For immediate release 
June 21, 2010

 

 

(Calgary, AB) – Today the City of Calgary announced the intention to bid for the designation of the 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada. The Canadian Heritage Cultural Capitals of Canada program is a national annual awards initiative to celebrate and promote arts, culture and heritage in Canadian municipalities by recognizing the achievements of cities with an ongoing commitment to arts and culture.

 

City Council has approved a contribution of $667,000 to be invested upon receipt of the designation. The amount is necessary to receive up to $2 million in matching federal funding towards special activities to celebrate culture and for legacy projects which integrate arts and culture into aspects of community planning. Designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada would provide an opportunity to acknowledge Calgary’s cultural history, current cultural achievements and establish a focus on grass-roots community cultural vibrancy.

 

2012 marks a pivotal year in Calgary’s cultural history including the centennial anniversaries of some of the city’s cultural cornerstones including the Calgary Stampede, City of Calgary Recreation, the Calgary Public Library, the Pumphouse and the GRAND Theatre.

 

“The Stampede’s Centennial was one of the catalysts that lead to the Calgary 2012 project,” says Mike Casey, co-chair of the Calgary 2012 bid steering committee and vice chair of the Calgary Stampede. “This is a compelling opportunity to work with the other partners around the table to celebrate all of culture in our City. We want Calgarians from all walks of life to share their ideas for celebration and legacy projects that will engage and inspire Calgarians and the world.”

 

Calgary’s Cultural Capitals bid process will include a wide-ranging community engagement process where Calgarians will be invited to suggest project ideas that will be the basis for the 2012 celebration of culture. Interested Calgarians can sign up to receive information on how to get involved at www.calgary2012.com.

 

The bid is a joint initiative co-chaired by Calgary Arts Development Authority and the Calgary Stampede in partnership with the City of Calgary, the Calgary Public Library, Tourism Calgary and Calgary Economic Development. The bid will be submitted in October 2010 with a decision expected in March/April 2011.

 

“We've made tremendous strides over the past few years in supporting arts and culture in Calgary, but we're determined to take it further,” says Peter Boyd, co-chair of the Calgary 2012 bid steering committee and chair of Calgary Arts Development. “This year provides us an opportunity to not only celebrate our culture, but to build legacies for the future."

 

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Contact Information: 
Suzanne Boss 
Project Manager, Calgary 2012 
[p] 403.264.5330 x 204 
[e] suzanne.boss@calgary2012.com 
[w] www.calgary2012.com

 

About Calgary 2012 
In 2012, 100 years after Calgary established itself as a cultural centre of the West, Calgarians will celebrate the city's collective cultural achievements and dream big about Calgary's role as a cultural centre of Canada. Leveraging the centennial celebrations of several of Calgary's cultural cornerstones, the Calgary 2012 project aims to showcase Calgary's culture and create legacy projects to encourage future cultural achievements. Calgary 2012 is a joint initiative co-chaired by Calgary Arts Development Authority and the Calgary Stampede in partnership with City of Calgary Recreation, the Calgary Public Library, Tourism Calgary and Calgary Economic Development.