ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL OF STRATHCONA COUNTY
(ACCSC)

CHARTER
February 3, 2004

Purpose

The purpose of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County is:

• To take an advocacy role and educate citizens about the value and benefit of cultural services and opportunities in Strathcona County.
• To promote and increase the visibility of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County, its member groups, their events, services and opportunities to the community.
• To be a collaborative body for member organizations in order to leverage the efficiencies of resource sharing, event planning and service co-ordination.
• To encourage greater participation in support of culture in Strathcona County.

Aims and Objectives

There are three primary areas of focus for the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

I. Advocacy – To openly demonstrate support of culture through promotion, activities and education.

• Increase public awareness, appreciation of, and participation in, culture and cultural groups in Strathcona County.

1. To educate citizens about the value and benefit of cultural services as a key element of community development.
2. To be recognized in a cultural leadership role providing expertise, information and resources to cultural related activities in Strathcona County.
3. To create an organization that provides support through member helping member.
4. To create a unified, proactive voice for planning and implementation of County cultural development.
5. To proactively keep culture on the agenda of Strathcona County Council.

II. Communication - To make the objectives and activities of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County member groups known to each other and the public.

• Identify needs of representative groups within six months and connect resources to need within the first year of operation.

1. To facilitate the sharing of ideas between members.
2. To develop and maintain a high level of public awareness about culture in Strathcona county.
3. To facilitate public access to cultural information.
4. To promote and increase the visibility of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County, member groups, their events, opportunities and services.
5. To optimize the use of cultural facilities and resources through collaborative planning and participation.
6. To increase promotion/advertising and media coverage of culture through cost-sharing or partner-based activities.

III. Co-ordinate – To encourage the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County member groups to work together toward common goals.

• Promote the works of Strathcona County cultural groups by leveraging members and group resources and expertise.

1. To maximize exposure and opportunity by coordinating scheduling, pooling and sharing resources and/or funding for events, projects and services/products.
2. To create a greater awareness and appreciation of each group and take advantage of natural synergies.
3. To construct an internal community of members and organizations as a central network of cultural expertise and resources that builds upon the strengths and talent of each member and member group to reach the shared purpose of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

Guiding Principles

We believe the following operating guidelines and behaviours will build a positive work environment and help us reach our shared goals and objectives.

Decision Making
• Create win-win
• Demonstrate respect of all ideas and diverse focus of all representative groups.
• Ensure all have equal voice
• Demonstrate willingness to compromise
• Be solution focused
• Encourage representatives to provide information/proposals to their own groups and relay the outcome of their discussions back to the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

Meeting Guidelines
• Demonstrate the value of member time – start and end on time
• Adhere to meeting protocols and structures as agreed upon
• Use Robert's Rule of Order for meeting structure

General conduct/values
• Demonstrate a collaborative style of teamwork – co-operation, flexibility, open-mindedness
• Ensure open communication
• Be diligent in sharing the workload
• Be disciplined in clarifying accountability for action/results
• Ensure fair treatment to all
• Be rigorous in using ethical practices

Stakeholders

Internal stakeholders:
Primary
• Representatives of each cultural group or society
• Strathcona County Recreation, Parks and Culture

Secondary
• Members of all cultural associations
• individual artists
• boards of each cultural group
• volunteers

External stakeholders:
Primary
• Strathcona County Council
• general public of Strathcona County

Secondary
• participants
• community and agricultural societies
• educational institutes

Key Activities in Support of our Aims and Objectives

• Create a detailed action plan complete with timeline, implementation activities and evaluation strategy. This includes: 
- Creating a name for the Council 
- Creating a network of all cultural groups in Strathcona County 
- Establishing a Society by Jan 31/04 
- Increasing cultural groups membership in the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona county 
- Identifying potential participants and invite them to the table by March/04 
- Completing environmental scan and identifying groups and representatives within three months

 

ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL OF STRATHCONA COUNTY
(ACCSC)

CHARTER
February 3, 2004

Purpose

The purpose of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County is:

• To take an advocacy role and educate citizens about the value and benefit of cultural services and opportunities in Strathcona County.
• To promote and increase the visibility of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County, its member groups, their events, services and opportunities to the community.
• To be a collaborative body for member organizations in order to leverage the efficiencies of resource sharing, event planning and service co-ordination.
• To encourage greater participation in support of culture in Strathcona County.

Aims and Objectives

There are three primary areas of focus for the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

I. Advocacy – To openly demonstrate support of culture through promotion, activities and education.

• Increase public awareness, appreciation of, and participation in, culture and cultural groups in Strathcona County.

1. To educate citizens about the value and benefit of cultural services as a key element of community development.
2. To be recognized in a cultural leadership role providing expertise, information and resources to cultural related activities in Strathcona County.
3. To create an organization that provides support through member helping member.
4. To create a unified, proactive voice for planning and implementation of County cultural development.
5. To proactively keep culture on the agenda of Strathcona County Council.

II. Communication - To make the objectives and activities of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County member groups known to each other and the public.

• Identify needs of representative groups within six months and connect resources to need within the first year of operation.

1. To facilitate the sharing of ideas between members.
2. To develop and maintain a high level of public awareness about culture in Strathcona county.
3. To facilitate public access to cultural information.
4. To promote and increase the visibility of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County, member groups, their events, opportunities and services.
5. To optimize the use of cultural facilities and resources through collaborative planning and participation.
6. To increase promotion/advertising and media coverage of culture through cost-sharing or partner-based activities.

III. Co-ordinate – To encourage the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County member groups to work together toward common goals.

• Promote the works of Strathcona County cultural groups by leveraging members and group resources and expertise.

1. To maximize exposure and opportunity by coordinating scheduling, pooling and sharing resources and/or funding for events, projects and services/products.
2. To create a greater awareness and appreciation of each group and take advantage of natural synergies.
3. To construct an internal community of members and organizations as a central network of cultural expertise and resources that builds upon the strengths and talent of each member and member group to reach the shared purpose of the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

Guiding Principles

We believe the following operating guidelines and behaviours will build a positive work environment and help us reach our shared goals and objectives.

Decision Making
• Create win-win
• Demonstrate respect of all ideas and diverse focus of all representative groups.
• Ensure all have equal voice
• Demonstrate willingness to compromise
• Be solution focused
• Encourage representatives to provide information/proposals to their own groups and relay the outcome of their discussions back to the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona County.

Meeting Guidelines
• Demonstrate the value of member time – start and end on time
• Adhere to meeting protocols and structures as agreed upon
• Use Robert's Rule of Order for meeting structure

General conduct/values
• Demonstrate a collaborative style of teamwork – co-operation, flexibility, open-mindedness
• Ensure open communication
• Be diligent in sharing the workload
• Be disciplined in clarifying accountability for action/results
• Ensure fair treatment to all
• Be rigorous in using ethical practices

Stakeholders

Internal stakeholders:
Primary
• Representatives of each cultural group or society
• Strathcona County Recreation, Parks and Culture

Secondary
• Members of all cultural associations
• individual artists
• boards of each cultural group
• volunteers

External stakeholders:
Primary
• Strathcona County Council
• general public of Strathcona County

Secondary
• participants
• community and agricultural societies
• educational institutes

Key Activities in Support of our Aims and Objectives

• Create a detailed action plan complete with timeline, implementation activities and evaluation strategy. This includes: 
- Creating a name for the Council 
- Creating a network of all cultural groups in Strathcona County 
- Establishing a Society by Jan 31/04 
- Increasing cultural groups membership in the Arts and Culture Council of Strathcona county 
- Identifying potential participants and invite them to the table by March/04 
- Completing environmental scan and identifying groups and representatives within three months