Arts Commons Transformation: What Calgarians really want from their arts centre
The Arts Commons Transformation project (ACT) is a major cultural infrastructure expansion being undertaken collaboratively by Arts Commons, The City of Calgary, and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).
As ACT development manager, CMLC led the engagement program—seeking and collecting input from area stakeholders, the arts community and the public at large on the most important features and considerations for ACT.
Between January 26 and May 31, 2021, CMLC engaged, virtually, with thousands of people who shared their ideas and aspirations for a future Arts Commons. Two dozen stakeholder representatives attended a series of virtual roundtable sessions, and nearly 2,000 people completed an online public survey.
We were pleased to see that the feedback corresponded well with our vision for ACT, and thrilled to get further insight into how to build an arts centre that is truly for ALL Calgarians. These are just a few of the themes that emerged out of this engagement:
1. Physical Access & Comfort – We are acutely aware that our 35+ year old building is not up to today’s standards for physical accessibility and flow of foot traffic. Arts Commons opened its doors in 1985, with three resident companies and the goal of serving the community of approximately 300,000 patrons annually. Calgary’s population was 656,000 at that time. Calgary’s population is expected to reach 1.6M before 2025, and we already serve a more diverse population of over 600,000 people annually. Although we have made improvements to wayfinding and physical access, we are somewhat limited by the fixed structural elements of the building. ACT will serve the needs of our growing city, adding additional space for community activations, more functional space for our six resident companies, additional amenities, improved wayfinding, and physically accessible and flexible spaces.
2. Enhancing the Experience – Calgarians want an arts “destination”, where there are opportunities to mix and mingle and grab a drink or a meal. ACT will provide the community with additional amenities to not only enjoy a show but providing things to do on either end of the performance—a ‘full date-night experience’. As part of the City’s Greater Downtown Plan, Arts Commons will become the heart of a future downtown where people not only want to work, but where they want to live, visit, play, and set up businesses. Placemaking is an integral part of economic recovery and development, and ACT is key to improving livability and establishing Calgary’s downtown as a destination.
3. Sense of Place and the Outdoor Realm – In addition to wanting an enhanced experience when they come downtown, or specifically to Arts Commons, Calgarians noted the feeling they want as well. Making the building more impressive and inviting, improving wayfinding, activating the outdoor spaces so that it feels more like a cultural district, and increasing the flow and transparency between indoors and out will all contribute to a greater sense of place - a buzz, a thrill, an unnameable feeling in the air. Key to this will also be improving outdoor safety, lighting, and vibrancy. Stakeholders want to see more activity, events, seating, streetscaping through greenspaces, and outdoor food and beverage offerings.
4. Programming – Along with simply activating the public spaces and outdoor realm, Calgarians want the arts to offer variety, diversity, and enrichment. With six resident companies that offer complementary programming, hundreds of community groups that currently use our spaces, and touring performers that come from around the world, ACT will increase seating by 35% and provide programming that is diverse, appeals to Calgarians, and reflects the evolving social and cultural landscape.
Many more themes emerged out of this public engagement period that will inform the development of ACT. This information has been analyzed and summarized and will be provided to the project team to ensure all viable options are considered in the design and development of ACT. You can view the full report here.
