Group seeks $250,000 for arts incubator
June 24, 2010
Paul Morse
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/795575
Proponents of an arts incubator in Hamilton hope politicians earmark $250,000 for the next phase of the project tomorrow.
The Hamilton Creative Catalyst concept goes before the city's committee of the whole — one step below full council — Friday.
Broken into two funding components worth a total $500,000, today's recommendation request will be for a quarter-million dollars to hire a fundraising coordinator, begin to focus on one building or cluster of buildings downtown, and negotiate with lead institutional tenants.
It would then have to go to council for final ratification.
The Creative Catalyst project, first proposed by the non-profit Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts, calls for the city to harness creative energies bubbling away in town and concentrate some of them in an 'incubator" somewhere downtown.
The idea is that artists and creative industry entrepreneurs working together in close proximity will feed off each other and starting creating new creative industries.
A major report commissioned by the city and released early this year calls for an incubator in either a 50,000-square foot "iconic" building or a 120,000-plus square foot structure. The former would cost up to $11 million to buy and renovate; the latter, $21 million.
The consultants estimate, however, that such a city investment would see $58 million in economic benefits for the smaller-sized incubator and $230 million for a large one.
So far, the concept has received generally positive reviews from city councillors, some of whom, like Brian McHattie, call the incubator concept a game changer. Those who favor the idea say it will help Hamilton capitalize on the growth of a "creative economy" in Ontario,
already seen as a strategic target by Queen's Park.
Others, like Councillor Lloyd Ferguson, say they can see benefits, but warn immediate financial pressures overshadow all decisions on how to use taxpayer dollars at the moment.
If the incubator ultimately gets the go-ahead, the first step will be to figure out who will lead it, and to design its governance structure. The $150,000 consultant's report suggested the Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts be given the keys to the project.
The incubator team will then begin looking for a home, which could be a single building, or cluster of properties in the downtown district. At the same time, the Creative Catalyst will look for a major institutional partner.
Jeremy Freiburger, executive director of the Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts, said McMaster University, Mohawk College, Redeemer University and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University has all expressed interest.