Item - 2012.ED17.4

The Economic Development Committee:

1.         Requested the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer to consider recommendations 2.1 to 2.3 in the communication from the Community Arts External Advisory Committee (ED17.4.1), for consideration in preparation of the 2013 operating budget, and to forward to the Budget Committee his recommendations for consideration during the 2013 budget process, in order to support community arts programs including Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOS). 

3.         Requested the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to report to the Economic Development Committee separately on the Local Arts Service Organization strategy including its initial intentions, initial funding and any significant funding changes since the strategy's inception.

This report seeks to provide City Council with an update on activities in the community arts sector since the adoption of the Community Arts Action Plan for Toronto by Council in December of 2008.

The Community Arts Action Plan has served as an effective planning framework to help community arts organizations, artists and community partners to better work together to address the priorities identified in the Plan and achieve significant outcomes.

As the five year term of the Community Arts Action Plan comes to a close in 2012, the External Advisory Committee, comprising old and new members, reconvened to review outcomes of the Plan and to discuss future strategies for enhancing community arts development across Toronto. The Advisory Committee also developed recommendations to continue to strengthen the community arts sector.