Art, design and culture sector seeks to a more prominent role in innovation agenda

AUCC, CCA support initiative

The research community supporting one of Canada's largest and most diverse economic sectors is seeking to enhance its contribution to Canadian innovation and competitiveness by raising its profile with governments and the public. The arts and design culture (ADC) sector held two-day event in Toronto earlier this week to develop a strategy for raising awareness of its largely hidden role of supporting commerce and the economy.

Called the Presidents' Initiative in Cultural Sector Education and Research, the event was hosted by Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD). The summit explored ways to expand the sector's profile beyond its traditional base in the social sciences and humanities communities. Participants examined the need for funding to build research and commercialization capacity and targeted the health sector as an area where ADC can be particularly influential.

Supporting OCAD and Canada's other degree-granting colleges of design are the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC), with the latter presenting new research findings on Canada's creative economy.

A report prepared for the summit laid out the challenge to the sector in the following terms: "The sector is often viewed through a not-for-profit lens; and, where the philosophy and language of support are more akin to "subsidy" than to "investment", states the report, prepared by Ron Freedman of The Impact Group. "Canadians want to change this perspective; they want to be — and be seen — as institutions that use ADC to generate economic benefits for Canada. As training grounds for the ADC workforce and hotbeds of art, design and culture research and applications, universities are intimately aware of the current economic importance and future potential of ADC."

Major Economic engine

By positioning ADC as an enabling technology, ADC universities want to strengthen linkages to the S&T community by demonstrating the economic impact of the sector as distinct from its socio-cultural impact and link it to the economy.

ADC is the focus of four specialist institutions — OCAD, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax, Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary. Most post-secondary institutions offer a range of ADC programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and certificate levels.

The data on ADC compiled to date are impressive. According to CBoC and Statistics Canada data, industries that comprise the ADC sector (see chart) accounted for about 3.8% of GDP in 2007 more than agriculture (2.3%) or utilities (2.5%). Based on current trends, that share is projected to reach 5% by 2020.

"The full impact of the sector — direct, indirect and induced — is estimated at a remarkable $84.6 billion annually. Directly or indirectly, the ADC sector employs 1.1 million Canadians or about 6.5% of the workforce," states the Freedman report.

Some of the areas within the ADC sector are among the S&T Strategy's priority areas.

OCAD president Sara Diamond says she is pleased with the progress made with the president's summit, even though weather, conflicting events and the funeral of Rogers founder and CEO Ted Rogers triggered several last minute cancellations. Among the no-shows was Industry Canada DM Richard Discerni who was scheduled to address the participants.

"We had very good representation from the AUCC with Claire Morris (AUCC president) and Tom Travis (president of Dalhousie Univ) who chairs the AUCC. He made a commitment and is passionate about the importance of this initiative," says Diamond. "He says it should be done in partnership with the private sector and associations."

Diamond says that ADC could have as much influence over the national innovation agenda that science currently asserts.

"We need to better integrate small businesses and independent producers with universities and we need to create understanding at the provincial and federal levels by disseminating ADC's contributions to knowledge, technology transfer and the context of knowledge," says Diamond. "We don't have to separate the economic and cultural aspects ... The CCA (Canadian Conference of the Arts) is very positive and excited about this event and the role of universities within this environment. It will take the agenda forward to government, mostly at the federal level."

Summit participants agreed that health and wellness are areas where the ADC sector should explore the research environment and determine where it fits in and can increase its impact.

action going forward

Plans are also underway to establish a working group to move the ADC agenda forward to "encourage appropriate changes in federal and provincial innovation strategies and programs for ADC".

That could entail a wide-ranging review of government innovation strategies and programs to determine where changes can be recommended to boost the potential of research and commercialization of ADC.

Outreach to organizations such as the Canada Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council are also being urged to develop a research program for exploring the potential of ADC and "the requirements for exploiting that potential".

"Our ambitions are huge but mid term. We want to look at this at the comprehensive level," she says. "My focus is on the cultural and S&T agendas and talent. We need to keep producing highly qualified personnel to lead this work, which is very cross-sectoral. Cultural industries help to strengthen urban economies. It's a holistic view so we need to work on bridge building."

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