Ottawa Cultural

Summit

The Big Picture:

Scanning the

Ottawa Scene

Ottawa Cultural Alliance

Alliance Culturelle d’Ottawa

Agenda

• What is an Environmental Scan?

• Overall Context

• Provincial and National Issues

• Snapshot of Ottawa

• PESTLE Analysis

• SWOT Analysis

• Questions and Discussion

What is an

Environmental

Scan?

Environmental Scan: Purpose

PURPOSE: To help us

understand what is

happening both inside

and outside the Ottawa

Culture Sector in order

to increase the

probability that future

strategies developed will

build on what is already

there and appropriately

address key issues.

Ottawa

Culture

Sector

Ottawa Culture

Audiences

Operating

Environment

Wider Context

Ottawa

Culture

Sector

Ottawa Culture

Audiences

Operating

Environment

Wider Context

Environmental Scan: Results

EXTERNAL

• Political

• Economic

• Social

• Technological

• Legal

• Environmental

INTERNAL

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

Overall Context

Overall Context: Cities in the 21st Century

Focus on Sustainability

Source: Sarah Hill

Overall Context: Cities in the 21st Century

Urban Planning for Personal Well-Being

Overall Context: Cities in the 21st Century

Collective Governance and

Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives

ANCHORS

Transparency

Accountability

Stakeholder Participation

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER

Government

Civil Society

Private Sector

Overall Context: Culture and Well-being

Growing research emphasizes the benefits of Culture and its potential to address a range of issues like:

• Increases individual self-confidence and creativity

• Decreases isolation

• Improves social cohesion and civic participation

• Supports healing and a sense of identity

• Supports healthy eating and physical activity

• Promotes an innovative workforce

• Reduces abuse and serious crime

National Trends

Impacting

Culture

National Trends Impacting Culture

GlobalizationNew Governments, Political

Priorities & Policies

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Padraic Ryan Source: Wikimedia Commons, Kang ZeLiu

National Trends Impacting Culture

Changing DemographicsDigital Transformation

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Emil Sobczuk Source: Flickr, George A. Spiva Center for the Arts

National Trends Impacting Culture

Changing Expectations

& Consumption Patterns

Reconciliation, Diversity

& Inclusion

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Moxy Source: Sarah Hill

National Trends Impacting Culture

Urban Planning & Pace

of Development

New Institutional Roles, Missions

& Artistic Practices

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Matti BlumeSource: Flickr, Wesley Fryer

Other Provincial

and National

Issues

Provincial and National Issues

• Economic slowdown and

uncertainty

• High youth

unemployment

• Automation

• Uneven access to

learning opportunities in

the arts

2020

$

A snapshot of

Ottawa…

Demographic and Statistical Overview

• Major Canadian population centre - 1 million by 2021

• Relatively young but aging city

• High levels of educational attainment

• Above average median income

• Reflects Canadian diversity

• Heart of Franco-Ontarian culture

Demographic and Statistical Overview

• Capital city with steady

growth economy

• Larger than Toronto,

Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary

and Edmonton combined

• Urban and rural character

• Growing tech hub

Key Issues and Opportunities for Ottawa

• Income and Unemployment

• Housing

• Education

• Public Safety

• Social Inclusion

• Tourism Industry

• Increasing gap between

“haves” and “have nots”

What can culture

do to help build

communities and

well-being in

Ottawa?

Cultural Asset Counts: Summary

25

53

109

145

146

175

360

427

433

0 100 200 300 400 500

Natural Heritage

Cultural Umbrella and Service Organizations

Education

Not-For-Profit Cultural Organizations

Cultural Events and Festivals

Public Art

Cultural Facilities and Spaces

Cultural and Creative Businesses

Built Heritage

Built Heritage

9

10

17

53

148

196

0 50 100 150 200 250

Agricultural

Industrial

Other

Commercial

Institutional

Residential

Includes heritage buildings and structures, largely based on a list of

protected or designated heritage properties.

Cultural and Creative Business

1

1

1

3

6

13

19

23

23

27

44

48

56

72

90

0 20 40 60 80 100

Heritage

Dance

Studios

Music

Applied Arts

Video Games…

Supplies

Recording

Broadcasting

Commercial…

Heritage Trades

Bookstores

Photography

Publishing

Film/TV

Includes for-profit cultural businesses across the creative value chain

(creation, production, exhibition/dissemination)

Cultural Facilities and Spaces

1

3

5

12

22

26

41

58

95

97

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Film/TV

Other

Fairgrounds

Outdoors

Studios

Cultural Centres

Libraries and Archives

Galleries and Exhibition Spaces

Performance Spaces

Nightclubs & Bars/Cafes

Includes exhibition and performance

spaces, cultural centres, studios, and

other spaces used for the creation,

production and presentation of cultural

products or works. Nightclubs, bars

and cafés that regularly host

performances also.

Cultural Events and Festivals

1

1

3

5

5

9

13

16

17

18

20

38

0 10 20 30 40

Visual arts and crafts

Fashion

Dance

Literary

Theatre

Heritage

Multidisciplinary Arts

Fairs & Food

Other

Film/TV

Music

Identity

Not-for-Profit Cultural Organization

1

1

2

2

2

3

5

6

19

21

83

0 20 40 60 80 100

Other

Film/TV

Community

Dance

Libraries and Archives

Visual Arts

Music

Theatre

Museums andGalleries

Heritage

Multidisciplinary Arts

Includes both formal structured organizations and informal organizations

(e.g. arts collectives).

Education

1

1

4

15

16

23

49

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Heritage Trades

Photography

Theatre

Multidisciplinary Arts

Visual Arts

Music

Dance

Includes vocational schools, high schools with arts programs and post-

secondary institutions with sector-related programs.

Ottawa’s Culture GDP

In 2016, culture accounted for $3.4 billion or 8.5% of the total Ottawa GDP

48%

2%

9%

7%

28%

0%

6%Heritage and libraries/Governance, funding andprofessional support $1,272.8 million

Live performance $39.8 million

Visual and applied arts $243.5 million

Writings and published works $176.5 million

Audio-visual and interactive media $740.1million

Sound recording $7.3 million

Education $159.5 million

Ottawa’s Cultural Sector Development Model

• Local government is the main

provider of cultural

development functions

and services

• Annual budget contribution

from the tax base

• Organized under one

department

• Delivered by dedicated

paid municipal staff

Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services Department:

• Arts and Heritage Development Unit (AHDU)

• Cultural and Heritage Programs and Spaces Branch

• Arts Court Unit

Municipal

Development Model

Sector Development Priorities

1 Funding 2 Audience Development

3 Leadership and Advocacy 4Professional

Development and

Capacity Building

5 Support Infrastructure 6Communication and

Consultation

PESTLE

Analysis

PESTLE Analysis

PESTLE stands for:

• Political

• Economic

• Social

• Technological

• Legal

• Environmental

Political

• Canada’s presence and

political influence brings

opportunities

• Federal scene:

– 2019 Federal election

– Establishment of Advisory

Council on Jobs and the

Visitor Economy = new

national tourism strategy

• New provincial government

at Queen’s Park:

– Prioritizing deficit

reduction

– Status of previous

government cultural

initiatives unclear

– Changes to commitments

to Francophones

• Municipal politics:

– Mayor of Ottawa re-

elected

– Community appetite for a

more decentralized

approach to Ottawa’s arts

and culture scene

Economic

• Economic slowdown likely

• Federal government and technology industry the top

two contributors to Ottawa’s GDP

• Ottawa region tends to be relatively economically stable

• Personal income culture workers tends to be low,

economic insecurity high

Social

• Relatively high levels of social cohesion but populism a concern (consultation feedback indicated this can be counteracted via investment in arts and culture)

• Arts participation = higher levels of health and well-being

• Changing demographics affecting culture not yet fully reflected in staffing of cultural organizations

• Gap between “haves” and “have nots” increasing in Ottawa

• Reconciliation with Indigenous communities and greater inclusion of Indigenous voices

• Cultural audience expectations, behaviours and consumption patterns are changing due to demographics, motivations and technology

• Equitable access to arts programs and resources an ongoing challenge for schools

• Transportation supports essential for culture

Technological

• Digital technology the single greatest disrupter of our

time

• Digitization affects how culture is created, consumed,

displayed, distributed and preserved

• Ottawa Canada’s second largest technology hub

Legal

• Little progress made on

previous provincial

government’s plan for

the cultural sector

• Case at 401 Richmond,

Toronto has given rise to

a new tax category

which can give property

tax relief to “creative or

cultural hubs”

• Decriminalization of

cannabis

• National Trust for

Canada now circulating

a petition in support of

creating additional funds

for heritage – a result of

rejection of Bill C-323

regarding the creation of

tax incentives for the

rehabilitation of heritage

properties

Environmental

• Climate change the dominant environmental concern of

our time

• Canadian Heritage removing cultural activities from

Rideau Canal due to weather uncertainty

• Many cultural institutions making direct commitments to

UNESCO’s 17 sustainable development goals.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for:

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

Strengths

• Vibrant local cultural scene

• Above the average for cultural

charities per 100,000 people

• Culture accounts for 8.5% of

the total city GDP

• Wide variety of cultural

organizations in the city actively

supporting sector development

• Participation rates higher than

national average and averages

of 7 comparable CMAs

• Lengthy history of municipal

cultural planning and

community engagement

• Epicentre of the Francophone

arts, culture and heritage

community in Ontario

• Municipal Culture staff provide

outreach to Indigenous and

other groups at risk of exclusion

• Several of the City’s cultural

facilities have reopened after

renovations

• In contrast to performing arts

infrastructure in comparable

cities, local cultural spaces

remain open and accessible to

local artists

Weaknesses

• Low growth in City culture

spending (8%) since 2013

• Grants are often project-based

and require annual application

• Funding envelope insufficient to

support current and future

activities

• Implementation of the

Renewed Action Plan lagging

• Lack of stable long-term

funding and support for

emerging cultural workers

and/or more experimental

cultural forms

• Competition with the large

federal cultural institutions

• Increased need for diversity,

inclusivity and equity in the

sector

• Weak sector-wide

communication and

collaboration

• Poor promotion

• Few opportunities and support

for cultural leadership training.

• Accessibility to museums and

galleries for suburban and rural

neighbourhoods

Opportunities

• Huge and highly professional

talent base

• Potential to better leverage

private-sector funding –

individuals and companies

• Recent renovations and new

institutions along with festivals

have generated momentum

• Leverage local cultural

offerings to strengthen the

tourism market

• Technology industry provides

significant opportunity not only

as potential corporate

sponsorship, but as partners

• Greater collaboration and

integration with Invest Ottawa

(particularly in digital media),

Ottawa Tourism and Business

Improvement Areas

• Consultation highlighted need

to provide local artists,

musicians and craftspeople

with enhanced access to

space

Threats

• Reorganization at the

municipal level; culture

lacks same visibility

within municipal

structure

• No single organization

exists to develop the

entire sector

• Some development

functions not being

pursued

• Lack of affordable

working space for artists

and cultural workers

• Provincial deficit

reduction

• Uncertainty with regard

to other provincial

initiatives

Comparison: Community and Sector Needs

Community Needs:

• Improved accessibility

• Funding security

• Increased diversity

• Community-level planning

and coordination

• Quality of life through culture

Sector Needs:

• Funding

• Audience development

• Leadership and advocacy

• Professional development

and capacity building

• Supporting infrastructure

• Communication and

consultation

Comments,

questions,

discussion…

THANK YOU