Culture dominated the City of Powell River’s November 7 committee-of-the-whole meeting, with four delegations presenting reports about topics related to this growing sector of the economy.
Although last on the list of delegations, Joyce Carlson, chair of the Rotary Club of Powell River’s Festival of the Performing Arts organizing committee, announced that Powell River has been asked to host the provincial festival in 2015. “It will be very exciting to have it here,” Carlson said. “We’re here to let you know that May 26 to May 31, 2015, we are inviting the province to come to Powell River.”
In 2014, the Powell River festival will mark its 70th anniversary. Rotary Club has run the festival for the last 11 years.
Powell River hosted the provincial festival in 1997. Provincial festival organizers originally asked Powell River to host the event in 2014, but because International Choral Kathaumixw is taking place then, as well as PRISMA (Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy), the committee asked to host the event in 2015 instead.
Recently, Carlson and Jill Ehgoetz, a Rotarian and a member of the organizing committee, travelled to Penticton, which is hosting the 2014 provincial festival, to attend the AGM (annual general meeting) of Performing Arts BC. A year from now, Powell River will host the AGM, Carlson explained. “There will be probably about 50 people who will come,” she said. “Part of what they’ll do will be to go on a venue tour. We’ll have all our venues in place.”
There are 34 regional festivals throughout British Columbia and those festivals feed into the performing arts festival for all of British Columbia.
Paul Cummings, Kathaumixw music director, was another of the four delegations. He presented information about what’s new for the choral festival, including branding, merchandising and the reintroduction of promenade concerts. So far, the festival has received 27 applications, including three from Europe and eight from Africa.
Cummings also explained the concept of a proposal called Choir of the World Totem Pole. As previously reported in the Peak, the idea is to commission a totem pole that will be presented to the overall winner of the festival. The totem pole would be shipped to the choir’s hometown, along with a group of community representatives who would comprise a trade mission.
The totem pole project has never been done before, Cummings said. “It is newsworthy on many levels, exciting, culturally enriching, and it’s the ideal vessel for partners to share in a valuable international experience.”
The budget for the project is $20,000 and it is hoped that 10 partners will contribute $2,000 each. Cummings asked if the city would be one of the partners and the committee passed a motion directing staff to prepare a report about the proposal, with recommendations.
Arthur Arnold, PRISMA’s music director, also made a presentation, about the cultural and economic benefits of the event. He also asked council to consider putting PRISMA as a line item in the city’s budget. Currently, the organization has to apply to the Powell River Arts Council for a grant. “Since we have to plan ahead, we need greater certainty,” he said. “We should not be worrying every year, will we find the money, will we get support...It will give us the tools to keep improving and bringing this to a higher level.”
The committee passed a motion directing staff to prepare a report about his request, with recommendations.
As well, the committee received Phase Two of the Powell River Arts, Culture and Creative Initiative, prepared by Robyn Spencer, who Skyped into the meeting for a while to make a presentation about the report, then finished up over the telephone when technical difficulties arose. The report explores economic development opportunities in the sector, which is expanding in the region, and outlines target markets for investment attraction, as well as policies, programs and tools to support the sector.
The committee decided to attach the report to the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Revitalization and directed staff to prepare a report with recommendations for implementation.
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