Please use the comment link on this post to write about your impressions of the meeting, the opportunities you see, the challenges you feel we face, and ideas you have to move the project forward.
Thanks so much for your input.
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
What are you're thoughts from the meeting?
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9 comments:
I was excited to see so many people out; give yourselves a hand.
I see there are lots and lots of people with desire and expertise to be involved, and I hope they aren't shut out by a closed structure. I feel it is very important to make the process as accessible and transparent as possible, and getting as much information out to those who want it as is prudent.
The web, with blogs, wikis and the like is a great way to do that.
I was out of town and could not attend.
Two reports I saw. One was that there were over 150; the other that there were over 250. I guess the way it is worded, both are right. But I wonder which is the more accurate.
Other than that, there are too many interest groups at this stage. From my point of view, this is about a PAC.
Why is it that every time the economy is in the dumps there seems to be a build-up of interest in a PAC? The thing should have been built a long time ago at a time when the economy was better.
Anyway, we are now here and it is high time to plan this so that it can be built when construction costs are a bit more stabilized and we have some credible backers.
According to today’s Vancouver Sun, the Vancouver Trade centre construction is now another 40% over budget to a total of $800 million. In addition, it is behind schedule. That means it will take longer to make money from the building, which will also cost money.
Has anyone wondered why construction costs in Alberta have not soared to such an extent during the economic boom in that province?
I think one of the skill sets required is to have a good dose of skepticism. Some 25+ years after the architectural competition to lay out the civic centre with a library, PAC and Art Gallery, some of us have developed that, especially when newbies join the group and have a hard time understanding the history.
I am very skeptical of the words published in the Citizen:
“When questioned about forming a corporation or society to develop the current concept of an arts centre, Offet suggested following the lead of the Northern Sports Centre by having a steering committee.
’This will be a community partnership, with City Centre Ventures providing administrative and technical expertise to that committee,’ Offet said.”
I think that the people who want this facility must have a big say in what “this will be”.
I believe nothing less than a separate entity to represent those who want the facility and are prepared to put efforts into getting it accomplished is going to get this thing off the ground.
In fact, I am very surprised that that has not yet happened. It makes me wonder how serious people really are. Then again, many ofthsoe people are quite busy.
I put the challenge out to people who want a PAC to join together to form such a group and be present with a united voice, rather than being led into a divide and conquer scenario around a "steering committee" controlled by the vested interests of City Ventures.
I know we were thinking that way about two years ago when we were fed up with the city having the PAC on the budget sheets, always moving it back a year, until it finally appeared to fall off the ledger.
We spoke to a few people, and were told that Centre City Ventures was about to get started and that we should not worry since the PAC is on the priority list of things to do. To become more active in the community and to become public was viewed as being counter-productive. I can now see why.
That was what? Two + years ago? And nothing has happened. One week ago we were in the same place as we were two years ago. Therefore my choice would be to create a society.
There is no doubt this will involve a lot of work and committment. Yet another study? I don't think the annointed group has the "creativity" required. I hope I am wrong.
I hope we don't go any further into analysis paralysis.
For Jo's info there were at least 200 people at the meeting - I counted them.
My feeling is that the process is too slow - there should be a bunch of volunteers sorting through the input. I signed up to be a friend, and to be considered for the steering committee. It is Wednesday and I have heard nothing.
We have great amatuer groups in town, but we need to bring more arts professionals to PG for training and fresh ideas. Then the PG arts community can grow and get better, not stay stagnant.
To me, the best way ensure an artistic future is to partner with UNBC, and create not only a PAC but education and training opportunities within an arts program. If artistic people have a reason to come to PG, for a degree let's say, the end result is an influx of motivated individuals creating interest in arts.
When you see theatre and visual arts in a community where there is professional training and programs available, the quality and quantity is always higher. PG and area has enough talented people to warrant a UNBC arts program, and then you would have a PAC to perform in right on campus.
In order to make a new PAC worthwhile it has to be able to entice not only local groups, but those from outside the city. To me, downtown does not have the appeal that outsiders are looking for.
A PAC downtown will not make much impact in tourism dollars, or local dollars for that matter. Theatrical events usually happen at night, when shops are closed. Are theatre goers going to stop at the bars on the way home? The facility could have a gallery, but we already have the Two Rivers, does that get busy enough to warrant another one? Would people choose to go to the PAC cafe if nothing was being performed there during the day? You could have workshops during the day, but will the teachers have enough clout to bring in out of towners?
In the end, most arts minded people agree we need a well designed PAC. Where it should be built is something that I think needs further discussion. Honestly, I do not go downtown unless I have to, and know many other people who feel the same way. Will a PAC create that buzz to help change that, my thought is no. It is not the right type of venue to create consumer traffic.
My two bits, thanks.
i have seen and heard more enthusiasm from the younger groups in this town that are putting on shows than i have from the jaded long-timers. i sure hope there will be some young blood on the committee. most of you can't see something great coming out of this, you only bring in "remember when *insert idea here* failed" comments. let's just get this thing moving. do you seriosuly believe a performing arts centre downtown would be harmful?
"let's just get this thing moving."
I agree, however, I am noticing more and more that people have different visions of what a PAC is. Somehow it is turning into an arts centre going beyond the performing arts.
To me it is simple what it should be: a fairly standard all purpose facility built for an audience to hear and watch a performance. Perhaps, on occasion, to smell it, feel it, and to participate in it in a limtied way.
However, the first two are of primary importance.
In addition it needs to be sized properly to be commercially viable for both local and regional groups who are advanced in their art to the extent that they can travel on their own accord to other communities with ease without being labeled an "amateurish" production. Similarly, it needs to be of a standard to be able to accept performers of provincial, national and international caliber and origin without them having to play on cramped stages or perform in halls which are not up to snuff acoustically. Thus I would rather have an 800 seat theatre which can fill the space for 2,3, or even 4 performances of a popular production and won’ look too empty if only 400 show up for a not as popular production, but one which nevertheless addresses the desires of a small segment of the community and can still break even financially.
I am also not fixed on downtown. However, I realize full well that such a facility is a destination, wherever it is. So, I think we need to choose the location wisely. The UNBC is a destination of its own and really does not need another drawing card.
However, this community is also trying to reconnect with its rivers. I feel that while I would support other locations, a river location which has the best potential of reconnecting people with the river – or in the case of PG, other than the Island Cache, connecting the people with the river for the first time in modern history – would be wonderful.
It is too bad this has not been a public debate decades ago. I am afraid people are suddenly chomping at the bit to get going, and the decisions may not be well thought out.
But then again, I could say who cares. Put it somewhere, the details will work themselves out later.
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