City of Powell River officials have commissioned two reports on the arts and culture sector in the community. The first report in 2012 included an inventory of local assets, market trends, local needs and gaps, as well as strategic opportunities for consideration. Council approved a second phase of research in 2012, to focus on investment attraction and exploring economic development opportunities in the arts, culture and creative sectors.
As it turned out, the author of both reports, Robyn Spencer, presented an outline of her work during the November 7 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Also on the agenda that day were representatives from three of the key arts and cultural organizations in the community.
Paul Cummings, music director of International Choral Kathaumixw, presented an overview of changes planned for the biannual event, as well as a report on a new initiative, a totem pole to be awarded to the Choir of the World. Arthur Arnold, music director of PRISMA (Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy) reported on the success of the inaugural season. Joyce Carlson, who heads up a Rotary Club of Powell River organizing committee for the Powell River Festival of the Performing Arts, announced the provincial festival will be held in our community in 2015.
According to the report, investment attraction is a key component in growing Powell River’s creative economy. “This is about attracting new resources to the sector, including dollars, but also people, ideas and other types of capital.”
The report has a variety of recommendations to help grow the sector, as well as examples that have worked in other cities and towns. One of the examples is to create a department of creative works and hire a director to head it. Others include earmarking tax revenues for the arts, cultural and creative sector, creating tax holidays for arts, culture and creative organizations and creating heritage tax incentive programs.
The revitalization of the arts and culture sector in our community has largely been as a result of non-profit organizations. The city has supported their work with grants, both cash and in-kind, in the past. It’s a formula that has worked well, as the support goes to the organizations, led by individuals with vision and passion, which are dedicated to the work they do.
At some point, council will receive a staff report with recommendations about implementing the ideas in the report. It is a must read for taxpayers in general and anyone involved in the arts and culture sector in particular, in order to provide informed feedback to elected officials.
