St. Thomas: What Comes Next in Arts & Culture?
St. Thomas is growing! With new private and public sector investments happening city-wide, the expectation is that the population will grow from 45,000 to nearly 80,000 by 2050. Naturally, this means that we need to consider what the community will need in the future, including essential infrastructure, transportation improvements, parks and recreation amenities, new schools, and much more. In this light, what is the future of the local arts & culture sector?
Our team at young & free press has worked in collaboration with the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation and Railway City Tourism for many years on a series of projects, including the ‘Track to the Future’ mural project & ‘Railway City Little Free Library’ program. Now, we are aiming to engage community members to imagine what might come next for arts and culture in the community. With more and more people moving to the city, the population is becoming increasingly diverse, which makes this the perfect time to imagine new possibilities! The City is aiming to renew the ‘Arts and Culture Master Plan’ in 2026, and in advance, we want to help start the conversation & develop some fun ideas.
Interested in participating? The process is simple. Please contact Andrew Gunn by email at andrew@youngandfreepress.ca. Our goal is to set up conversations in-person or by zoom to hear from community members. Come with ideas! Does St. Thomas need a new theatre or cultural centre? How can we support marginalized members of our community through the arts? What opportunities in education could be possible here? How can we best serve people of all ages? What additions to the arts and culture scene could enhance the downtown? How can we most effectively celebrate diversity through investments in the arts? These are just a few questions to consider. We look forward to hearing lots of great suggestions!
This consultation process will run from December 9th, 2024 to February 28th, 2025. Subsequently, we will compile the leading recommendations into a report & share that with the community.
