Arts Council's upcoming seminar eyes increased collaboration within artistic community
Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Hollie Pratt-CampbellEMC Events - A quick glance through any local events listing reveals that Kingston is a very happening town in matters of the arts. But imagine how much more vibrant we could be if local arts communities learned to better coordinate talents and resources, and collaborate more effectively with one another?
To help inspire community members to maximize the city's arts potential, the Kingston Arts Council (KAC) is hosting a seminar called Building Arts Communities in Kingston Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Grand Theatre, followed by a public forum Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Renaissance Event Venue.
KAC Program Coordinator Greg Tilson explains that the goal is to pinpoint ways in which artists and art enthusiasts can become more connected with one another within the city and surrounding area.
"There's a lot going on, but often all those different things don't know what each other is doing," he says. "Sometimes events compete against each other, and that can be avoided."
To get the ball rolling, the KAC has already created a section on their website where local artists and organizations can post profiles about themselves and promote upcoming events. They have also created a documentary highlighting many different facets of the local arts scene, which will premiere at the Feb. 15 seminar.
"I'm really excited about the documentary," says Tilson. "We interviewed over 50 people from all kinds of different arts backgrounds, and really captured something unique that will give people a sense of having their thumb on the pulse of what the issues are in Kingston right now."
There are many different avenues that can be explored, he notes, such as that of increased collaboration. Tilson points out that certain local organizations, such as WritersFest, already do a great job of bridging the city's different arts communities:
"(WritersFest has) a specific mandate that revolves around literature, but if you look at their programming they will have a poet with a local musician (etc.). They know how to utilize the different arts communities in Kingston so they can share their audiences. They do that very well and I think the rest of Kingston could move more in that direction."
The idea of finding space for art is another challenging issue faced by many in the Limestone City.
"Everything from performance venues to workshops to studio space (can be hard to come by)," says Tilson. "There are the obvious ones - The Grand, bars, galleries. But they're not necessarily dispersed evenly throughout the city. We need to work together to identify spaces artists can use."
To help mobilize Kingstonians to action, the KAC is hosting renowned speaker Simon Brault, Vice-Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, CEO of the National Theatre School and author of the book No Culture No Future. Brault is famous for being extremely knowledgeable on the subject of arts communities, and has witnessed first-hand the benefits of effective collaboration - particularly in his hometown of Montreal, famous for a number of artistic achievements including the world famous Cirque du Soleil.
"I'm hoping he will be a source of inspiration," says Tilson. "I think he's going to spark some really exciting discussion on how...to take it to the next level and become a really happening arts city."
The audience will also hear from Justin Langlois, co-Founder and director of Broken City Lab Artist Collective in Windsor, and Annalee Adair, manager of community engagement and education at the City of Kingston.
Of course, the evening would not be complete without showcasing some highlights from the local arts community, and the audience will be treated to the music of local bands Sheesham and Lotus and Samba Maracuja, as well as a performance from the Kingston School of Dance.
A public forum will then be held the following afternoon at the Renaissance Event Venue in order to give members of the public the opportunity to speak their minds on the subject of arts in Kingston.
"Hopefully (it will draw) people that don't always have the chance to speak to (share their needs and ideas)," says Tilson, explaining that the KAC is looking forward to incorporating the feedback received into future programming.
He adds that the hope is to draw as diverse an audience as possible to both events.
"We want to get people thinking about the arts as being an important dimension of our lives as opposed to this sector that's separate from us. I think if all groups - business, education, etc. - can see the arts as something that relates to them...they can all feel more connected and help to build community."
For more information, please visit the KAC website at www.artskingston.com.
hpratt-campbell@theemc.ca
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