Minister announces establishment of advisory committees to the Arts and Culture Centres

Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation (Acting), today announced the establishment of advisory committees to the Arts and Culture Centres. Committees will be established in all six regions where Arts and Culture Centres are located, with committee members representing diverse community sectors such as business, education, performing, visual and other arts, tourism, hospitality and municipal governments.

"The role of these committees will be to advise government on how best to achieve its mandate for the preservation, development and presentation of the cultural diversity of Newfoundland and Labrador within the Arts and Culture Centres," said Minister Kelly. "The committees will also ensure that the Arts and Culture Centres throughout the province effectively reflect the needs and opportunities for cultural development in regions where they are located."

This initiative is an important consultative program to provide a formal mechanism for ongoing public input into government�s cultural programming. The input and advice received will be a way for the managers and the department to explore additional opportunities for the centres to contribute to the cultural life of their regions.

A "Call for Expressions of Interest" for committee members for the Gander and Corner Brook centres will appear this coming weekend in regional newspapers. These two centres will pilot the establishment of the advisory committees and other centres will commence this process next year.

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709)729-0928.

2000 12 14 4:35 p.m.