2020 Municipal Cultural Plan Annual Report

Although 2020 was a precarious year for many sectors due to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Brantford’s Economic Development and Tourism Department worked proactively and collaboratively with numerous cultural organizations and creative industry businesses to further the strategic goals and actions of the Municipal Cultural Plan (2014).

Significant support was provided to the cultural sector through Economic Recovery Task Force initiatives, increased cultural marketing efforts to keep the public informed and continuously engaged, and major sectorial projects such as the advancement of the Cultural Hub Project, the approval and implementation of the Museum Sustainability Plan (2019), and a number of high-profile Public Art projects. The City of Brantford also saw a record-breaking year for filming in 2020 as more and more productions continue to choose to shoot in our film-friendly city, and new staff-led initiatives increased cohesion internally and externally with film stakeholders.

Overall, the cultural sector continues to grow in its capacity, visibility and quality of its programming, and continued support is integral to sustaining the municipality’s support of arts, culture and heritage as a significant economic driver and builder of community identity and pride. Some of the larger projects in 2020 are listed below.

Economic Recovery Task Force – Arts & Culture Supports

At its virtual meeting held on May 12, 2020, Brantford City Council unanimously supported the establishment of a collaborative community Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) comprised of thirty-five (35) representatives from all business sectors, local service agencies and local levels of government.

With a focus on supporting local business, both the Task Force and Working Group were devoted to developing an action plan that identified key areas of concern, programs and/or initiatives currently underway or forthcoming, tactical recommendations and the associated timing for achievement. The list of strategic goals includes many mandates that offer support to the arts and culture community. Visit the Economic Recovery Action Plan on the Advantage Brantford website to review the full list.

Cultural Hub Project

On November 25, 2020 the Cultural Hub Task Force convened to discuss a fulsome report from Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant and a statement of interest from Wilfrid Laurier University. The Task Force asked Wilfrid Laurier to prepare a report that outlined their more detailed plans in advance of a June 2021 meeting. Both Glenhyrst and Laurier will attend the meeting in June 2021 to answer questions from the Task Force and present their reports so they can be more easily compared.

Public Art Projects

City Hall Public Art Project

In 2019, the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre and local historian, Rob Adlam, offered colourful wood foundry moulds and industrial heritage related artefacts to the City of Brantford. With City of Brantford staff set to move to the new City Hall (58-70 Dalhousie St.) in Spring/Summer 2021, these moulds seemed like a natural fit to incorporate into a new piece of Public Art that will represent a significant part of Brantford’s history. A call for artists was sent out in March 2020, with the jury making its final decision in July 2020 selecting revered artist Jane Bowen. Installation is scheduled for the end of June 2021 and the successful piece incorporates Brantford’s strong industrial heritage and Brantford’s evolution into a diverse and vibrant city.

Walter Gretzky Portrait

In February 2020, Brantford’s City Council unanimously approved a Resolution to rename the Northridge Municipal Golf Course & Learning Centre the Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course, Banquet & Learning Academy. Shortly thereafter, Council directed staff to commission an artist to paint a portrait of Walter Gretzky to hang in the clubhouse of the newly renamed course. City staff retained the services of Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant to issue a Call for Artists in November 2020. Submissions were due on January 8, 2021. An unprecedented 120+ applications were received by Glenhyrst staff and a jury unanimously selected an artist on January 27, 2021. The portrait will be hung in the clubhouse in early June 2021.

Public Art Maintenance

In 2020, conservation and restoration of the Joseph Brant Monument in Victoria Park and the Boer War Memorial in Jubilee Terrace Park was completed. The Economic Development and Tourism Department retained the services of Conservation of Sculptures, Monuments & Objects to complete the preventative conservation and restoration of the Joseph Brant Monument, and Toronto Art Restoration Inc. to restore damaged components of the Boer War Memorial.

Filming in Brantford

Throughout 2020, City staff responded to 32 film inquiries and welcomed ten productions to the City of Brantford in 2020. The list includes two commercials (Kid Food Nation and Elle Canada) and eight television productions:

• Blood and Water
• Murdoch Mysteries
• Mayday
• Departure
• Frankie Drake Mysteries
• All-Round Champion
• The popular Canadian dystopian television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, filmed twice in Brantford in 2020.

These productions had an estimated impact of $1.3 million on Brantford specific budgets, with an estimated $121,800 in City direct revenues.

Museum Sustainability Plan

The Museum Sustainability Plan is a commitment to working with neighbouring municipalities and key partners in the arts and culture sector to provide unique offerings and quality service in order to increase awareness, attraction and support of the museum sector.

The final report and implementation was approved by Brantford City Council in September 2020. Since then, City staff has worked to identify the implementation priorities and deliverables for Year 1. The full report can be reviewed on the City of Brantford website. Visit the full Museum Sustainability Plan on the City of Brantford website. Over the course of the next five years, City staff aims to address long term sustainability issues and help our local museums focus on how they can make a difference in the day to day lives of the people living in Brantford.

Culture can transform local communities, contributing to economic growth, increased diversity, community pride and overall well-being. When a community’s arts, culture and heritage sector flourishes and is celebrated, community members feel more connected. The City of Brantford’s cultural assets are central to the quality of place that makes Brantford a desirable place to live, work and play. For more information about the Municipal Cultural Plan Annual Report, e-mail culture@brantford.ca.