8/4/2019 State of the Arts Topic 8: How can we forge urban- rural connections in the arts community?

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Discussion Report

#8

Topic-Howcanweforgeurban-ruralconnectionsinthearts

community?

Initiator-LouiseAbbott

Participants-LouiseAbbott,PeterMacGibbon,RobertRooney,CharlesTaker,HelenMeredith,

KatiaGrubisic

DiscussionKeyPoints

Inacitytheressomuchmoretodo.Inavillagetheressomuchmoretobe.

Wediscussedthereasonswhytheartistparticipantshadchosentoliveinaruralareaandwhyruralareasingeneralarebecomingincreasinglyviablelivingplacesforartists.Asoneparticipant

pointedout,citiesarefacingnumerouscriseswitherodingeconomies,crumblinginfrastructure,

etc.

Wespentaconsiderableamountoftimediscussinghowwecanbringcityartiststothecountry

viavariouskindsoftouringprojects,whetherinvolving,forexample,theatrecompaniesor

individualpoets.ItwaspointedoutthatELANhasgottenfundingforatouringproject

coordinatedbyElsaBolam.

Itwassuggestedthatapermanenttouringnetworkbedevelopedthatwouldencompassa

broadrangeofarts,includingthevisualartsthroughtravellingexhibitions.

WetouchedupontheviabilityofvideoconferencingthroughCommunityLearningCentres(CLC)

andcreatingexchangesinotherwayswithfellowruralcommunities.Oneparticipantwhosits

ontheCommunityResourceCommitteefortheCLCnetworksaidthattheschoolsthathostCLCs

havenotyetdeterminedhowtoaccessartsandcultureefficientlyaandeffectivelythroughthe

videoconferencenetwork.AstheCLCsoperateindependently,ratherthanasafullycoordinated

network,thisisanongoingchallengeforanycontentprovider.

Intermsofbridgingtheanglophone-francophonegapandenlargingaudiencestoensurethe

sustainabilityoflocalartsventures,itwassuggestedthattop-flightfrancophoneartistscouldbe

invitedtoparticipate.Thereisaprovincialnetworkonthefrancophonesidetoenablesuch

artiststoperforminsmallvenues.Itwouldbeidealifaparallelnetworkcouldbecreatedonthe

anglophoneside.

Fundingissueswerediscussed,includingthecumbersomenatureandslownessofgovernment

granting.Thefactthatfundingtendstobeproject-basedwascriticized;ahighlysuccessful

projectwontbeeligibleforfundingagain.Onegovernmentrepresentativesuggestedinviting

agencyrepresentativestotheruralareasfordiscussion.Anothersaidtocallthedepartmentin

question.

8/4/2019 State of the Arts Topic 8: How can we forge urban- rural connections in the arts community?

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Discussion Report # 8 p. 2

Wealsodiscussedhowtobringruralartiststothecitythrough,forexample,writersinresidency

programs.Thereisanonlinedatabaseofsuchresidencies.

ItwasalsosuggestedthatMontreal-basedorganizationsbesuretoincluderuralartistsin

events.Forexample,theQuebecWritersFederationcouldinviteruralmusicianstoperformat

theirgala.

Onethingthatwasveryclearfromourdiscussionisthatruralcommunities,howeversmall,

howeverfarawayfromurbancentres,canbehotbedsofcreativity!