A thriving arts scene creates a community that people want to live in – one where ideas, talents and cultures are celebrated, and identities are shared.
Serving the arts in the Ottawa region, Arts Network Ottawa builds relationships to generate greater awareness of the value of the arts and to strengthen our local arts sector.
As a member, you are ‘part of a strong voice’.
A new generation of cultural planning has arrived. Ottawa is ready to join it.
The Ottawa Cultural Alliance facilitated the creation of this new community-driven Cultural Roadmap for 2019-2022 that recommends the strategy and priorities for culture. The results are also intended to inform Ottawa City Council’s planning for the next four years.
Past Advocacy Work
2018 Election Year
As 2018 is an election year in Ontario and Ottawa, we encourage you to let your local candidates for office know that Ottawa’s arts scene matters to you.
October 17, 2018
Join the Ottawa Cultural Alliance and Ottawa leaders saying #OTTAWACULTURECOUNTS! Keep culture at the heart of our city and a term of council priority for 2019-2022.
Shopify Director of Talent Acquisition Anna Lambert:
FALL UPDATE – ONE WEEK UNTIL THE OTTAWA MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS – #OTTAWACULTURECOUNTS
One week from today, October 22, Ottawans will elect our 2019-2022 Mayor, City Councillors and School board trustees. Let’s take the value of culture into account as we vote!
Arts Network Ottawa asked all the candidates running in the election to provide us their thoughts about the arts, you can view their answers below:
See below for a list of candidates and their platforms.
NEW: Ward 1 residents are invited to an all-candidates debate on Wednesday, October 17th. Arts Network Ottawa will be on-hand to ask a question to the candidates on behalf of its members and the arts community.
Date: Wednesday, October 17th
Time: 6:30 pm sharp
Venue: Sir Wilfrid Laurier High School Cafeteria
Did you know that the arts provide both important economic and social benefits to our City? Yet our local artists and arts organizations are under-resourced. Find out more here.
FALL UPDATE – ELECTION TIME! – #OTTAWACULTURE COUNTS
A thriving arts and culture scene makes our city a great place to live. Monday October 22, Ottawans go to the polls to elect our 2019-2022 Mayor, City Councillors and School board trustees. Advance polls start October 4th. Let’s take the value of culture into account as we vote!
Did you know that the arts provide both important economic and social benefits to our City? Yet our local artists and arts organizations are under-resourced. Find out more here. Arts Network Ottawa supports the #OttawaCultureCounts campaign of the Ottawa Cultural Alliance.
What can you do? Don’t wait for candidates to come to you. Seek them out, ask them where they stand on advancing Ottawa’s local arts community! Tell them you know the value of the arts sector – for community-building, families, jobs and tourism.
How?
Ask them when they come to your door – or send them a message
Go to all-candidates debates
Check out their websites
Share the #OttawaCultureCounts message
Ask:
How are they involved in the arts in their ward?
Will they make arts and culture a priority for the next term of City Council?
Will they support the new Cultural Roadmap now in development by the local cultural community?
For School board trustees, ask how they would support increased attention to arts learning within the school curriculum.
For a complete list of Candidates running in all Wards and how to reach them go here or here.
SUMMER UPDATE
We wish to congratulate all those recently elected in the Provincial legislature. Thank you to Ottawa City Councillors who are not seeking reelection: Deputy Mayors Bob Monette (Orléans), Mark Taylor (Bay Ward), Jody Mitic (Innes ward), Marianne Wilkinson (Kanata North) for your service.
Advocacy 101 – Putting Cultural Priorities on the Agenda
April 23 | 5 – 7 PM | National Arts Centre Attend event and dinner
Solid evidence shows that the arts build strong communities with many social and economic benefits, please share or quote from these reliable sources to the candidate in your riding:
270,000 Ontario jobs are in culture (4% of the workforce); 41.2% of culture jobs in Canada.
The culture sector contributes $25.7B GDP in Ontario; 47.8% of Canada’s total culture GDP.
65% of Ontario business leaders say that a thriving arts and culture scene makes it easier to attract top talent to their communities.
Ontario is home to 39% of the Canadian population (14,279,196 people). Current federal arts and culture investments don’t reflect this population growth or our diverse cultural landscape.
The arts empower youth, especially at-risk youth, to succeed in school, in work and in later life. Canadians know this and 85% believe that investment in arts education assists in the emotional and intellectual development of children.
A healthy local arts ecology is interconnected with the community and its neighbourhoods. We strive to achieve a greater understanding of how the practice of art contributes positively to the development of the city and the quality of life of its citizens.
We strive for an inclusive, creative city where artists and arts organizations are thriving so that residents can engage with artistic diversity, and the sector makes a strong contribution to the social and economic development of Ottawa.
How we do this
Arts Network Ottawa advances initiatives to help the Ottawa arts scene thrive through increased partnership with and support from the public, private and non-profit sectors. We build ongoing relationships with:
Local representatives of municipal, provincial and federal governments and agencies
Chambers of Commerce and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)
Local media and educational institutions
Non-profits dedicated to community building
An example is our special Neighbourhood Arts 150 initiative where we brought together all parts of the community to offer free arts experiences in 21 neighbourhoods – all three levels of government, local businesses, philanthropists, media and over 50 community partners and agencies.
“The ability to come together as a community, to celebrate Canada 150 and to celebrate our roots perfectly embodies my view of Canadian culture. We are open. We are kind.
We are compassionate people. This project enables us to come together as a community and celebrate everything that we as a nation have accomplished in 150 years.” Jenna Sudds, Former member of the Kanata North Business Association
Advocacy Activities
2018
March 8, 2018
Attended International Women’s Day events
Level: International, Ottawa
Hosted by Mayor Watson and Councillor Diane Deans
March 3, 2018
Received the Non-Profit Organization of the Year at Orléans Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards
Joint Presentation: Finance and Economic Development Committee
Level: Municipal
Arts Network Ottawa and Ottawa Festivals
Importance of the City’s 6-year Arts Plan and cultural marketing initiatives for 2017 as part of Canada’s 150th year.
Orléans Chamber of Commerce 2015: Arts, Leisure & Recreation Business of the Year Award
Level: Ottawa: East
Marie-France Lalonde, MPP Ottawa-Orléans congratulated the Shenkman Arts Centre staff and resident arts partners (MIFO, OYP Theatre, Gloucester Pottery School, Arts Network Ottawa and the Ottawa School of Art) for their work to enrich the lives of our community.
Arts Network Ottawa Advocacy Committee met with East End City Councillors (Bob Monette, Tim Tierney, Jody Mitic and Stephen Blais) Importance of the arts to Ottawa’s vitality and the need to profile local arts in 2017 and make plans for 2018 and beyond.
Arts Network Ottawa's, Executive Director Victoria Steele participates in this event.
This event is a great opportunity for artists, arts managers and board members of arts organizations across the country to meet with Members of Parliament. It’s our opportunity to bring arts advocates from across the country together to collectively to speak to federal stakeholders and to talk with them about the value that the arts bring to Canadian communities.
Status Update: Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage and Culture in Ottawa (2013-2018)
Level: Ottawa
Please join the six member organizations of the Ottawa Cultural Alliance and senior City staff to learn about the status of the City's current Cultural Action Plan and help us to identify priorities moving forward. We are half way through the Plan and some of the initiatives are underway while others are behind schedule. Given the City's financial position, we face challenges to complete the Plan as approved in 2012.
It's time to review the Plan as a community and identify some next steps.
Arts Network Ottawa supports The Canadian Arts Coalition
Level: Federal
Arts Network Ottawa supports The Canadian Arts Coalition, a collaborative non-partisan movement spearheaded by a group of national arts service and membership organizations.
The Canadian Arts Coalition put together an #ArtsVote Election Toolkit to assist members and supporters during the Federal Elections. The Coalition offers documents to help spread the word via social media, to your networks, and to political candidates.
FEDERAL PARTIES' POSITIONS ON ARTS AND CULTURE
The Canadian Arts Coalition has contacted all the major parties running in the 2015 Federal Election with five important questions about the future of the arts in Canada. See answers
Ottawa Cultural Alliance Presentation to the Community and Protective Services Committee
Level: Ottawa
As one of the members of the newly formed Ottawa Cultural Alliance, Arts Network Ottawa presented to the City of Ottawa’s Community and Protective Services Committee on Thursday June 18 in support of the completion of the 2013-18 Renewed Action Plan for Art, Heritage and Culture in Ottawa.
The Ottawa Cultural Alliance is comprised of umbrella organizations that represent Ottawa’s arts, festival and heritage community: Arts Network Ottawa, Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa (CHOO|COPO), Heritage Ottawa, Ottawa Arts Council, Ottawa Festivals and Ottawa Museum Network. Its mission is to collectively advance Ottawa as a vibrant, cultural capital city.
Arts Network Ottawa thanked the City for its past support of the cultural sector.
Importance of completing the Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage and Culture in Ottawa (2013-2018).
Plan in advance and profile Ottawa’s local arts and heritage in 2017 as part of Canada’s 150th year.
Arts Network Ottawa Board of Directors and Victoria Steele met with East End City Councillors (Bob Monette, Tim Tierney, Jody Mitic and Stephen Blais)
Ottawa’s cultural assets, funding importance of the City’s 6-year Arts Plan and cultural marketing initiatives for 2017 as part of Canada’s 150th year.
Victoria Steele and Board member Denis St. Jules met with new local MPP to discuss Ottawa arts issues and the Ontario Arts Council.
Ottawa-Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi participated in consultations with the arts community on priorities for the future as part of the Arts Council’s Strategic Planning.
