Candidate’s Info:
Sanja Maric
Ward 10
ultimatefocus@hotmail.com
1. Implementing the MCMP:
The Municipal Cultural Master Plan represents a strong commitment by the City to significantly support the arts in a variety of ways that will help to harness the economic and creative potential of the entire arts community, however, there has not yet been a firm commitment in terms of schedule or budget to realize any of the new proposed initiatives in the MCMP. Of the 15 as-yet-unrealized recommendations in the MCMP, which ones would you prioritize and complement with the necessary financial support and political commitment in order to successfully implement them?
Once the Cultural Funding Commission and the positions within Cultural Affairs positions are in place, the collaboration of the cultural organization investment strategy and fund should be established. All other recommendations should fall into place once the base of the MCMP is secured with specified guidelines through the collaboration of the Cultural Funding Commission and the Cultural Affairs office.
2. Arts Infrastructure:
Given the substantial economic, cultural, and social successes realized by other North America cities through the development of exceptional arts facilities, given the enthusiasm for multiple arts organizations in the region to work together and the proven track record of such facilities to transform the urban landscape, and given the recently adopted Municipal Cultural Master Plan’s directive to provide capacity-building support for arts organizations, how will you support our region’s infrastructural needs for multi-use, multi-organization arts and culture facilities such as the Capitol Theatre and Armouries-Palace?
3. Economy and the Arts:
Artists and arts organizations across the region bring in millions of dollars every year in revenue through grants, sales, private investment, and donations, infusing additional millions of dollars back into the local economy. Over the last twenty years, across the province, arts and culture industries grew 14% more than the rest of the economy. As the arts are a long-proven driver of economic development in the city and beyond, what will you do to ensure that the arts and culture community can bring even more investment, talent, and dollars to the region?
Sanja Maric: I will support the development of partnerships with educational institutions, stakeholders and all levels of government to enable the direct economic development of the arts. The development of an arts district would be essential to the revitalization of this community.
This community has many different aspects of the arts from the Symphony, the Theatre, the Buskers and the Fringe Festival, Art in the Park, concerts, painters, sculptors, the film festival, Carrousel of Nations, Artcite, the Art Gallery, poetry at the Phog Lounge or Toloola Cafe and the list goes on. The possibility to expand on our successes is viable as long as we work together.
4. Arts and Culture Funding:
Strong financial investment in arts and culture has direct and tangible economic and social returns, as measured by economists such as Richard Florida, Statistics Canada, and the Conference Board of Canada, and as demonstrated in cities around the world. This investment engages residents and draws new talent, assists in fostering new businesses, and creates a healthier and more vibrant community. With that in mind,how much of the municipal budget would you allocate to arts and culture, and how would you justify that spending to your constituents?
However, due to the high unemployment rate in this area and the lower population rate, City Council would have to make a fair and viable determination on the dollar value to be contributed to the arts per resident of Windsor. The ability of the City of Windsor to increase the economic development of the area including the arts sector should be re-evaluated once the city is experiencing better employment rates.
5. Your vision for our Region’s Arts and Culture:
Please briefly describe your vision for the near, medium, and long-term future for arts and culture in Windsor and/or Essex County.
The medium term goal would be to assist in the development of partnerships with all levels of government, the arts community, business and other stakeholders to promote the arts as a viable economic development sector.
I keep hearing from people that the City should diversify into other sectors so that our dependence on manufacturing is not as great. I believe that manufacturing is not the only industry in Windsor, it never has been. We need to come together as a community to BETTER promote our other sectors and attributes of this area. We have long been diversified; the arts community has always been here, so we as a community should be able to assist the economic development of the arts.
The long term goal would to the establishment of an entire area not only through economic development but as a viable arts district that could be incorporated as a tourism destination.
