Thanks for posting that info. Every one of those questions seems important to address to me.

i was invited by Rita Davis’ office, I think. I’m sure you could get invited.

below is a text of the invite, and all the prep stuff they sent, which outlines the agenda etc.

January 28, 2011

Dear Colleague,

As a valued member of the cultural community, we invite you to work with us to develop an
action plan for the City of Toronto’s cultural sector. Councillor Michael Thompson, Chair of
the City’s Economic Development Committee has announced the formation of the Creative
Capital Initiative. The initiative is a partnership between the City and the arts and culture
community to provide expert advice and recommendations to update the City’s 2003 Culture
Plan for the new term of Council.

The Co-Chairs of the Creative Capital Initiative, Robert Foster (CEO Capital Canada),
Karen Kain (Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada), and former federal Cabinet
Minister Jim Prentice (Vice-Chairman, CIBC) are joined by an Advisory Council which
includes: Nichole Anderson (President and CEO, Business for the Arts), Cameron Bailey
(Co-Director, Toronto International Film Festival Group), Claire Hopkinson (Executive
Director, Toronto Arts Council), Che Kothari (Executive Director, Manifesto Community
Projects) and Gail Lord (Co-President, Lord Cultural Resources). The Creative Capital
Initiative will also be advised by Richard Florida (author and Director of the Martin
Prosperity Institute) and Jeff Melanson (Special Advisor to the Mayor – Arts & Culture).

You are invited to attend a meeting on Thursday, February 3 from 8-10:15 a.m. at St.
Lawrence Hall – 157 King Street East (at Jarvis), Great Hall – 3rd floor, to give your
input to the plan. You will be forwarded some material and questions to consider before the
meeting.

This plan will not sit on a shelf. It will set the direction for the City. A new administration
affords us the opportunity to assess where we are and set new goals. With the support of City
staff, we would like to meet with you to understand your issues and aspirations, hear your
concerns and listen to your ideas.

The 2003 Culture Plan recognized that great cities of the world are all Creative Cities whose
citizens work with ideas, are intensely mobile and insist on a high quality of life. Since its
adoption, the Culture Plan has successfully shaped the City’s cultural strategy and fostered
the growth of the cultural sector. To date, 87% of the Culture Plan’s 63 recommendations
have been implemented. Much has changed since the 2003. Cultural infrastructure
investment has had a huge impact on Toronto’s major institutions. New events such as Nuit
Blanche and Luminato attract thousands of visitors and build community. Established
festivals such as Pride and Caribana continue to flourish. While the global economy has
faltered, Toronto’s creative community has continued to develop and grow.

Building on the opportunities presented by this vibrant sector, we will further the work of
creating a global creative city where culture is the sharp edge of our competitive advantage.

Please confirm your attendance by replying to culture@toronto.ca at the City of
Toronto, or by phone at 416-392-4012 before Monday, January 31 at 3 p.m.

We look forward to hearing from you.

January 28, 2011

here’s text from the prep info:
BACKGROUNDER
CREATIVE CAPITAL INITIATIVE

In June 2003, City Council adopted the Culture Plan for the Creative City, a 10-year plan for the
then recently amalgamated City of Toronto. The Culture Plan aimed to increase the role of
culture in the economic and social development of the city and it contained sixty-three
recommendations to promote the development of the city’s arts, culture and heritage assets
with a goal of positioning Toronto as a globally competitive Creative City.

Recommendations focused on all aspects of cultural development from public art, museums
and community arts to strategies for financing growth, investing in the future and harnessing
the economic power of the cultural sector. Progress Reports were issued in February 2005 and
November 2008.

To date, 87% of the Culture Plan’s sixty-three recommendations have been implemented.
Major accomplishments since 2003 include:
• A 41% increase in funding to the Toronto Arts Council and Major Cultural
Organizations
• Toronto’s designation as the 2005 Cultural Capital of Canada
• Over $3M invested in TO Live with Culture, promoting Toronto’s brand as a creative
and dynamic city and creating a legacy of cultural promotion in the city
• The creation of Nuit Blanche, a free, all-night contemporary art even, now in its 6th
year
• The establishment of a 6 year CultureBuild grant program which provided almost
$2M to small and mid-sized arts organizations to help their facilities achieve a state
of good repair
• A Toronto Community Arts Action Plan, adopted by Council in 2008

Although the city has taken great strides forward, the major outstanding recommendation is
the commitment to raise Toronto’s per capita cultural investment to $25; the current level is
$18 per capita. In August 2010, Council reaffirmed its commitment to continue to target the
Culture Plan cultural investment goal of $25 per capita by Operating Budget 2013. (For more
information see: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2010.EX46.37)

Overall, the Culture Plan recognized that great cities of the world are all Creative Cities whose
citizens work with ideas, are intensely mobile and insist on a high quality of life. Such cities, and
their citizens, have an overwhelming impact on the economies of their countries and compete
with one another directly for trade, investment and, most of all, for talent.

The Culture Plan’s main aim is to enhance Toronto’s place as a leading international cultural
centre and to increase the role of culture in the economic and social development of the city.

A copy of the 2003 Culture Plan and its 2005 and 2008 Progress reports can be found here:
http://www.toronto.ca/culture/cultureplan.htm

here’s the agenda:
Municipal Investment in the Arts
Issue: Toronto’s investment in culture and the investment required to compete internationally;
increasing access to cultural activity and improving affordability

Main Discussion Tables

Measuring and Valuing Culture

The 2003 Culture Plan contains 11 metrics by which the City measured the health of the
Creative City (per capita investment in culture; funds leveraged by City grants; # of culture sector jobs;

•

impact of culture sector on Toronto’s GDP; Toronto’s ranking on Florida’s Creativity Index; # of and
attendance at city-funded cultural events; # of and attendance at city-funded cultural programs for
youth; # of new arts organizations funded; # of designated and listed heritage properties; # of location
permits issued for film and TV productions; and number of visitors to Toronto). Which do you feel are

or are not appropriate? Which do you feel better reflect the health of the Creative City?
How do you measure the value you create in your organization and what have you learned
through this process?
How, in going beyond targets, can we best capture the value of culture?

•

•

Access, inclusion and arts education

How can we ensure all citizens, particularly youth, benefit from public investment in culture?
Are there any tools or services that the City could provide that would help you to improve
affordability and access?
How can we increase the accessibility and appeal of culture to low income families and new
citizens?

•
•

•

Toronto’s position as a Creative Capital

What should Toronto be focusing on in the next five years to raise its profile as a Creative
Capital and what are the greatest challenges to accomplishing those goals?
Culture is a major contributor to Toronto’s prosperity. What is the best way to make this case?
Toronto is hosting the Pan Am Games in 2015. What are the opportunities and challenges of
this event?

•

•
•

Big Opportunities Ahead

How can the City encourage new cooperation and collaboration among artists and cultural
groups across the GTA and what could be accomplished? How can the City enhance
collaboration between the arts and other city sectors?
Where can municipal investments in culture make the biggest impact?
What are the big opportunities that could define culture in the city in next 5 years?

•

•
•

Quick Wins & Urgent Messages

If you could make one recommendation to the Mayor and Council regarding culture in
Toronto, what would it be?
What are the greatest challenges facing your sector today as you see it?
What are some easy things City Hall can do to support your work and the value you create?