February 2008

Ontario Arts Council Strategic Planning Update

OAC’s comprehensive strategic planning process continues. The Ontario Arts Council hosted 26 consultations in several communities around the province from October to December 2007.

The sessions covered all art forms and included some specifically for the Aboriginal and francophone arts communities. (list of consultations below)

Preliminary Reports

The three consultants who facilitated these meetings, Decode, Equinox and Nanibush Innovations, have produced preliminary reports based on the consultations. These are rich with information about the realities and needs facing arts communities everywhere in Ontario.

We are having these translated and will be posting the reports on the OAC web site in the coming weeks so that the community can see and respond to major themes that have been identified. As soon as the draft reports are posted on our site, we will send out another Newsflash. (Sign up to receive news of our activities )

Discussions were wide-ranging and sometimes addressed issues that, although important, are not necessarily within the scope of OAC’s mandate.

One-on-one interviews

OAC will conduct one-on-one interviews with some individuals in the arts community and with representatives of other government agencies. We will also talk to people working in new immigrant communities, social services, education, and health.

Once these are completed, OAC staff will produce a draft strategic plan which will be presented to the OAC board of directors in April 2008.

The priorities that emerge will help OAC plan its directions and budgets over the next three years.

Future Directions and Program Budgets

In March 2007, the government announced a $15 million increase to OAC’s base funding over three years. As we stated last year, almost all arts sectors, including operating programs, will see a 30 per cent budget increase over the three year period from 2007/08 to 2009/10.

Many, but not all, organizations will see an increase to their operating grants over the three years if supported by assessment, including those in the midst of multi-year cycles. Individual project programs will also see increases.

If you have questions, please contact Kirsten Gunter, Director of Communications at kgunter@arts.on.ca or at 416-969-7403 / 1-800-387-0058 ext. 7403 (toll-free in Ontario).

 

Ontario Arts Council Strategic Plan Consultation Sessions 2007
Month	Date	Cities	Meetings	Consultants
Aug	23	Toronto	Toronto – Access jury - culturally diverse and Aboriginal artists	Wanda Nanibush
Oct	5	Six Nations	Southwest – Aboriginal artists and arts organizations	Nanibush Innovations
Oct	9	Toronto	Toronto – Culturally diverse artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	10	Sioux Lookout	Far North – Artists and arts organizations	Nanibush Innovations
Oct	11	Thunder Bay	Northwest – Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists and arts organizations	Nanibush Innovations
Oct	11	Toronto	Toronto – Culturally diverse artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	15	Sudbury	Northeast – Francophone non-arts organizations and individuals	Equinox
Oct	15	Sudbury	Northeast – Francophone artists and arts organizations	Equinox
Oct	16	Mississauga	South Central – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	17	Ottawa	East – Francophone artists and arts organizations	Equinox
Oct	18	Markham	South Central – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	18	Ottawa	East – Francophone arts services organizations	Equinox
Oct	19	London	Southwest - Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	23	Ottawa	East – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	24	Toronto	Toronto – Non-arts organizations and individuals	Decode
Oct	25	Toronto	Toronto – Arts Services Organizations	Decode
Oct	26	Sudbury	Northeast– Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	27	Manitoulin	Northeast – Individual artists and Aboriginal artists	Nanibush Innovations
Oct	30	Peterborough	Central – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Oct	30	Toronto	South Central – Francophone and non-arts organizations and individuals	Equinox
Nov	5	Toronto	South Central – Culturally diverse artists and arts organizations	Decode
Nov	6	Kapuskasing	Northeast – Francophone artists and arts organizations	Equinox
Nov	7	Windsor	Southwest – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Nov	13	Toronto	Toronto – Anchors	Decode
Nov	29	Toronto	Toronto – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Dec	4	Hamilton	Southwest – Artists and arts organizations	Decode
Dec	11	Toronto	South Central – Aboriginal artists and Aboriginal arts organizations	Nanibush Innovations