Report to/Rapport au:

Report to/Rapport au:

Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee

Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux

and Council/et au Conseil

24 March 2003/ le 24 mars 2003

Submitted by/Soumis par: Jocelyne St Jean, General Manager/Directrice générale

People Services Department/Services aux citoyens

Contact/Personne-ressource: Colleen Hendrick, Director/

Innovation, Development and Partnership

Directrice, Innovation, développement et partenariat

724-4122 ext. 24366, colleen.hendrick@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2003-PEO-IDP-0006

SUBJECT: OTTAWA 20/20 ARTS AND HERITAGE Plan

OBJET: PLAN POUR LES ARTS ET LE PATRIMOINE D’OTTAWA 20/20

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend Council approve the following:

1. Adoption of the five Strategic Directions contained in the Ottawa 20/20 Arts Plan, and outlined in this report;

2. Adoption of the three Strategic Directions contained in the Ottawa 20/20 Heritage Plan, and outlined in this report;

3. Adoption of the 10 Policy Statements included in the Ottawa 20/20 Arts Plan as outlined in Attachment A; and

4. Adoption of the 27 Policy Statements included in the Ottawa 20/20 Heritage Plan as outlined in Attachment B.

(The document entitled ‘The Ottawa 20/20 Arts and Heritage Plan’ has been forwarded previously to members of Council under separate cover.)

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux recommande au Conseil d’approuver :

1. l’adoption des cinq orientations stratégiques contenues dans le Plan pour les arts d’Ottawa 20/20 et décrites dans le présent rapport;

2. l’adoption des trois orientations stratégiques contenues dans le Plan pour le patrimoine d’Ottawa 20/20 et décrites dans le présent rapport;

3. l’adoption des dix énoncés de principes présentés dans le Plan pour les arts d’Ottawa 20/20 et décrits dans l’annexe A; et

4. l’adoption des 27 énoncés de principes présentés dans le Plan pour le patrimoine d’Ottawa 20/20 et décrits dans l’annexe B.

(Le document intitulé Plan pour les arts et le patrimoine d’Ottawa 20/20 a déjà été acheminé aux membres du Conseil sous pli séparé.)

BACKGROUND

Over the next 20 years, it is estimated that Ottawa’s population could potentially increase to 1.2 million. It is also anticipated that the city’s job base will experience an expansion in the range of 250,000 jobs by the year 2020. If realized, this degree of growth will undoubtedly result in significant changes to the physical, economic, social and cultural dynamic within the city. The question of how the City intends to effectively manage this anticipated growth is the basis of the Ottawa 20/20 initiative.

The overall growth management strategy is contained in five interrelated plans: The Official Plan, the Human Services Plan, the Economic Strategy, the Arts and Heritage Plan and an Environmental Strategy. As a collective, the Ottawa 20/20 plans form a comprehensive, integrated blueprint for securing the future of our community’s quality of life.

The purpose of the Arts and Heritage Plan is to provide long-term strategic direction by which the city can realize the vision and principles adopted for Ottawa by City Council in June 2002. The Arts and Heritage Plan is the first comprehensive plan for the future of arts and heritage in the new City of Ottawa. The plan provides a strategic framework for growth in the arts and heritage sectors over the next 20 years, related policy statements and a five-year workplan.

A strong local arts and heritage sector is essential to realizing Ottawa’s vision for a liveable, prosperous and sustainable city. Local arts and heritage are grounded in the community, in the actions of individuals, collectives and community-based organizations as well as City departments, working both independently and inter-dependently. The Arts and Heritage Plan presents strategies and initiatives within the areas of arts and heritage development, public art, heritage preservation, community arts, cultural facilities development, cultural industry, marketing and tourism.

The Arts Plan Discussion Paper and the draft Heritage Plan were released in December 2002, and have formed the basis for extensive public consultation, collaboration and debate over the past three months. The Plans presented today were informed and developed bythrough these consultations and collaborations.

DISCUSSION

Arts

The Arts Plan affirms the City’s capacity as a leader in nurturing and sustaining the local arts. Most local artistic activity is delivered by expert community partners. The Arts Plan aims to spark and support this activity, as well as help connect it to other sectors, other partners and other audiences for development purposes.

The Arts Plan protects and builds upon current arts services and programs that, through extensive consultation, citizens have told us they value. The Plan aims to encourage and provide opportunity over the next 20 years for new creators, new forms, new partners, new audiences, new alliances, new participants, new ways of operating, new resources and new sources of support.

The Arts Plan identifies five strategic directions, which will guide the City and its partners over the next 20 years. These strategic directions are:

· Broaden Public Access to the Local Arts

· Keep Ottawa’s Artists Here

· Build Creative Capacity

· Revitalize Public Places and Natural Spaces Through the Arts

· Realize Economic Potential of Local Cultural Sector

Strategic Direction One:

Broaden Public Access

A healthy and sustainable local arts sector translates into substantial individual and collective benefit for Ottawa’s residents. Ottawa’s local arts sector has excellent potential, strong promise and committed people to carry it forward. Currently, however, inadequacies in the sector’s infrastructure limit the ability of arts organizations to deliver services to the public.

Strategic Direction One aims to ensure that residents of Ottawa can benefit from a vibrant and sustainable local arts sector in 2020. Broad public access means affordable ticket prices, reasonable tuition and participation fees, safe and accessible venues, easy access to information, and opportunities to learn about Ottawa’s artistic heritage. In order for the local arts sector to deliver within these areas, the Arts Plan presents essential strategies related to funding, facilities, marketing and collecting/preserving.

Strategic Direction Two:

Keep Ottawa’s Artists Here

Currently, many artists in all disciplines (literary, media, performing and visual arts) are leaving Ottawa and bringing their talent to those Canadian centres that have greater infrastructure and support for the local arts sector. These cities are receiving the economic and social impact and benefit produced by the artistic talent that grew up and began to develop in Ottawa.

Strategic Direction Two aims to keep Ottawa’s artists here so that they can contribute to the development of their neighbourhoods, their disciplines, the city and its residents. The Arts Plan presents strategies that focus on increasing opportunities for Ottawa artists to work and to present their work.

Strategic Direction Three:

Build Creative Capacity

Creativity is about new ideas, and the discipline of developing, sharing and applying them. The creative process helps to break barriers, broaden linear thought and impart invaluable life skills. The creativity of children, youth, adults and seniors can be developed through practice and exposure to the arts and to practicing artists.

The seeds for the development of significant creative capacity are present in Ottawa, through programs (delivered by community partners and directly by the City) that focus on community arts, arts education and training. In order to achieve substantial results, however, attention and resources must be focused on this area in a co-ordinated manner and with an integrated approach.

Strategic Direction Three aims to bring together local health, education, childcare, recreation and arts sectors to continue important work in this area, and to connect the arts more intimately with community and individual development. Strategies around diversity, distinct communities, lifelong learning, special needs, arts education and training are presented in the Arts Plan.

Strategic Direction Four:

Revitalize Public Places and Natural Spaces

Cities often position the arts at the center of urban, suburban and rural revitalization efforts. Throughout North America and around the world, the arts have been employed to beautify and animate particular areas, helping to make communities and neighbourhoods more liveable and vital. Tangible results include enhanced property values, safer and more attractive geographic areas, an extension of the hours during which an area is active, increased employment for artists, and increased arts opportunities for residents and visitors.

A vibrant focus can also be established and maintained in natural areas, contributing in a meaningful way to an area’s environmental integrity, through creative green environments and gardens, land art, art pathways that follow existing green corridors, natural site-specific art etc.

Strategic Direction Four aims to bring the local arts to the table as a key player and contributor to the enrichment of the public landscape, and to the development of a diverse, stimulating and ecologically-sound environment. The arts can contribute significantly to city planning, design, environmental management and local revitalization efforts. The Arts Plan presents strategies around public art (integration of permanent, site-specific works of art into municipal buildings, natural places, public spaces and structures; commissioned through a community design process that includes artists, architects, citizens and city planners) and arts/cultural districts.

Strategic Direction Five:

Realize Economic Potential

Links between creativity, diversity, talent and technology are now driving the economic growth of Canada’s city-regions. City-regions in Canada that are leading centres of arts and immigration are blossoming as centres of technology-based industry. The two most striking features that these cities share are a thriving local arts scene and a highly diverse, tolerant social character.

The cultural sector in Ottawa is beginning to be recognized as an emerging and valuable component of the local economy – a seed cluster. This sector is growing in importance in the world economy, and is firmly linked to arts and cultural development. It includes artists of all disciplines as well as others working in creative professions and industries, the not-for-profit arts sector, the arts education sector and arts industries that produce or distribute products, content and services rooted in the arts.

Strategic Direction Five aims to capitalize on the links between culture, creativity and innovation. It focuses on developing, sustaining and advocating for Ottawa’s local cultural industry, and the creative talent/workforce that supports it. The Arts Plan presents strategies around linking creative, cultural talent with employer, and developing one-stop cultural industry support shops.

Heritage

Heritage stewardship is a dynamic process that acknowledges that each generation has a responsibility to care for non-renewable heritage resources and hand them on intact to future generations. It benefits both present and future generations. The community expects that the City will be the principal steward of Ottawa’s history and heritage, meaning that:

· Heritage preservation, presentation and promotion is a core municipal function.

· The City will lead by example in the preservation, presentation and promotion of local heritage.

· The City will foster the development of the local heritage sector through the creation of policy and legislation, the provision of advice, funding and facilities, the protection of resources, demonstration of best practices, and program delivery.

· The City is responsible to the people of Ottawa and works in partnership with individuals, entrepreneurs, local heritage organizations and businesses facilitating and enabling the development of community-based initiatives.

The Heritage Plan identifies three strategic directions, which will guide the City and its partners over the next 20 years. These strategic directions are:

· Identify, Collect and Preserve

· Research, Interpret and Promote

· Build Capacity

Strategic Direction One:

Identify, Collect and Preserve

Identification, collection and preservation of Ottawa’s documentary and material history, built heritage, archaeological resources, cultural heritage landscapes, cemeteries and burial grounds, are core heritage functions.

Documentary records are primary sources that are used to research and interpret local history. Material history objects, or artifacts, are tangible evidence of times past. As well as serving as reminders of where we have come from as a society, museum and archival collections provide inspiration for future creation and innovation. Designation and preservation of cultural heritage resources such as buildings, structures, sites, archaeological resources, rural and urban cultural heritage landscapes, areas and environments protect Ottawa’s unique heritage environment and are discussed in some detail in the Official Plan but are also addressed in the Heritage Plan.

Strategic Direction Two:

Research, Interpret and Promote

The city’s rich local heritage is often overshadowed by its identity as The Nation’s Capital. Yet there are multiple layers to Ottawa’s local heritage: aboriginal, multicultural, rural, urban, ancient, recent. Although much valuable local history has been undertaken, it is still necessary to conduct extensive primary research to identify and explore important themes in local history and to address gaps in collections and programs.

Research is the cornerstone of effective heritage designation, collections development and interpretive programming. In order to increase awareness of the importance of local heritage particularly among young Ottawans and recent immigrants, the heritage community needs to develop programs targeted to these audiences. There is a growing public interest in cultural and heritage tourism, but there has been little investment to date in marketing and promotion of local heritage attractions and events, and there is insufficient public awareness of existing resources. As well as improving heritage programming, we need to get the word out that local history and heritage is important in helping us to understand our place in the world today.

Strategic Direction Three:

Build Capacity

Strengthening the overall capacity of the City and its community partners to collect, preserve, and interpret local heritage is absolutely necessary. Volunteers within community-based heritage organizations undertake much of the critical heritage work. The contributions of these individuals and heritage organizations must be recognized, fostered and further developed in order that it will continue and grow.

Current financial resources are inadequate to maintain existing heritage facilities and programs, let alone to introduce new, innovative activities. Additional dollars, expertise and human resources are required to meet professional standards of heritage preservation and interpretation and to begin to tell the story of Ottawa as a city. However, since the funds required to implement this plan, particularly to establish additional heritage facilities and programs, may not be found entirely within the municipal budget, the City and its community partners will have to collaborate to identify new sources of funding that may be directed towards heritage.

Implementation of the Arts and Heritage Plan

It is anticipated that an Ottawa 20/20 Implementation Plan will be completed subsequent to Committee and Council approval of the five growth management plans. It is further anticipated that a Corporate Strategic Plan will be developed during 2003-2004 to provide the internal administrative processes required to support the Ottawa 20/20 Plans. These plans will be driven by the strategies included in the Arts and Heritage Plan.

It is in City Council’s approval of its annual budget and its long-term financial plan that the commitment to the direction of the Arts and Heritage Plan will be realized. The justification for each annual budget submission will indicate the contribution it makes to the strategic directions contained in these plans.

A number of priority initiatives have been identified that will help “kick-start” the implementation process over the next year. These initiatives have been chosen because they exemplify the City’s commitment to the strategic directions expressed in the Arts and Heritage Plan, and they offer an opportunity to begin the process of public engagement in implementation of the plans. These include:

· Developing a new, city-wide Visual Art Policy that harmonizes existing policies and develops a comprehensive municipal framework around art acquisition and purchase, collections management, conservation, exhibitions, galleries and public art;

· Developing guidelines for self-help projects to allow community groups and corporate sponsors to donate labour and materials towards the maintenance and restoration of city-owned heritage buildings and resources;

· Developing a five-year Cultural Facilities Strategy to support the development and improvement of local arts and heritage facilities;

· Developing a city-wide Arts and Heritage Marketing Plan;

· Supporting the School-based Ottawa Heritage Fairs;

· Developing and implementing a three-month Artist in Residence project at a City community centre – a collaborative, conceptual visual art project that links an established contemporary artist with at-risk youth.

Pending Council’s approval, it is anticipated that the City will implement a monitoring program consisting of indicators, surveys and research to assess changing conditions and performance related to the Ottawa 20/20 plans.

Monitoring these indicators over time will allow the City to respond to changing circumstances and continuously improve on the effectiveness of the Arts and Heritage Plan. Targets will be adopted for those indicators that lend themselves to such treatment.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

Approval of the Arts and Heritage Plan along with the other Ottawa 20/20 Plans will assist in increasing the preservation and integrity of our natural and built environment. The Environmental Advisory Committee has been involved in the Arts and Heritage Plan’s consultation and collaboration process.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

The Arts and Heritage Plan takes into consideration the provision of services to persons living and visiting the rural areas of Ottawa, recognizing the uniqueness of our rural communities and in keeping with the principles adopted within the Ottawa 20/20 growth management framework.

CONSULTATION

Arts

Early in December, the Arts Plan Discussion Paper was officially released for the purposes of public consultation and collaboration. The Discussion Paper, which was mailed or picked up by over 1,500 local individuals and organizations, had itself been prepared from broad consultation including:

a) public meetings and open houses as part of Ottawa 20/20 (February 2002);
b) municipal, cross departmental staff retreat focussed on the arts (February 2002);

c) Building a Creative City Forum (June 2002);

d) full working sessions with Ottawa’s Arts Advisory Committee and municipal arts staff (October 2002);

e) Ottawa 20/20 Tier One workshops and consultations (September to November 2002); and

f) ongoing feedback from Ottawa 20/20 website and on-line chats.

The Arts Plan Discussion Paper put forward a draft Arts Plan framework, vision, mission, goals and strategies.

Eight separate focus groups held in mid-December brought together 100 people - a diversity of expert Ottawa residents, artists, stakeholders, community partners, municipal staff from various departments and branches, and representatives from other government levels and agencies. Each focus group worked collectively within one Arts Plan strategic area, in order to validate, rework and prioritize suggested strategic actions.

In January, the focus group results were brought out for public consultation. Four public consultations, co-hosted by the City of Ottawa Arts Advisory Committee and the Ottawa 20/20 Arts Plan team, were held in different locations across Ottawa – west (Kanata), downtown Ottawa, east (Orléans) and south (Manotick). Approximately 200 residents participated and worked in pairs or small groups to rate the 24 short-term actions that had been previously defined by the focus groups.

The prioritization results of all four public consultation groups combined with 35 written, e-mailed, and faxed submissions from residents and various advisory committees form the basis for the final draft Arts Plan.

Heritage

Early in December, the draft Heritage Plan was released for public consultation. Over 1500 copies of the Plan were mailed or picked up by individuals and organizations. Individual presentations, attended by approximately 500 participants overall, were made to 32 heritage and community organizations representing over 5,000 members. The January 11^th public consultation attracted 100 residents. In addition, 26 written submissions were received from individuals and organizations.

The input from all of these consultations has been used to prepare the final draft Heritage Plan.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Approval of the Arts and Heritage Plan does not impact on the existing 2003 budget authorities. Implications for 2004 and subsequent years will be brought forward as part of the regular corporate budget process. It is anticipated that approval of the Ottawa 20/20 plans will enable a revision to the Long Range Financial Plans (capital and operational); however, any revisions will be brought forward for Committee and Council deliberation and approval.

ixATTACHMENT A

THE SPECIFIC POLICY STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THE OTTAWA 20/20 ARTS PLAN

The first three policy statements represent the essential key to achieving all subsequent strategies. Actions within these three policy areas require immediate attention if Ottawa is to be a creative and competitive city in 2020. Adoption of these three policy statements and delivery of their related actions will unlock the rest of the Arts Plan, and begin to allow for delivery in the remaining policy areas.

Strategic Direction One: Broaden Public Access to the Local Arts

The City will work with partners to develop and sustain municipal, corporate and other public investment in the local arts sector in order to provide adequate and diversified support and resources.

The City will spearhead a partnered drive aimed at greater access for Ottawa artists, audiences and community to a new and improved network of well-linked, adequately distributed and appropriately-supported venues for the local arts.

The City will engage in partnered efforts that make it easy for residents and visitors to access information about Ottawa’s dynamic local arts scene.

The City will develop a strengthened and more cohesive approach to the collection, protection, preservation and showcasing of Ottawa’s irreplaceable local artistic heritage.

Strategic Direction Two: Keep Ottawa’s Artists Here

The City will work with partners to increase opportunities for Ottawa artists to work and to present their work.

Strategic Direction Three: Build Creative Capacity

The City will strengthen and support multidisciplinary community arts programs and will develop a multi-sectoral support system aimed at building creative capacity within Ottawa’s distinct and diverse communities.

The City will engage in partnered efforts to educate and train people of all ages in the arts, and to strengthen the role of the arts in Ottawa’s diverse educational system.

Strategic Direction Four: Revitalize Public Places and Natural Spaces Through the Arts

The City will develop and implement a comprehensive municipal public art policy that results in:

a) the integration of permanent, site-specific works of art into municipal buildings, natural places, public spaces and structures; and

b) expanded partnered efforts to integrate public art into all major, new and re-development projects in Ottawa.

The City will spark and sustain urban and neighbourhood revitalization through the partnered development and nurturing of arts and cultural districts.

Strategic Direction Five: Realize Economic Potential of Local Cultural Sector

The City will engage in partnered efforts to develop, sustain and advocate for Ottawa’s local artistic and creative talent as a workforce for local industry.

ATTACHMENT B

THE SPECIFIC POLICY STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THE OTTAWA 20/20 HERITAGE PLAN

Strategic Direction One: Identify, Collect and Preserve

The City will maintain a City Archives with a corporate and community mandate.

The City will foster development of a museums network.

The City will establish and follow Collections Policies.

The City will provide the necessary storage facilities to house archival, museum and archaeological collections.

The City will provide resources to ensure the preventive conservation of City-owned collections.

The City will create Documentation Plans and Collections Plans for archival and museum collections.

The City will lobby the provincial government to improve relevant provincial legislation such as the Ontario Heritage Act.

The City will preserve distinct built heritage, streetscapes, and cultural heritage landscapes that serve as landmarks and symbols of local identity in both urban and rural districts as outlined in the Official Plan.

The City will identify and protect marked and unmarked or abandoned cemeteries or burial grounds.

The City will protect significant historic, pre-historic and underwater archaeological sites.

Strategic Direction Two: Research, Interpret and Promote

The City will establish a comprehensive commemorative policy.

The City will develop a new Public Art policy that is sensitive to local history and heritage.

The City will enhance programming at community and City-run museums and archives, particularly curriculum-based educational programs, special events, temporary and permanent exhibitions and virtual productions.

The City will expand programming beyond museums and archives to promote programs and activities in heritage environments as well as non-traditional spaces such as malls, festivals and other public venues.

The City will take the lead in the development of city-wide heritage programs and events, temporary and permanent exhibitions, and virtual productions.

The City will encourage people to research and write about Ottawa history and heritage.

The City will develop a Marketing Plan to effectively market the city’s heritage facilities and programs.

The City will collaborate with commercial tourism operators and the non-profit sector to improve the quality, accessibility and impact of heritage activities.

Strategic Direction Three: Build Capacity

The City will maintain appropriate Citizen’s Advisory Committees to advise and assist on heritage matters.

The City will establish guidelines for community involvement in municipal heritage initiatives.

The City will provide professional advice and guidance to community-based groups involved in heritage preservation and interpretation .

The City will create formal volunteer programs within museums and other heritage organizations.

The City will establish Heritage Awards in several categories and expand the number of awards as warranted.

The City will provide necessary funding to preserve and maintain its designated heritage buildings and those buildings used for heritage programs and activities.

The City will increase funding available to community-based heritage groups and individuals through its Heritage Funding Program.

The City will explore possibilities of external funding for enhancement of heritage programs and activities.

The City will become more entrepreneurial in its approach to heritage programs and activities.