MEDIA RELEASE
October 25, 2017
For Immediate Release
BUILDING AN ARTS & CULTURE CENTRE
IN THE NORTH END: SUMMARY LAUNCHES
Winnipeg, MB –As a result of the consultations for the most recent North End Community Development Plan, the need for an Arts and Culture Centre in the North End was identified as a priority project. In late 2016 and early 2017 the North End Community Renewal Corporation (NECRC) worked closely with community members and partners to establish the projects initial design, including centre’s vision, mission, guiding principles and the framework for a Five-Year Strategic Plan. This will provide clear direction and shape with guidance from our community, the Artists this centre will serve, and Arts organizations.
Dawn Sands, executive director of NECRC is excited about the project’s potential. “Art and culture contribute greatly to the wellbeing of communities and creating a vibrant arts scene is integral to the North End’s revitalization goals. Winnipeg’s North End is home to Canada’s largest Urban Indigenous population as well as many new Canadians. Using a lens of art and culture as part of our community-led renewal efforts, offers a wonderful opportunity for us to foster meaningful and respectful relationships and rejuvenate our community together.”
The summary is a snapshot of the work being done by the community through NECRC, and its intention is to attract some more capacity to the committee to move the project forward, and potential funders to continue the work of the project coordinator. “This centre will be the first of its kind in Winnipeg, and will serve as a beacon for Artists who feel disenfranchised from the Arts community. The goal of this centre is to give Artists the space, training, and mentorship they need to advance their careers in Art and to share their cultures with the community. Building the centre in the North End would remove many of the barriers Artists feel to accessing the programs that already exist, and it would further move the North End in to what OurWinnipeg calls a ‘Complete Community’. We are working to create something fresh and exciting, and to compliment the great work already being done by other Arts organizations.”, says Eusebio Lopez-Aguilar, the Project’s Coordinator.
Social service providers and non-profit agencies like Graffiti Art Programming that provide free and accessible arts programming in other parts of the city have already committed budgetary support for this endeavor, and arts organizations like Manitoba Film and Music have expressed their support for this centre in a written statement.
“Anticipating the huge benefits that the North End Arts Centre will provide for a community that we have worked to support and collaborate with over the past two decades, we are committed to dedicating up to 5% of our operating budget in support of programming costs at the North End Art Centre. It is our hope that this project be widely supported,” writes Stephen Wilson, executive director of Graffiti Art Programming.
He added: “Graffiti Art Programming foresees that the centre will play an integral role in complementing the services that our organization currently provides to children and youth. Providing workshops and mentorship in grant-writing, career development, exhibition preparation, and promotion to emerging artists of all capacities, including visual artists, musicians, and performance artists, will support Winnipeg’s youth arts community and in turn enhance the cultural well-being of the North End.”
Founding committee members include: Dawn Sands, Executive Director, NECRC; Eusebio Lopez-Aguilar, Arts & Culture, NECRC; Andrew Sannie, Rec & Wellness, NECRC; Rachel Stone, Manitoba Music; Alan Greyeyes, Manitoba Music; Sean McManus, Manitoba Music; Stephen Wilson, Graffiti Art Programming; Nic Nieves, North End Community Member, Artist; Jason Syvixay, HTFC Planning and Design; Brent Johnson, WSO, Luxton Residents Association; Edward Cloud, Point Douglas Residents Committee
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Media Inquiries
Jason Syvixay, HTFC Planning & Design
Phone: (204) 997-3040
Email: jsyvixay@htfc.mb.ca