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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2010

Municipal Candidates to respond on Arts Issues

Municipal candidates to respond on arts issues

Kingston, ON: Candidates for municipal office will be asked questions from members of the arts community and their supporters at an all candidates meeting on Tuesday, October 12th at 7:30 p.m. in the Press Lounge at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.

Arts supporters were out in force at the Focus on the Arts meeting during the 2006
municipal election campaign. City Council responded to the demands of arts supporters by making significant progress on a variety of arts issues over the past four years. The list of accomplishments by the outgoing Council include the completion of the Grand Theatre renovation, the creation of an Arts Advisory Committee and the Cultural Services Department, the establishment of the City of Kingston Arts Fund, the creation of The Kingston Culture Plan (KCP) and The Sustainable Kingston Plan, and the development of the JK Tett Centre restoration.

In the 2010 election the most important arts issues are the Kingston Culture Plan (KCP) and the Sustainable Kingston Plan (SKP). Culture and creativity are widely recognized as being central to community development and wealth creation. The KCP presents a big picture view of culture and the critical role it plays as major asset that can leverage benefits for the community as a whole. The SKP is the roadmap to transform Kingston into "Canada's most sustainable city" and culture is one of four pillars of sustainability. According to the SKP "creative, vibrant, and resilient places...create employment opportunities, expand the tax-base, and generally add real wealth to the community".

The new Council will be responsible for shaping the future of Kingston's cultural agenda by implementing and resourcing the Kingston Culture Plan and the Sustainable Kingston Plan.

Focus on the Arts is an All Candidates Meeting that will offer candidates for municipal office the opportunity to answer questions and to tell the community how they intend to implement these exciting plans over their term in office.

Candidates will be provided in advance with a list of questions that have been submitted by leading arts organizations in the city. After the formal part of the meeting members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions. Well-known Kingston arts supporter Brian Osborne will be the moderator for the evening.

Sponsors are the Kingston Arts Council and Canadian Federation of University Women
Kingston.

For further information, contact:

Heather Kembel 613 384-2240 or Barbara Linds -613 377-1856, or [email protected]