Should Waterloo Region have an Arts Council?
Posted Jan 3, 2024 02:11:31 PM.
Last Updated Jan 3, 2024 02:11:36 PM.
With the many battles the region is facing, a new idea that could boost the economy and mental health is coming from the arts community. Martin de Groot is tossing around the idea of resurrecting the former Waterloo Region Arts Council.
He was the executive director before it was defunded and shut down. In an interview on The Mike Farwell Show Wednesday, he said the community needs more arts and culture programs to help solve some of the mental health issues that came with the pandemic.
“I wanted the regional council and the city to get behind this partly because this is something we can actually win, this is something we can actually do if we put our heads together,” said de Groot. “It’s not going to cost huge amounts of money, in fact, in the end its going to help us solve those other problems and it will benefit the economic wellbeing of this city.”
Waterloo Region is currently the largest municipality in Ontario without an arts council.
“Under appreciated is a better term then just under funded because its not just funding. It seems to be totally off the radar,” he added.
De Groot was devastated by the closure of the K-W Symphony that had to let 52 people go. He wanted the region to keep the funding they normally gave to the K-W Symphony in its budget for future arts organizations to access but instead Waterloo Region council voted to take about $385,000 out of the account, and divide what was left while adding more organizations.
De Groot wants the region to start thinking forward about what an arts council could do for the community.
“The pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, all these things are huge challenges we have before us. I think we need to imagine, dare, innovate and try things all the way across the board, but in the arts, these are things that are in our immediate control,” said de Groot.
De Groot added that an arts council would serve and represent both the arts community as well as the public.
Listen to the full interview with Martin de Groot here.
