Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Project aims to bolster Muskoka’s creative economy in collaboration with arts groups

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Dec. 16, 2009.)

By Karen Longwell

Students searching for a creative path in Muskoka may have found it.

Creative Paths, a $40,000 provincially funded project, was launched on Nov. 30 at Rene M. Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge.

The event included improv, musical performances and a panel discussion on the arts. It was open to the public and about 40 to 50 people attended.

Creative Paths is collaborating with the Arts Council of Muskoka, Muskoka Lakes Music Festival and Huntsville Festival of the Arts. It aims to educate students from Grades 9 to 12 about the arts as an economic growth sector, said Carolyne Wagland, Creative Paths project co-ordinator. The purpose is to expose Muskoka secondary school students to creative career opportunities, she said.

The one-year pilot project is being developed by a grassroots collection of artists, educators and arts organizations, Wagland said, adding that the project is divided into three main parts: a mentoring program with high school students and artists; creativity workshops; and special programming. Artists of all types are involved, including those in media, visual arts, drama and music.

The creativity workshops at high schools would involve approximately five artists in different mediums talking about their career paths “...just to open their eyes up to the fact that these are viable careers in Muskoka,” said Wagland. “They don’t have to leave Muskoka to be a writer, to be an artist, to be a sculptor, to be a performing artist. There are opportunities here.”

The special programming would involve bringing a business woman into a classroom to talk about social media marketing. The hope is to collaborate with classes to do a special class project involving social media. A media, business or marketing class could be involved with this project, said Wagland.

The programs are scheduled to run from January to June in 2010.

Wagland said Creative Paths is looking to partner with more local businesses and artists to get involved with the project. The not-for-profit organization is also looking for corporate sponsors. Volunteer mentors are needed, including web designers, graphic designers, interior designers, architects or any occupation in the knowledge-based field, she said. TV Cogeco, for example, is offering flip cameras for students to take out to film local events or do artist interviews.

Creative Paths hopes to bring arts volunteer opportunities to local businesses or organizations which, for example, may need help with writing press releases or documenting an event with video. “Basically, we are trying to provide more interesting volunteer opportunities for kids as well, that are going to benefit them,” said Wagland. Anything students do with the Creative Paths project could be counted toward their required 40 volunteer hours.

The program is heavily reliant on partnerships with the arts, corporate and educational communities, including the school boards, businesses, professional artists and others in the burgeoning creative economy.

“Things are changing in Muskoka; it is not so much an industrial-based economy anymore. These kids need to learn new skills and we are trying to engage them in interesting processes with the arts,” said Wagland.

Creative Paths will culminate in symposium in the fall of 2010, called Creative Intelligence for the Creative Economy — Interactive Educa­tional Symposium.

The grant for Creative Paths came from Ontario’s ministry of culture under its Cultural Strategic Investment Fund. Funding was announced in April.

Those interested in more information about Creative Paths should contact Carolyne Wagland at 705-788-7062.