Canada Council seeks input on 3-year strategic plan

The Canada Council is asking the literary and arts community to help it define its future and, specifically, its strategic plan for 2008-11. It will be holding consultations over the next two months and is inviting individual input through its web site. Information will be posted on its website starting March 14.

“Our objective is not to abandon well-respected programs that have gained the Council a reputation for effectiveness and responsiveness,” said Canada Council director Robert Sirman in a release. “Rather, we seek to identify where our energies and resources would best be focused in the immediate future.In the longer term, we want to make this already strong organization even stronger.

“We want to put the arts in the centre of the lives of Canadians, improve the Council’s ability to support the continuing evolution of the arts, and deepen the relevance of the arts and the Council to Canadians.”

Sirman noted there have been a lot of changes since the Council was created by Parliament 50 years ago.

“New technologies, a more diverse population and continuous growth in the number of artists and arts organizations across Canada are just some of the developments that are having an impact on the Council’s programs and priorities.

“We want the arts community and the public to let us know what the Council could be doing better to improve its support of the arts for the benefit of all Canadians.”

The extent of the consultation is at least in part the result of much lobbying by the national arts services organizations (NASO), who will be consulting with the council; Magazines Canada represents art and literary periodical publishers on NASO and says it will actively encourage its members to participate in the consultation.

The results of the consultations, approval of a new plan, is expected after a review by the CC board in Montreal in October 2007.