Toronto, October 1, 2015 – The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport has launched a province-wide consultation to develop the first Culture Strategy for Ontario.
From October through December, people in Ontario can participate in the consultation in various ways:
- At town hall sessions in 11 communities (listed below) from October 13 to December 3, 2015.
- By sharing ideas via the Culture Talks website or on Twitter using #ONCulture.
- By responding to a discussion paper by December 7, 2015 (further details on how to submit comments on the discussion paper are posted on the government’s online Environmental Registry)
Consultations, which will include conversations with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, will run until December 7, 2015.
Cultural Strategy Town Hall Schedule – Venues and Times TBC
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 – Barrie
Thursday, October 15, 2015 – Hamilton
Thursday, October 22, 2015 – Thunder Bay
Thursday, October 29, 2015 – Sudbury
Wednesday, November 4, 2015 – Ottawa
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 – Markham
Thursday, November 12, 2015 – Toronto
Thursday, November 19, 2015 – London
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 – Kingston
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 – Mississauga
Thursday, December 3, 2015 – Windsor
The culture strategy developed through this process will set the government’s priorities and provide the plan to support the culture sector over the next five years.
A Culture Strategy Advisory Group will provide expertise and diverse perspectives on the role of culture in Ontario and the development of the culture strategy.
Background
Ontario currently supports four culture sectors: arts, cultural industries, cultural heritage(including community museums, heritage buildings, cultural heritage landscapes and archaeology) and public libraries. Over the years, demographic and technological changes have had a profound impact on the culture sector.
Supporting arts and culture in the province is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario.
Contact
Kirsten Gunter
Director of Communications
Ontario Arts Council
416-969-7403 or 1-800-387-0058 ext. 7403 | kgunter@arts.on.ca | www.arts.on.ca
For more information: culturetalks@ontario.ca
The Ontario Arts Council is the only provincial agency that funds the work of individual artists and provides stable, sustaining support to professional not-for-profit arts organizations, ensuring access and arts experiences for the people of Ontario. In 2014-15, the Ontario Arts Council funded 1,709 individual artists and 1,078 organizations in 204 communities across Ontario for a total of $52.1 million.
