Calgarians invited to help shape future of arts and culture

As Calgary continues to grow and change, The City is inviting residents to help shape an updated cultural plan for Calgary through public engagement until Nov. 15.

The cultural plan will help guide the future of arts, culture, music and Calgary's creative economy. More than a plan for funding, it will establish a long-term cultural vision to guide future investments, policy, partnerships and strategies as the city evolves. Input from Calgarians, partners, artists, organizations and communities will help inform the plan's direction.

Arts and culture contribute to community wellbeing, vibrant neighbourhoods and communities, tourism, talent attraction and economic growth. An updated cultural plan will help ensure Calgary continues to benefit from those contributions while identifying opportunities to improve access to arts and culture across the city.

"Arts and culture are part of how we experience Calgary every day," says Franca Gualtieri, manager of Arts & Culture at The City of Calgary. "Whether it's a festival, gathering place, cultural tradition or creative experience, these things help shape our city and connect us to one another. We're encouraging Calgarians to share what matters to them to help inform the updated cultural plan."

The first Cultural Plan for Calgary was published in 2016 and helped provide a shared vision for arts and culture over the past decade. This project is an opportunity to build on that foundation and develop a cultural plan that supports Calgary for the next 30 years.

Calgarians can participate by taking the online survey, joining an online information session or attending an open house. Details about all engagement opportunities are available at calgary.ca/culturalplan.

Feedback gathered through this phase of engagement will be summarized in a What We Heard Report and used to help shape the next phase of public and sector engagement in spring 2027. The proposed cultural plan will be presented to Council in late 2027.