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David Miller's Art Policy
Action Plan for Arts, Culture and Heritage
There is
universal recognition that the arts contribute significantly to
the economic, spiritual and cultural well-being of all great cities
– and Toronto is no exception.
Toronto has been known across North America as an exciting, vibrant city,
with an arts community which adds immeasurable richness to the
cultural wealth of the province and contributes billions of dollars
annually to the economy.
Toronto has an incredibly rich pool of talent and resources. There are
over 190,000 culture jobs in this city, generating more than $9
billion of economic activity. The film and television production
industry alone provides 28,000 jobs, making it one of the largest
employers in the city.
City government plays an important role in supporting Toronto’s cultural life.
Almost one third of Toronto’s cultural facilities are directly
owned by the City. Council recently adopted the Culture Plan for
the Creative City, a plan that lays out ideas and initiatives
to strengthen this important sector.
Toronto
is on the cusp of a cultural renaissance. Major cultural institutions
in Toronto are undergoing a physical renewal and expansion with
new construction and renovations of facilities such as the Art
Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, the new Opera House
and more.
Although
money is being spent on buildings, we lag far behind in the support
we give to our artists. From 1990 to 2000 the City’s funding for
the arts fell by 35 per cent. It is estimated that Toronto is
losing some $3.4 billion annually in tourism because visitors
find our attractions stale and tired.
Toronto
spends less per capita on arts and culture than other major cities
which do not depend solely on the property tax base to fund the
arts. For example, both Montreal and Vancouver have a hotel levy,
a nominal fee added to the cost of hotel rooms that helps fund
marketing for arts and cultural activities.
I have
seen first hand how the arts community can help revitalize our
neighbourhoods and our economy. Revitalizing our arts and cultural
industries will benefit the whole city.
As Mayor,
I will be a visible and active arts supporter, participating enthusiastically
in the cultural riches our city has to offer
I will:
- Convene and chair the Mayor’s Council on Arts and Culture
- Strengthen our investment in the arts and make Toronto more
film friendly
- Ensure that people in the city’s neighbourhoods and ethno
cultural communities have access to cultural activities that
are relevant to them
- Keep the City front and centre as an active participant in
the cultural renaissance, which is an essential element in the
renewal of Toronto
The Mayor’s Council on
Arts and Culture will have representation from the private sector,
the not-for-profit community and all our diverse ethno-cultural
organizations and individuals. It will provide advice on:
- Implementation of the City of Toronto’s Culture Plan for the
Creative City
- Building or enhancing partnerships with Toronto’s corporate
sector
- Action we can take to ensure our film and television industry
remains strong and competitive
- Action we can take to help large and small arts, cultural
and heritage groups strengthen their organizations and resources
- Action we can take to take advantage of Toronto’s rich multicultural
heritage and new forms of expression
- Improving the way we recognize artistic accomplishment
- Action we can take to ensure that arts, culture and heritage
issues are taken into consideration on all significant public
projects.
Strengthening our investment
in the arts will benefit the city’s economy and its vibrancy.
As Mayor I will:
- Implement the City’s Culture Plan, including increasing funding
to the Toronto Arts Council by 25 per cent ($2 million) and
developing tax incentives for heritage preservation.
- Work with the Board of Trade, Tourism Toronto and the Greater
Toronto Hotel Association to get authority from the Province
to implement a hotel levy. A portion of the revenue generated
would be used to significantly increase funding for arts, cultural
and heritage programs and on marketing our attractions.
- Encourage the conservation of heritage buildings and sites
by:
- supporting the preservation of heritage neighbourhoods
where designation has been requested
- giving Ontario Heritage Board designations additional
weight for applications to the Ontario Municipal Board
- strengthening the City’s Heritage Tax Grant program to
encourage heritage conservation work
- Improve access to City-owned space at below market rents for
practicing artists and non-profit arts groups.
- Bring the Toronto Film and Television Office into the Mayor’s
office and create one-stop shopping for permits, parking, police
and other services.
Film and
television production is more than a $1 billion dollar industry
in Toronto. But film and television production is a more transient
and competitive industry than most. Because of its economic importance,
we should do whatever we can to make Toronto as film friendly
as possible.
Ensuring access to arts
and cultural activities for people throughout the city by:
- Creating a reasonably priced arts pass that offers access
to a variety of cultural venues and events (for instance the
Science Centre, AGO, festivals, music and theatre events)
- Creating a Cultural Metropass which would provide cultural
attractions as part of a TTC pass and improve accessibility
for residents from all parts of this city
- Implementing a Summer Celebration of the Arts annually from
May to September to showcase and promote existing and new festivals
and multicultural events occurring across the city
- Promoting the establishment and expansion of programs in local
communities to make the arts available to children, seniors
and economically disadvantaged individuals
- Recognizing that the arts can spark community revitalization
in Toronto’s neighbourhoods and making provision of cultural
facilities a key part of neighbourhood planning
- Working to establish cultural hubs with studio and performing
spaces throughout Toronto, with an emphasis on the needs of
arts and cultural communities outside the central core
- Working with the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation
to help build the Museum of Toronto on Toronto’s waterfront
to celebrate the many Aboriginal and ethno-racial cultures that
have made this one of the most multicultural cities in the world
Keeping the City front
and centre as an active participant in the cultural renaissance,
which is an essential element in the renewal of this City. I will
accomplish this by:
- Encouraging corporate partners to support arts access programs
such as making cheap tickets available for young people and
seniors
- Encouraging partnerships between Parks and Recreation, Toronto
Regional Conservation Authority and local arts groups to promote
the use of public parks, trails, and natural regeneration areas
throughout the city as places of cultural engagement and discovery
through performances, nature walks and historical tours
- Developing partnerships with youth groups, school boards,
local arts service groups, ethno-racial and community groups
and social service groups to link Toronto’s youth to arts, culture
and heritage programs across the city
- Strengthening Toronto’s relationship with the federal government
and
- advocating for improved income tax incentives for those
who support arts, culture and heritage
- Urging the federal government to divert a portion of the
GST on places of amusement for five years to encourage cultural
development
- Strengthen Toronto’s relationship with the provincial government
and urging it to:
- restore the Ontario Arts Council’s budget to 1994 levels
- implement tax incentive zones in Toronto to encourage
cultural industries and clusters of complementary cultural
businesses
- divert 2 per cent of the PST on places of amusement for
five years to encourage cultural development
- strengthen tax incentives for heritage preservation and
conservation and adaptive re-use of private and public sites
such as the Distillery District and the Roundhouse
- Strengthen cultural exchanges with national and international
cities that promote and create a better understanding of the
participating cities’ arts, culture and heritage communities
Conclusion
Toronto’s
arts, culture and heritage help define our City and make it a
great place to live, work and visit. Major cultural capital projects
are driving a cultural revitalization but we must take action
to ensure this momentum is not lost. As Mayor I will provide the
leadership that will help all Torontonians benefit from this cultural
renewal. My action plan uses existing City resources creatively
and encourages partnerships with the private and non-profit sectors.
I am also calling on our provincial and federal governments to
provide Toronto with the tools and support it needs to make sure
the City’s position as Canada’s cultural capital and economic
engine is protected and enhanced. My vision of a culturally revitalized
city is critical to keeping Toronto a great place to live, work
and visit.
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