban and rural living is the topic of tonight's broadcast of The Agenda with Steve Paikin. It will be interesting to see if culture and creativity work their way into the conversation. Culture is now commonly referred to as the "fourth pillar" of sustainability along with social, economic and environmental aspects. Lately, we have been talking a lot about the context for municipal cultural planning and the creative city. How is municipal cultural planning and the concept of the creative city different in urban centres, mid-size towns and rural Ontario? Does the same thing able to sustainability planning? (Check out AMO's Integrated Sustainability Plan information).  I am interested to see if and how the panellists address both these topics.

The Artist Educator Skills Development course is for artists who are already engaged in arts education and for those who would like to learn more about arts education. This 30-hour course prepares artists to work in schools and or in community settings.

The Ontario Arts Council is making it possible for Ontario artists to take this course for the registration cost of $60.00.

About the Artist Educator Skills Development course

• The Artist Educator Skills Development course blends educational content and theory with a creative “laboratory” environment.
• Artists can experiment with applying their arts practice in education.
• Modules will be presented on subjects such as how people learn at different stages of life, understanding the brain, adult education, and how to develop and structure arts-based lessons that are effective and engaging for learners.

Links
Application form, locations and dates

There was a fantastic turn out for our Economies in Transition: Leveraging Cultural Resources for Prosperity forum in Minett (Muskoka) on March 26th. There were about 120 people in the ballroom at The Rosseau and despite a late spring snow storm, most of our speakers were able to make it.

The whole point of this forum was to discuss the role of municipal cultural planning in rural and small-towns. The speakers came from  variety of municipalities and organizations. The keynote address was delivered by Laurence Mawhinney, Mayor of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. As UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lunenburg has maintained an incredible number of heritage buidlings. What was really inspiring was the role that the community has played in this endeavour. Clearly the character of Old Town Lunenburg's British colonial Town plan resonantes deeply with residents.

Other speakers included:

• Cheryl Kelley, Directctor of Economic Development, Town of Bracebridge,
• Anne Gilbert, Councillor, Municipality of Chaththam-Kent
• Fred McGarry, Executive Director, Centre for Community Mapping
• Sam Coghlan, Chief Executive Officer,Stratford Public Library, Municipal Cultural Planning Partnership Member
• Onalee Groves, Cultural Development Officer, City of Barrie
• Leah Leslie, The Rosseau, a J.W. Marriot Resort & Spa

You can access all the presentations here.

A big "thank you" goes out to the folks at The Ontario Rural Council and Muskoka Futures for making this event happen!

The Agenda With Steve Paikin, and AgendaCamp are coming to Kitchener- Waterloo

You care about the economy and Ontario’s role in promoting innovation as an engine for positive change. You’ve got ideas worth sharing and want to know what others think about the way forward in our growing knowledge economy. That’s why you won’t want to miss AgendaCamp Waterloo.

TVO’s AgendaCamp convenes Sunday March 29, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm in the William G. Davis Research Centre at the University of Waterloo. The day-long open learning forum and social media event is designed by you the participants and facilitated by TVO production and technical personnel. The content of your conversations around building Ontario’s place in the innovation and knowledge economy is captured in digital media on-line. From then on our on-line learning resource is enhanced and shared by all in the digital public space.

Space at AgendaCamp is limited so please register soon. Our web Registration Form (http://tvo.org/agendacamp/) makes it easy for you.  You can also register there to be in the audience of the next night’s live broadcast of The Agenda With Steve Paikin.

As if you don't have enough to read!  read more »

The City of Toronto recently announced that, in partnership with the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto,  that it will spend $10,000 on a June conference on cultural mapping. The conference, "Placing Creativity" was highlighted in the City's budget and will "explore the connection between place, creativity and the economy."  The Ontario Ministry of Culture is a conference sponsor. Check out the Globe and Mail article here. The conference will bring together fantastic thinkers, including Colin Mercer.

Visit the website:
http://placingcreativity.org/conference/

The conference is, in part, a result of the Creative City Planning Framework  to develop cultural mapping. The Creative City Planning Framework is a supporting document to the Agenda for Prosperity: Prospectus for a Great City, prepared for the City of Toronto by AuthentiCity.

The City of Toronto recently announced that, in partnership with the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto,  that it will spend $10,000 on a June conference on cultural mapping. The conference, "Placing Creativity" was highlighted in the City's budget and will "explore the connection between place, creativity and the economy." Check out the Globe and Mail article here. The conference will bring together fantastic thinkers, including Colin Mercer.

Cultural Planning for Creative Communities
by Gord Hume

with contributions from Greg Baeker, Nancy Duxbury, and Tim Jones
and a foreword by Glen Murray

This new book offers practical ideas and plans on how Canadian municipalities can adapt the emerging “fourth pillar of sustainability” into their planning, budgeting, decision making, and community leadership. The book is authored by Gord Hume, one of the leading pioneers of the Creative City movement in Canadian municipal government.

Cultural Planning for Creative Communities offers a proven insider’s look at forming local roundtables and community action groups for cultural planning. It details cultural mapping. It outlines the process local governments can take to implement municipal cultural planning. From public art to economic development, from rejuvenating downtowns to offering practical ideas to save heritage properties, from integrating creative city concepts into your Official Plan to attracting the creative class, this book offers it all.

The book is a must-have for municipal council members, civic administration, arts and cultural organizations, heritage groups, business leaders, and community activists. It is also a call to action for local communities frustrated with the lack of knowledge and commitment by senior governments to assist local municipalities in municipal cultural planning.

It provides a comprehensive, holistic view of cultural planning, talks candidly about the changing demographic trends faced by local governments, explaining why creative city concepts are an important economic development tool, and why municipalities must be moving now to change their processes and planning to create the kind of communities that will attract the CRINK economy in the future.

What’s the CRINK economy? It’s the future for municipalities. Creative. Innovative. Knowledge-based.

How can municipalities change?  read more »

We are well into the New Year now, and despite the often-gloomy economic times we will get through this recession.  In fact, the economic realities that confront Ontario municipalities are a powerful tool for those of us promoting and pushing Municipal Cultural Planning, because MCP is so focused on the new economy.

While the CRINK (CReative, INnovative, Knowledge-based) economy is at the heart of the Creative City movement, many municipal leaders still struggle to accept the new economic structure that is being imposed by the international credit market.  This dichotomy provides even greater incentive to move municipal leaders towards MCP because municipalities need to shape their communities to attract and retain the creative class.  This is a rather new responsibility for many local council members, and it is one they may not yet fully embrace.

There are overwhelming signs that the Ontario economy will continue to have a tough year in 2009 and that will create budget problems in 2010 for many Ontario municipalities.  Slower home construction, soft assessment growth, plant closings and employment concerns are all key indicators, and these will all impact next year’s local tax rates.  That is also an election year, so council members won’t be in a mood to raise taxes. 

MCPP will continue to help municipalities that want to progress and move ahead.  This economy offers local councils new opportunities to face the realities of changes in the local economy and start creating new economic spires.  MCP is a strong response for Council’s seeking positive action and change, and I am confident that MCPP will grow in importance and influence in the year ahead as we continue to assist local councils with their MCP needs.

We will do this through continuing to reach out to municipalities, to speak at seminars and conferences, to offer information and research, to assist with developing new tools  read more »