Candidate’s Info:
Tristan Fehrenbach
Ward Ward 3
519-915-9498
tristan@votetristan.ca
www.votetristan.ca
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?
Tristan Fehrenbach: In the short term, I would prioritize the following five recommendations from the Municipal Cultural Master Plan:
Recommendation #9–Increase awareness of public, municipal staff and councillors about culture
As somebody who has lived in four other Canadian cities, I can say with confidence that Windsor has an extraordinary variety of arts and culture offerings. While there is some public recognition of this fact, more people need to be aware what’s going on, participate in cultural events and promote them. If elected, I will work to increase awareness of culture at the council level, support the new Cultural Manager in initiatives to build audiences and I will tell everyone who is willing to hear, in Essex County, and across the country, that Windsor is a city of culture with the ability to surprise and inspire.
Recommendation #15–Develop cultural marketing and communication plan (focused on residents)
Historically, too many City of Windsor marketing, communication and tourism plans have focused on people outside of Essex County (mostly targeting the Mid-West United States). We need to change course by targeting local residents, engaging them in an open discussion about the future of the arts and culture sector and getting them out to events and institutions. When I visit other cities as a tourist, I’m drawn to places where the residents enjoy and promote their local amenities.
As an example, the decision to give Transit Windsor pass holders access to the Art Gallery of Windsor was a fantastic innovation. We would benefit from similar small, but effective, localized measures.
Recommendation #13–Provide capacity-building support for cultural organizations
Non-governmental cultural organizations are our best bet for a flourishing arts and culture sector. People who pour their hearts into arts and culture organizations, many on a volunteer basis, deserve our support. In some cases this might involve ensuring they have access to training on organizational structures, decision-making procedures, budgeting, or accounting support. In others, it means keeping an open mind to opportunities for the municipality, businesses and the arts to partner on projects to optimize resources and share know-how. I will pledge to stay in touch with arts organizations by attending events and asking artists about their needs, so I can be on the lookout for opportunities to assist them.
Recommendation #7–Establish arm’s length Cultural Funding Commission
This change to the municipal governance structure would send a message that Windsor is serious about advancing the arts and culture agenda. Under such an arrangement, Council would still determine how much money to extend to cultural organizations, but decision-making about particular projects would be effectively sheltered from political interference, as it should be.
Recommendation #8–Develop culture organization investment strategy and fund
This recommendation proposes to increase funding for culture organization by $50 000 in each of the next 5 years to a total fund of approximately $1 million (it’s currently in the $770 000 range).
I would prioritize this because it offers value for money. Cultural organizations would be better positioned to implement interesting projects that would have positive impacts within the community and it could provide seed money for local residents and recent graduates to pursue interesting micro-projects.
This recommendation requires funding. In order to advance it, I would help Windsor’s new cultural manager fight for Windsor to qualify for funding from a program called artsVest, a matching incentive program run by an organization called Business for the Arts.
artsVest is a matching incentive program that is designed to stimulate business investment in arts and culture, bolster municipal cultural plans and help develop the creative economy. With Council’s approval of Windsor’s Municipal Culture Master Plan earlier this year, the city will now be eligible to apply. Over the past three years, Business for the Arts has brought the artsVest program to eleven Ontario municipalities and has trained 130 arts organization in sponsorship acquisition which helped them secure 370 business partners in funding relationships. $535 000 in matching funds has generated $925 000 in business dollars, resulting in $1.46 in total for arts and culture in those communities.
The matching funds available in the program could help Windsor kick start the investment fund, and the process of raising matching funds in the community would increase awareness about the arts and culture sector.
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?
Tristan Fehrenbach: Windsor needs to get the message out across the country that we’re serious about diversifying our economy and that we are a creative city.
Getting the message out should involve a bold and comprehensive strategy. The DWBIA’s “Downtown WO” website is a great model. I’d like to see us adopt a similar site to promote Windsor’s low cost of living and existing arts and culture amenities. This could be combined with a national ad campaign inviting artists locally and nationally to move downtown and into other business districts to live, work and play.
Once the strategy is ready, we should be networking to target that message to people in the arts and culture sector, whether they’re faculty at the Ontario College of Art and Design or young people in Western Canada looking for an interesting and accessible place to set up a business. I would be happy to take up that cause.
Moreover, I have proposed in my election platform to pursue a Cultural Capital of Canada designation to put us on the map.
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?
Tristan Fehrenbach: According to BMA Management Consulting Inc.’s 2009 Municipal Benchmark Study, Windsor spent $2,191,142 on cultural services in 2008, representing a net cultural expenditure per capita of $10. By comparison, most mid-sized Ontario cities spent much more: Sault Ste. Marie ($14), Guelph ($20), London ($25) and Stratford (topping the list at $44).
Expressed in other terms, Windsor is currently spending approximately $2.2 million on cultural services broadly speaking out of a $314 million operating budget, representing approximately 0.7% of the budget. Many cities, including, for example, Carmel, Indiana spend 1% of their operating budgets on culture, and that should be Windsor’s long term target too ($3.14 million).
I would justify this to constituents based on the expected economic returns and enhancement of our quality of life.
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.
Tristan Fehrenbach:
Near term:
- Funding commitment for Municipal Culture Master Plan secured
- Managing community partner for the Capitol Theatre
- Apply to artsVest program
- Incremental growth for local festivals such as the Windsor International Film Festival and the Windsor Fringe Festival
- Explore feasibility of residential tax rate for live-work spaces
Medium term:
- Enhanced coordination, capacity building and marketing of cultural organizations
- Broad public awareness of the quality of life and economic benefits of the arts and culture sector
- Increased local participation in cultural events
- Arms length-funding for cultural organizations
- Cultural Capital of Canada Designation
- Better venue options for arts and culture groups
- External marketing of Windsor’s cultural offerings
- Invitation artists to consider living in Windsor as a creative hub
- Implement artsVest or similar locally based project.
Long term:
- National recognition of Windsor as an arts and culture powerhouse and innovator in leveraging culture to the community advantage
- Employment opportunities for graduates
- Arts and culture tourism as a core component of Windsor’s tourism draw
- Considerable related private sector investment, via matching established gift programs and partnerships
