Cultural Plan
As the fourth pillar of sustainability, the City of Kelowna takes culture seriously and desires to integrate it into all aspects of civic planning and life in Kelowna. To achieve this, a cultural plan (2012-2017) was developed to encourage and integrate local culture within all neighbourhoods of Kelowna. Since then, significant progress has been made in implementing 2012-2017 Cultural Plan goals and strategies. Many organizations continue to thrive, and new organizations and venues have emerged. Major initiatives such as the Bernard Avenue revitalization, the Civic Block Plan, the relocation of the RCMP, completion of new parkades and the Okanagan Centre for Innovation have had an impact on the landscape of the Cultural District.
While the City realizes that as an organization it does not create culture, operating as a municipal government our role is to facilitate and promote culture by providing vision, goals and adopting strong policies. An update to the Cultural Plan is intended to respond to changes and challenges and set a direction for the next five years.
Over the next year, we'll be working to update the Cultural Plan, and we want you to be involved!
We are seeking your input on the Cultural Plan's current goals, and how you prioritize them - and if you think there is anything missing from the goals. We also want to hear your ideas for strategies on how to work towards the goals - what can residents, organizations or the City do. Review the goals and their definitions, fill out the survey and post your ideas on strategies to help generate discussion.
We're also inviting you to apply to Host Your Own Engagement session. Scroll down to learn more.
From July 16 to September 3, we were seeking your feedback to influence the Cultural Plan's vision. Survey responses helped us develop an understanding of the community's idea of culture, and what it means to them.
Review the Report to Council to learn more about the Cultural Plan engagement process.
As part of the engagement process for the Cultural Plan, we are seeking youth (grade 11 and 12) and young professionals (post secondary student) for two forums on arts, culture and heritage:
- Young Professionals Forum on January 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Youth Forum on January 31, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Interested participants must apply by Jan. 14. Review the qualifications and apply below.
Qualifications
Applicants must be:
- A Grade 11 or Grade 12 student enrolled in a class under the “creative” scope (i.e. art, band, creative writing, digital media, drama/theatre etc.), or actively pursuing an artistic discipline outside of the academic realm,
- Resident of the city of Kelowna,
- Available to attend the forum on culture, on January 31th, 2019 from 4pm-6pm,
- Enrolled in a public, private, online, high school or alternative schooling at the same level,
- Interested in pursuing the creative sector as a profession or as post-secondary education,
- Willing to work collectively to improve the cultural landscape of Kelowna, and
- Looking to be involved in a unique opportunity to give back to the community.
Time Commitment
In-person attendance at forum on culture
Time commitment: 1-day, 2-hour forum on culture
Purpose: learn more about the current state of culture in Kelowna, participate in engaging discussion with peers and industry leaders, and provide a direct influence in the design and implementation of new strategies.
Benefits of Participating
Participating in the Youth Forum will give you the opportunity to:
- Shape the 2020-2025 Cultural Plan and the future of culture in Kelowna,
- Give youth a voice on what is important in the creative sector,
- An opportunity to network with industry leaders and learn more about what it’s like to work in the creative sector, and
- A letter of participation to demonstrate community involvement and strengthen resumes and post-secondary applications.
- Deadline to apply is January 14, 2019 by 4 p.m.
- Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
- Successful candidates will receive an invitation from City of Kelowna Cultural Services on January 18th 2019. Only successful applicants will be contacted.
- All applicants, successful or not, are encouraged to fill out the Survey at getinvolved.kelowna.ca/cultural-plan to express opinions on the Cultural Goals and Strategies.
Qualifications
Applicants must be:
- A student enrolled in a post-secondary program in the “creative sector” (i.e. Fine Arts, Creative Writing, Music, Digital Arts, Fashion Design, etc.), or actively pursuing an artistic discipline outside of the academic realm,
- A resident of the city of Kelowna,
- Available to attend the forum on culture, on January 29th, 2019 from 4pm-6pm,
- If currently studying at a post-secondary institution, it is physically located in Kelowna,
- Interested in pursuing the creative sector as a profession,
- Willing to work collectively to improve the cultural landscape of Kelowna, and
- Looking to be involved in a unique opportunity to give back to the community.
Time Commitment
In-person attendance at forum on culture
Time commitment: 1-day, 2-hour forum on culture
Purpose: learn more about the current state of culture in Kelowna, participate in engaging discussion with peers and industry leaders, and provide a direct influence in the design and implementation of new strategies.
Time allotted: 1-day, 2-hour forum on culture
Benefits of Participating
Participating in the Youth Forum will give you the opportunity to:
- Shape the 2020-2025 Cultural Plan and the future of culture in Kelowna,
- Give young adults a voice on what is important in the creative sector,
- An opportunity to network and connect with industry leaders and learn more working in the creative sector of Kelowna, and
- A letter of participation to demonstrate community involvement and strengthen resumes.
- Deadline to apply is January 14, 2019 by 4 p.m.
- Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
- Successful candidates will receive an invitation from City of Kelowna Cultural Services on January 18th 2019. Only successful applicants will be contacted.
- All applicants, successful or not, are encouraged to fill out the Survey at getinvolved.kelowna.ca/cultural-plan to express opinions on the Cultural Goals and Strategies.
We invite individuals, organizations, businesses and collectives of diverse histories and practices to play an active part in the process of shaping the 2020-2025 Cultural Plan by “Hosting Your Own Engagement” event with your staff, board, volunteers, members or the general public.
The conversation you host can drill down into a topic of vital importance with a small group of people, or it can be broad, involving a larger group of people brought together to generate conversation. The choice is yours!
Organizations considering Hosting their Own Engagement events are encouraged to do the following:
- Review the guidelines below or download the PDF,
- Review the Frequently Asked Questions below or download the PDF,
- Attend the information session on November 29, 2018, (register online) and
- Contact City staff if you need more information;
- Christine McWillis, cmcwillis@kelowna.ca, (250) 470-0640
Submission of an application does not guarantee funding. Obtaining a Host Your Own Engagement grant is a competitive process and demand may exceed available resources.
Applicants must apply by January 10, 2019. Review the guidelines, FAQs and submit an application below.
Eligibility
2.1 Objectives of Host Your Own Engagement Events
Host Your Own Engagement grants will be assessed based on their likelihood to meet the objectives of the program including:
- deepen existing community consultation,
- broaden representation of typically underrepresented peoples and disciplines,
- provide meaningful ideas on potential actions and future priorities, and
- build new connections across artistic, cultural and creative communities and with the general public.
2.2 Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- be a non-profit society, a registered charity, a for-profit business or an individual willing to host a conservation about arts, culture and heritage in Kelowna,
- be physically located within the City of Kelowna,
- either solely, or in partnership with others, propose a conversation which is consistent with the objectives of the Host Your Own Engagement program, and
- be committed to carrying out the conversation for the benefit of Kelowna residents without exclusion of anyone by reason of religion, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, language, disability or income.
2.3 Eligible Activities
Host your own engagement events are intended to appeal to your audience, in your way. Eligible activities are intentionally vague. Eligible activities could include:
- Stand-alone meetings, gatherings, and sessions or those within existing meetings that have an interactive engagement around the subject,
- Focus groups or workshops including but not limited to world cafes, labs, and talking circles,
- Roundtable discussions, panels or presentations with interactive engagement, or
- Another method that encourages engagement and results in recommendations.
2.4 Priority Organizations and Activities
Should requests exceed funding, applications will be assessed with priority consideration for the following priorities:
- co-organized activities open to larger groups of individuals, and
- activities that provide meaningful opportunities for underrepresented artists, creative disciplines, administrators, facilitators and community-engaged practitioners.
2.5 Available Funding
Successful Host Your Own Engagement applicants will receive a grant of $250.
Events that are open to and widely promoted to the general public could be eligible for up to $500. If you would like to host a general public session, please contact City staff to discuss.
There will be no need to submit a budget or provide receipts. Funding will be released upon receipt of a satisfactory final report.
2.6 Final Report
The final report should include and present content that best reflects the insights and recommendations of your Host Your Own Engagement Event. For example, if you are writing a final report, it could be in point form, the form of an Executive Summary or a mix of qualitative and quantitative findings.
At minimum the final report should include:
- A sign in sheet of everyone in attendance including their postal code
- Whether you targeted a specific group of people or it was open to the general public
- The date, time and location of the engagement event
- A brief understanding of how the event was conducted
- A written report of the findings. (You may submit your findings through different outputs and mediums as long as the recommendations and findings are clear to understand for someone who was not there).
- One to three photographs of the event in progress that can be used in conjunction with the Cultural Plan work. Photo waivers are available in the Conversation toolkit.
- Any additional thoughts or feedback you had on the event and how it went
- There is no need to filter the results or come to a consensus among the group on an idea or topic. Please record all ideas that are presented.
Finally, there is no need for graphic design work or extensive formatting of the report, we are looking for your ideas in a simple to understand way. The report should not take considerable time to complete, spend your time in the conversation.
The Basics
1. Is the Host Your Own Engagement grant supposed to fund 100% of my proposed engagement(s)?
No. The intent is that the engagement sessions will be run at minimal costs. The grant is an incentive to cover minor costs associated with running a session, such as hospitality. There will be no need to submit a budget or provide receipts. Funding will be released upon receipt of a satisfactory final report.
2. Do I have to confirm the planning details for the engagement in order to submit an Expression of Interest? For example, do I have to secure a venue or date before submitting my interest?
No, you do not need to confirm or secure the planning details in the Expression of Interest. However, you should provide as much information as possible and let us know what is confirmed (e.g., method, location, date and time).
3. Can I hold my own engagement and share-back with the City of Kelowna even if I did not receive or apply to the Host Your Own Engagement grant?
Yes. There will be a Conversation Toolkit available to everyone as a resource to hold their own conversations.
4. Will a facilitator be provided?
No, we expect that the Conversation Toolkit will give you ideas to facilitate your own conversation. While facilitation skills will be helpful, a professional facilitator should not be required.
5. Will City Staff be in attendance at the event?
No, generally speaking City staff will not be involved in your conversations. Cultural Services staff are available to offer support to your organization through the process.
Venues and Locations
6. What are the eligible venues or spaces that I can hold an engagement event in?
Yes, any venue or location within Kelowna can be proposed as long as the size and location meets life and safety regulations. This is your event, we encourage you to do what you think will work for your staff, volunteers, board members or to reach the general public.
7. Does the engagement have to be within the city of Kelowna limits?
Yes, all engagement session locations must be situated within the city of Kelowna limits and should focus on engaging residents of the Kelowna in a conversation about arts, culture or heritage.
Collaborating
8. Can my organization partner with another organization?
Yes, we encourage you to partner with other organizations and/or other individuals.
9. Can my engagement activity cut across industries? For example, can I hold engagements across different sectors of disciplines, with non-profits or for-profit businesses?
Yes. Cross-sectoral engagement activities that bring people together across industries, disciplines, areas of expertise and dialogue between non-profit and for-profit interests are very welcome.
Engagement Planning
10. Can I propose other engagement methods beyond what is listed under Section 2.3 “Eligible Activities?”
Yes, you can propose other engagement methods that are different from or a blend of what is suggested. What is listed under “Eligible Activities” captures the range of methods from informal conversations to structured facilitations. Engagement events can also occur within existing gatherings. For example, it can be an additional session in a conference or board/staff meeting.
The form of the engagement can be creative or artistic. However, this grant is for engagement - not for the development or presentation of artistic and cultural work.
11. Who would the City like us to engage with or talk to? For example, emerging artists, directors, the general public, etc.?
One of the objectives of the Host Your Own Engagement grants is to broaden consultation from individuals or artistic disciplines that are not typically represented in traditional consultation methods. However, all organizations are encouraged to reach and engage naturally with the communities they are already in or working with.
12. Does my proposed engagement have to align with my organization’s mandate?
Not necessarily, however the participants and topic for the proposed engagement does need to align with the work you are doing and the people you are connected to or are working with. If you are hosting a conversation that is outside of your area of work or expertise, you should seek a partner who does have that expertise. The intention is to allow groups or individuals to make record of the ideas being generated in conversations, where they may already be happening.
13. Can I apply to engage in topics that concern the arts, culture and heritage community, but does not directly relate or translate to a City of Kelowna policy or program?
The discussion topic and findings do not have to relate to the work done by the City of Kelowna, however this is an opportunity to understand the community’s needs as they relate to arts, culture and heritage.
14. A Conversation Toolkit will be available online as a resource for granted and non-granted groups to do engagements with their community. To what extent should I use and follow the toolkit? Can I not use the toolkit altogether?
The Host Your Own Engagement Conversation Toolkit is meant to be a guide. It is only a resource to support an engagement process. Please engage your group in a way that is appropriate for your group.
15. Can I work with the intended participants to co-design the engagement?
Yes, you can work with intended participants to design an inclusive engagement process. The process itself should also be documented as a finding in the final share-back to the City of Kelowna.
Report Back
16. How do I share back the findings and insights to the City of Kelowna? Does it have to be in the form of a final report?
The preferred share-back method is through a final written summary of your conversation. There is no need to filter ideas or come to a consensus within the group, we encourage you to record all the ideas. We are looking for a broad spectrum of ideas and open, honest conversation on the topic.
If you would like to submit a final report in an alternative format, please discuss with City Staff ahead of the March 31, 2019 submission deadline.
17. What is the final report-back deadline?
All findings and recommendations should be reported back to the City of Kelowna by March 31, 2019. There are no planned extensions for this grant opportunity at this time.
18. What if I have more questions?
Cultural Services staff are available to support your organization through this process. Contact the Cultural Services Manager at 250-470-0640 or via email at cmcwillis@kelowna.ca if you have any questions or concerns.
Interested organizations should attend an information session about the Host Your Own Engagement program on November 29, 2018. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the program, the funding opportunity and try-out some of the conversation starter activities you may employ with your own group.
Applicants can complete either a Webform Expression of Interest or send in a paper/electronic copy of the PDF form.
Deadline to apply is January 10, 2019.
On October 31, 2011 council reviewed the plan and directed staff to move forward with non-monetary recommendations and return with recommendations from the plan during annual budget deliberations and as needs and opportunities arose.
As part of the update to the Cultural Plan, we'll also be creating a Cultural Report Card to assess the 2012-2017 Cultural Plan progress. You can view the Cultural Plan mid-term report to learn about progress made from 2012 to 2015.
Cultural development in Kelowna began in the early 1970's when a committee formed to study the possibilities of developing a 'Cultural Arts Centre' in Kelowna. In 1989, a Mayor's Task Force was established to create our first cultural policy. Updated most recently in 2010, this policy gives form, support and provides direction for the cultural development in the city.
Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made to integrate arts and culture into overall community planning and deliver cultural services to residents and visitors. Early work led to the establishment of a number of cultural facilities, the Cultural District, a granting process, and the establishment of a Cultural Services branch in 2001.
