Integration

Local decisions often have a direct, visible and immediate impact on the places where people live and work; they leave no one indifferent. MCP for many municipalities’ means rethinking what they do and how they organize to support cultural development. Local government has always played strong roles in managing cultural facilities and delivering cultural programs and events. They are now being asked to take on stronger strategic leadership roles, integrating cultural planning across all departments and municipal functions. Municipalities are also called on to play a stronger role supporting partnerships with business and community groups in support of cultural development, and in helping the community build the capacity to achieve its cultural aims.

MCP requires establishing new shared planning and decision-making systems to support cross-sectoral collaboration. One model being used successfully in a number of municipalities consists of the following elements:

• A Cultural Roundtable – a strategic leadership group with members drawn from local government (elected officials and staff), the business community (including tourism), post-secondary institutions, representatives of the creative and cultural sector, important community agencies such as United Ways and Community Foundations, etc.
• Working Groups – struck to address specific actions and priorities. Members of the Working Groups can include members the Roundtable, but more importantly draw on knowledge and expertise in the community.
• Community engagement and expertise – strategies to tap the energy and expertise of the community. Some municipalities have instituted annual cultural summits to bring together the whole community to celebrate successes and identify strategic issues and priorities for the coming year.

Strengthening networks begins with better connecting groups in the creative and cultural sector across all disciplines with the not -for-profit and for-profit or commercial cultural organizations. Building stronger networks of cultural organizations helps to build a shared vision to enable the cultural community to participate more effectively and with more authority in three sector strategies and shared governance systems such as those described above.