It is that time of year; time to look ahead, plan and, perhaps most importantly, dream about what this year will hold. Alberta’s culture sector has not only dreams, but also the imagination, expertise, opportunity and spirit to achieve them. That is what I saw in 2012, and hope to see again in 2013 and the future.

Last year, Premier Alison Redford gathered over 400 stakeholders from across our diverse sector at Culture Forum 2012. Together we built a solid foundation for partnership and growth in our businesses and communities. This year, Premier Redford has brought us a new challenge: developing a long-term, province-wide culture plan focused on growth, strength and sustainability.

To help us step up to that challenge, today I announced changes that refocus the Premier’s Council on Culture. Formerly called the Premier’s Council on Arts and Culture, this group is meant to represent the voices of our collective culture sector (e.g., arts, heritage, multicultural and nonprofit/voluntary organizations, cultural industries, youth and corporate sector) and champion the importance of culture in communities all across Alberta. The council will start anew in 2013, with new membership and a new mandate that more strongly reflects the breadth and depth of culture in our province.

The application period for up to 20 new Premier’s Council members starts today and runs until February 28. We are looking for community leaders with knowledge of, expertise in and passion for Alberta’s diverse culture, cultural experiences and cultural industries. Interested individuals can apply at www.gov.ab.ca/jobs (Job ID: 1015041).
I encourage you to share this information with anyone you think could serve as a great cultural leader for our province.

A full report that summarizes the ideas shared at Culture Forum 2012 is now available online at www.culture.alberta.ca/about/publications. For more information on today’s announcement, please see www.culture.alberta.ca/newsroom.

I look forward to working with you as we continue to grow our culture sector, together.

Heather Klimchuk
Minister of Culture

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