(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 18, 2009.) Public forum to take place at Rene Caisse Theatre
The Arts Council of Muskoka, in partnership with the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Muskoka Arts and Crafts, and Muskoka Lakes Music Festival, is kicking off a brand new regional creative arts education initiative and discussion about Muskoka’s burgeoning creative economy at the Rene Caisse Theatre on Monday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Students, educators, artists, creative professionals and the business and economic development community, as well as community organizations, are invited to attend this forum to learn about the program, how you can get involved and how it can help you.
The event will include a guest speaker, an interactive discussion with a panel of students, educators, creative professionals, business and tourism representatives, as well as performances by local talent.
“There has never been a more exciting time to be an artist in Muskoka,” said Creative Paths coordinator Carolyne Wagland. “The regional arts designation has created momentum for building Muskoka’s creative economy and for positioning Muskoka as an arts and cultural tourist destination.
“We have a new arts and culture website, the Arts Directory of Muskoka, which is a vibrant online vehicle to promote Muskoka’s creative community,” said Wagland, adding that Creative Paths, a program made possible through a grant from the province of Ontario’s Cultural Strategic Investment Fund, promises to benefit the creative community, its high school students, and its corporate partners.
Creative Paths links secondary school students to creative career opportunities in Muskoka through mentoring programs, creativity workshops and other special programs beginning this January. The program will enable students to fulfill their community volunteer hour requirements, while also honing their skills and building their portfolios for their future careers.
Students will also participate by creating an awareness campaign for the project, using exciting social media marketing techniques. The project will culminate in the fall of 2010 with an interactive educational symposium focusing on creativity and innovation, while featuring high profile keynote speakers, workshops and student presentations of exemplary projects.
“We encourage you to engage in Muskoka’s creative revolution,” Wagland added. “Learn from experienced creative professionals. Share your knowledge. Create Muskoka’s future. Connect with your community. Change your world.”
Creative Paths is a not-for-profit project, and relies heavily on volunteers for its successful operation of programs. To see how Creative Paths programming can benefit your organization and to learn more about corporate sponsorship opportunities, please contact Carolyne Wagland at 788-7062, at info@artscouncil.com or cwagland@cogeco.ca.
Arts Council of Muskoka is a non-profit organization whose vision is to enrich Muskoka through the arts, and whose mission is to identify, unite, support, promote and facilitate artists and artistic activity in Muskoka.
To learn more about the Creative Paths project and the project partners visit: www.artsdirectoryofmuskoka.com.
Those unable to attend the forum will be able to download video highlights of the event at www.artsdirectoryofmuskoka.com.
