Kingston Culture Plan Approved By City Council
I wanted to take this is opportunity to pass along word that the Kingston Culture Plan was approved by Kingston City Council on Tuesday, September 21 by unanimous vote. This is a very exciting moment as this show of support will help to strengthen and grow culture in Kingston as we begin the process of implementing the many diverse recommendations contained within the plan.
We are very pleased that Kingston's first ever Culture Plan has been recognized by City Council as a priority for the City. This is a transformative plan for the community and the region that will position Kingston in the 21st century creative economy. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have been involved in this process who provided their insights and ambitions in support of culture in Kingston.
We would also like to thank the team from the Canadian Urban Institute as well as all the consultants who were involved in this process for facilitating such a wide range of consultations both inside City Hall and within the community. As a result of the numerous meetings, workshops and discussions that were held between September 2009 and May 2010 we were able to work together to identify a shared set of needs, aspirations and values to shape the cultural development of the Kingston community over the next 10 years.
As we begin the work to implement the Kingston Culture Plan we also look forward to the new role that the Cultural Services department will play. As described in the KCP, it will be necessary for Cultural Services to function as a municipal cultural development agency that organizes the resources, knowledge and experience within the community to support cultural vitality throughout the city as a whole. Moving forward, I share the sentiments of Colin Wiginton, Manager, Cultural Services, who has stated that the Kingston Culture Plan presents a very exciting opportunity to build on the strengths that already exist in this city and to share our stories and our creativity with each other and with the world.
The Kingston Culture Plan as approved by City Council is now available on line at www.cityofkingston.ca/culturalpolicyplan. You can also sign up on line to be part of the Kingston Culture Plan mailing list to receive notice of opportunities related to building our city's cultural vitality. Printed copies of the KCP will also be available through the City Clerk's office and any additional questions can be can be directed to Colin Wiginton, Manager, Cultural Services, at (613) 546-4291 ext. 1357 or cwiginton@cityofkingston.ca.
Brian McCurdy, Cultural Director
City of Kingston
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