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Sustainability Action Areas

Currently we have sustainability activities underway in the following areas: agricultural land and food security, community resiliency and well-being, emergency response and community preparedness, energy, health care, housing and multi-level seniors care, sustainable economics: community currency, transportation priorities and actions, and water. To see what each group is up to click on the individual topic.

Arts & Culture

October 27, 2009

The following is a summary of the discussion held at the October 24th Sustainable Gabriola Community Forum. There are many groups and individuals on the island contributing to this topic area and we would like to acknowledge that work. Please feel free to email us specific actions that have been accomplished and those that are underway and we will post them on the site. It is hoped that the following points from our October 24th discussion will build on the work that has been done.

CONVENOR:

PARTICIPANTS:

Gabriel ?, Joelle Anthony, Peter Wishinski, Kelly Price, Dave ?, Jason Brown, Robert Huston

Emerging Priorities

  • Recognition of Arts & Culture as an essential and integrated part of life.
  • Strategies for how to increase cooperation and coordination and minimize competition in the arts community.
  • For work in the arts & culture sector to be sustainable, satisfying and fun.
  • Strategize about how to leverage our abilities individually and collectively towards greater sustainability.
  • Increase awareness in the community about issues facing the arts & culture sector.

What are the long term objectives related to this topic?

  • Identify bridges and community partnerships that currently exist between Gabriola organizations related to Arts & Culture. Identify gaps, opportunities and potential challenges.
  • Strategize about how to develop and promote the arts & culture of Gabriola, in the larger cultural landscape.
  • Creation of a Gabriola Arts & Cultural Centre that is centrally located, a place for everyone that nurtures creativity, education and performance.
  • Develop sister city relationships. Share knowledge and build relationships.
  • Explore solutions for managing saturation (how to create a balanced relationship between our local economy and local cultural production).
  • Explore ways to keep Gabriola on the map as a destination that can attract visiting musicians and performers nationally and internationally.
  • Encourage those who are able to invest, to invest locally, as a way of building on the skills, expertise and wealth that already exists in the community.
  • Improve youth access and participation in local arts & culture.
  • Work to develop high-calibre arts education for youth (mentorship opportunities) and empower youth to develop their own arts & culture programming.
  • Create access to low carbon transportation solutions. (work with Transportation group)

What are the short and medium term actions needed to achieve the objectives?

  • Map the arts & culture economy of Gabriola. (work with Economy group)
  • Develop a network that identifies the skills and resources that exist in the community and that can function as a shared community resource.
  • Use the arts as a tool to engage the Gabriola community in the Sustainable Gabriola Project. (ex. develop a Sustainability Film Festival).
  • Continue to meet.

How will we know we have been successful?

  • To be determined.

What organizations and individuals need to be involved?

  • Gabriola arts & culture venues
  • Gabriola arts organizations
  • Individuals that make a significant portion of their income from their work in the arts & culture economy (professional/semi-professional musicians, writers, artists, designers, architects, actors, dancers etc.
  • Galleries/Studios
  • Art/Theatre/Music/Dance teachers/instructors/workshop leaders