Just a little under a year ago award-winning artist and accomplished cultural administrator Brendan Healy became the new artistic director of the Rose Theatre. Since then Healy has been carving out a vision for Brampton’s arts and culture.

He and his team are talking with members of the community to make this vision happen — it’s all part of developing the upcoming Culture Master Plan for Brampton.

Healy presented his plans to City Council in late April, stating that he sees the arts and culture scene in Brampton as an important economic driver.

The Rose Theatre and other facilities

A major part of Healy’s vision involves the Rose Theatre. Healy would like it to be one of the top performing arts centres in the country. He sees two ways of reaching this goal.

First, there should be quality programming at the Rose. This means programming that is relevant, unique, and exciting. Second, the visitor experience at the Rose should be comfortable, aesthetically exquisite, and welcoming.

“This is an exciting time for the City of Brampton. From the perspective of culture, City staff recognize there is an extraordinary amount of artistic activity in the city. In addition, there is a growing interest from outside the city about what’s going on here,” says Healy.

Part of the overall vision will include Garden Square and the Lester B. Pearson (LBP) and Cyril Clarke theatres. Healy and the Arts and Culture team feel Garden Square should be a vibrant, community-driven space where all Brampton residents can gather to celebrate and share experiences. Additionally, recent investments in revitalizing LBP and Cyril Clarke will add to Brampton’s growing significance as a cultural centre.

This vision for a new arts and culture scene in Brampton will fully integrate these spots within the local arts community. Healy and his team want residents to feel genuine ownership and inclusion when thinking of these spaces.

“We are all committed to supporting and amplifying the current momentum in arts and culture in our city. The upcoming Culture Master Plan will serve as a guide in how we should be supporting our local arts scene moving forward,” Healy says.

Four-Step Plan for Brampton

The Arts and Culture department have a four-step plan for helping these ideas come to fruition.

Performing Arts Task Force: This temporary task force will assist with a performing arts facility review. The task force will also provide advice to staff on how to translate findings into policies and guidelines. They would also recommend ways of setting up a process to give feedback to Brampton’s performing arts community.

Policy Development: The Rose Theatre will be explicitly designated as a premier cultural destination. In addition, Garden Square will be designated as a major civic space. Healy will work with community members to develop policies on the designations of LBP and Cyril Clarke.

Guidelines and Procedures: Once the policies are developed, guidelines and procedures will be established. There will be multiple ways groups can access the performance spaces in Brampton, including partnerships with the city, community grant programs, and competitive bidding.

Establish Structure for External Input: A governance panel will be responsible for overseeing long-term strategies, providing expertise, and supporting the advancement of objectives. There will also be a community panel to provide advice and recommendations.

Community engagement

Healy will present the Culture Master Plan to Council in June. He encourages Brampton residents to get involved and give their input.

What do you want to see in the arts and culture community in Brampton? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image by Christina De Melo

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