GOVERNMENT'S PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE SECTOR

Today, the Government of Saskatchewan took another step toward fulfilling its promise of developing a provincial cultural policy.

At the annual general meeting of SaskCulture Inc., Minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Christine Tell publicly released a draft plan to an audience of members of the arts, culture and heritage sector.

"The release of a draft planning framework is a huge step forward in the development of a vibrant and growing arts, culture and heritage sector which is so vital to making our province a great place to live, work and play," Tell said. "A thriving sector is central to our government's priority of enhancing our quality of life, growing our economy and building pride in Saskatchewan."

In August 2008, Tell launched the first phase of consultations, which included the release of the publication Reflections: A 30-Year Summary of Cultural Policy Discussions in Saskatchewan and a companion online survey designed to gather feedback from the sector. Approximately 650 people responded to the online survey.

"This high response rate suggests that the arts, culture and heritage sector in Saskatchewan is ready for action," Tell said. "This is an important milestone. I am confident that this work takes us one step further to securing the future of our great province."

A second round of consultations will begin in the coming weeks to finalize the plan and deliver on a provincial cultural policy expected to be in place early in 2009. This round will enable the Ministry to take a more inclusive approach in the development of a comprehensive plan that will address gaps identified in the survey process.

The draft plan is available on the Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport website at http://www.tpcs.gov.sk.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Aidan Morgan
Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Email: aidan.morgan@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8635