This concluding article, Part 5 of our series, addresses the critical elements required to sustain the vision of arts-based recreation as a powerful force for community renewal and youth leadership development across Canada. While previous articles have explored the transformative potential of arts in community recreation, and the importance of partnerships and inclusion, this final instalment focuses on the practicalities of funding, collaboration, and strategic planning needed to ensure these initiatives thrive long-term and create lasting community impact, all within the context of The Framework for Recreation in Canada (2024 Update).
The challenge of sustainable funding is paramount, particularly in regions like Far North Ontario, where arts organizations and recreation programs often operate with limited resources. Jamie Bell, of Art Borups Corners, emphasizes, “While the Framework for Recreation in Canada provides excellent guidance, and the arts offer incredible potential, we need to be realistic about funding. Reliance on inconsistent, project-based grants isn’t a sustainable model for community rejuvenation.” Data from Ontario Arts Council (OAC) funding (2021-2024)underscores this point, revealing that the Far North region received a disproportionately small percentage of overall arts funding, highlighting the vulnerability of arts initiatives in under-resourced areas.
To sustain the vision of arts-based recreation, communities must explore diversified funding models beyond traditional grants:
- Cross-Sector Collaboration & Funding: Arts and recreation programs should actively seek partnerships with other sectors – education, health, social services, even local businesses and agriculture, as exemplified by Art Borups Corners’ collaborations with Manitoba Agriculture. Interdisciplinary projects can attract funding from a wider range of sources, demonstrating the multifaceted benefits of arts in recreation for community well-being.
- Community Fundraising & Social Enterprise: Empowering local artists and recreation programs to develop social enterprise initiatives, such as art sales, ticketed performances, or arts-based workshops, can generate revenue and reduce reliance on external funding. Community fundraising campaigns can also mobilize local support and foster a sense of ownership over arts and recreation initiatives.
- Leveraging Digital Platforms & Resources: Digital transformation, as highlighted in the Far North Ontario discussion document, offers cost-effective ways to expand reach and diversify income streams. Online art sales, virtual workshops, and digital performances can generate revenue and reduce geographic limitations, enhancing sustainability, especially for remote communities.
- Advocacy for Policy Change & Increased Public Funding: Sustained advocacy at the local, provincial, and federal levels is crucial to highlight the economic and community impact of arts-based recreation and advocate for increased and more stable public funding for the recreation and parks sector and the arts. Demonstrating the tangible benefits of these programs, using data and community stories, is essential for influencing policy and securing long-term investment.
Collaboration, beyond funding partnerships, is also key to sustainability. Building communities of practice among recreation professionals, arts educators, and community leaders, as suggested in the Far North Ontario context, facilitates knowledge sharing, best practices exchange, and collective problem-solving. Regional and national networks can provide vital support and inspiration, fostering a collaborative ecosystem for arts-based recreation across Canada.
Strategic planning is the final crucial element for sustaining the vision. Recreation departments and arts organizations must develop long-term strategic plans that:
- Outline Clear Goals & Measurable Outcomes: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for arts-based recreation initiatives, aligning with the Framework for Recreation in Canada’sobjectives and OAC strategic priorities.
- Incorporate Community Feedback & Data Collection: Establish robust mechanisms for ongoing community feedback and data collection to track program impact, measure youth leadership development, and ensure programs remain relevant and responsive to evolving community needs. This data is also crucial for advocacy and demonstrating program value to funders and policymakers.
- Build Resilience for Future Challenges: Strategic plans must incorporate lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience into arts-based recreation programs, ensuring they can adapt and thrive in the face of future crises, including leveraging digital technologies for flexible program delivery.
- Prioritize Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Strategic planning must explicitly address systemic barriers and prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of arts-based recreation programs, ensuring these initiatives truly benefit all members of the community, particularly equity-denied groups and underrepresented artists.
“Sustaining the vision of arts-based recreation is about more than just good intentions; it requires strategic action on multiple fronts,” concludes Jamie Bell. “We need to be innovative in our funding approaches, proactive in building collaborative networks, and rigorous in our strategic planning. But most importantly, we need to remain deeply committed to the transformative power of the arts to rejuvenate communities, cultivate youth leadership, and build a more vibrant and resilient Canada for all.”
The Framework for Recreation in Canada provides the guiding principles, arts in community recreation offers the transformative mechanism, and sustained funding, collaboration, and strategic planning are the essential ingredients for realizing this vision. By embracing these interconnected elements, communities across Canada can unlock the full potential of arts-based recreation to build stronger, healthier, more equitable, and more creatively vibrant futures, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come. This five-part series has aimed to illuminate the path forward, empowering recreation professionals, arts advocates, and community leaders to champion this vital and transformative approach.