This special issue of the Arts Research Monitor provides a brief summary of some key issues explored at the Visual Arts Summit, held in Ottawa from November 25 to 27, 2007. The first gathering of its kind since 1941, over 450 people assembled to engage in discussions about the visual arts in Canada. Participants included artists, collectors, art dealers, arts writers, publishers, art historians, teachers, critics, curators, corporate leaders, arts service organizations and public sector funders. A more thorough summary of the Summit proceedings, prepared for the Canadian Museums Association and the Summit partners by Hill Strategies Research, will be available in the spring of 2008.
In this issue: a number of Canadian reports related to reading, publishing and literacy, including a detailed profile of the retail book market, an examination of demographic and cultural factors involved in book reading, statistics regarding youth literacy and a report on adult reading skills.
Audience development, arts marketing and communications
In this issue: a focus on arts marketing and communicating the value of the arts. A recent Australian conference, relevant to organizations around the globe, provides numerous resources on this topic, including advice on communicating values and benefits of the arts, peer-to-peer marketing, media strategies, digital marketing, engaging audiences, as well as connecting with diverse audiences.
Arts attendance / Consumer spending / Local information
In this issue: A series of local “vital signs” reports examine some cultural indicators in selected Canadian metropolitan areas. The findings of these reports will be contrasted with the findings of recent reports on consumer spending on culture and cultural and heritage activities in Canada and the provinces in 2005.
Government spending on culture / Facilities / Human resources / Local information
In this issue: Three recent studies examine data on the arts and culture in Canadian communities, including local cultural employment and spending on government-owned infrastructure (including cultural infrastructure).
In this issue: The Canada Council’s recent consultations concerning its 2008-2011 strategic plan provide qualitative information about the arts in Canada. Two consultation reports are examined in this issue of the Arts Research Monitor: a report on stakeholder discussions and an analysis of online survey results. Also included is a summary of the Canada Council’s Strategic Plan document, which outlines its values and directions in moving forward.
This month: an examination of recently-released statistics from Statistics Canada and Business for the Arts related to heritage organizations, art galleries and performing arts organizations. In addition to a summary of the Statistics Canada reports, new data analysis by Hill Strategies Research is included in this issue of the Arts Research Monitor.
This month: a series of reports related to the 2006 World Conference on Arts Education, including summaries of the conference, Canadian information related to the conference, and an international “road map for arts education” resulting from the conference.
This month: a focus on research into diversity, immigration and the arts, including a major British report on cultural diversity and the arts, a Canadian survey of arts participation and attitudes towards the arts of diverse groups, a Canadian study of immigrants’ literacy skills, and a report on the social and civic participation of immigrants to Canada.
This month: a focus on the relationship between the arts and health, including a presentation of a hospital-based arts program, the potential impacts of dance on health, a British report summarizing medical research into the impacts of the arts on health, and a Canadian literature review of the arts and health.
