Simply put: It’s about jobs and the quality of life.

Waterloo Region - The Creative Enterprise Agenda links arts and the creative process to a far wider range of economic activities. It encourages innovative thinking, fosters entrepreneurial business development and builds a community that enhances quality of life while attracting and retaining a young, well-educated, diverse work force that can live anywhere – but choose to live here.

Why? Because we’re vital and vibrant. Plus the jobs are created here.

Waterloo Region’s rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, strong value on diversity and “can do” attitude create a unique context to make this work. Our ultimate goal is to generate private-sector employment in Creative Age industries – those that exist and those still to be imagined. How? By providing the catalyst that creates these new jobs in these new economies.

The Creative Enterprise Agenda underpins everything: What work looks like. What life looks like. We aim to undertake this by:

• Improving our quality of life: Prosperity is about wellness for all citizens.

• Attracting and retaining the best and the brightest: Prosperity is about supporting a young, well-educated, diverse, professional workforce in all disciplines.

• Cultivating the Creative Economy: Prosperity is about providing resources to make this happen.

• Fostering bold, new ideas: Prosperity is about risk, experimentation and expansiveness across the globe.

Prosperity Council and its supporters believe that a creative sector with a sustainable infrastructure is integral to fully realize long-term growth opportunities for Waterloo Region.

On September 24, 2008 representatives from across Waterloo Region in business, government, education and the broader arts community attended a Forum. Here they learned about groundbreaking initiatives in other communities. It was determined that while our local arts and culture resources are excellent, some require strengthening and others further development. To make this happen three task forces, (comprised of members from government, health care, arts and culture, education and the private sector) were struck to consider key questions:

• Vision: What might Waterloo Region look like as a world-class destination for creative minds? What kind of unique concepts and elements will define us?

• Structure: What form should the coordinating body take to deliver the vision? What does the infrastructure look like?

• Resources: What human and capital resources are required in order to continue building a healthy, vibrant, sustainable and expanding creative sector in Waterloo Region?

These task forces are now compiling their findings, which will be presented September 24, 2009 – one year later – at our anniversary Forum. Last year we had a conversation with 130 thinkers. This year we will continue the dialogue with many more. It’s world-changing work. Join us.

Significant Findings from the Creative Enterprise Task Forces:

• The four-pillar model of community sustainability depends on four inter-linked dimensions:

1. Economic health

2. Environmental responsibility

3. Social equity

4. Cultural vitality

• Reasonable success has been achieved in each of our community’s pillars, but not enough resources and attention has been paid to arts and culture

• While the near-term objective of the agenda is to strengthen arts and culture, the ultimate goal is to generate private-sector employment opportunities

• A vibrant, innovative, healthy community is critical for a competitive advantage - Waterloo Region is poised to become a national leader and world-class destination for leading-edge businesses that will attract creative minds and ensure retention of young professionals, who could choose to live anywhere, and who are vital to fuelling our workforce and driving economic growth

• Waterloo Region arts/culture/heritage organizations currently face a sustainability shortfall of $2.5 - $5 million annually (guaranteed base funding)

• Our region is not getting its “fair share” of federal and provincial funding. Multi-sectoral collaboration is key to leverage funding for the Region (ie WRIEN model)

• Waterloo Region’s per capita municipal funding ($15.59/person) is significantly lower than other municipalities (Ottawa - $18.07; Toronto - $24.82) that we are being compared to in reports such as the provincial government’s Ontario in the Creative Age) *Competitive Intelligence Note: Ottawa /Toronto identified as main competitors for recruitment/retention are excluded in reconfigured Physician Underserviced Area Designation Program

• Regional private sector funding of performing arts is lower than national/provincial averages (relatively small # of corporate supporters)

• Collaboration within the creative sector, as well as with other sectors, is crucial for success

• Communication, marketing, education and community engagement are vital issues that need to be addressed within the creative sector

Key Recommendations of the Task Force on Creative Enterprise

The following two, key recommendations will:

• Implement the vision

• Put an initial focus on the arts, culture, and heritage sectors

• Engage more than just those who participate in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors of Waterloo Region Recommendation #1: Establishment of “Barnraisers’ Council of Waterloo Region”

• To develop consensus for how participants within the Waterloo Region define and implement our future

• Identify strategic issues and recommend possible responses that will continue the implementation of the Prosperity vision, including those related to continued enhancements to health care, education, and other sectors

• Be guided by the need to achieve balance in our overall objectives

• A balance that recognizes that sustainability is dependent upon the four pillars of community sustainability: economic health, social equity, environmental responsibility, and cultural vitality

• Be representative of various interests, while remaining small enough to be effective

• Provide the high level, strategic consensus-building that is necessary for a large, multi-faceted community to adapt continually

Recommendation #2: Establishment of an “enabling organization” for the creative sector

An organization that would provide a wide range of services with the intention of enabling the arts, culture, and heritage sectors (private, public, and not-for-profit) to achieve their potential. The “enabling organization” is intended to:

• Encourage and enable the creative sector

• Help provide an environment for artists to create great art

• Allow creative organizations and individuals to focus on their “core” business

• Encourage divergent organizations to find and build upon common purpose

• Find centers of excellence and build on them

• Encourage creativity and innovation, not stifle these outcomes

• Be sustainable, robust, and resilient

• Be responsive and responsible to its community (local governments, businesses, funders, the general public, and those who participate in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors)

• Provide services throughout the creative sectors (for-profit and not-for-profit). – enabling and supporting creativity and innovation is the goal

• Be seen as a means to invest in facilities, people, and the future

• Build on what has been successful, learn from prior experiences, collaborate and be organic - it will be an iterative process

Specifically, the organization could provide or coordinate:

• Administrative services

• Human resource functions and services (benefit plans)

• Audience development programs

• Marketing assistance

• Festivals

• Grant writing assistance

• Advocacy

• Corporate funding

• Physical space