The Stratford Arts and Culture Collective (SACC) has its eyes on a big prize, making their desire to be a part of the Grand Trunk Renewal project known in a letter sent to the ad-hoc committee last month.

SACC co-chair Ron Dobson said the letter served as ‘an official expression of our interest to be considered as a partner in the Grand Trunk Renewal process and at the GTR site.’ The letter goes on to say the SACC has a long-term plan to develop a program space that serves local audiences over three seasons and that the city currently lacks a performance space that is audience-friendly, well-equipped, flexible, affordable and in a central location.

“Our intention is to work with the YMCA of Three Rivers and the Stratford Public Library to create a space that is usable by all three groups and possibly others,” he said. “With that foundation, we see value in a multipurpose/flex space that would accommodate, for example, YMCA programs in the morning, SPL programs in the afternoon and SACC supporter group events in the evening. Obviously there would be other combinations as well.”

Dobson indicated that in an additional document that highlights several aspects of the SACC’s approach stated that by combining resources, the space can host a wide variety of community events, thus appealing to a broad segment of the community while encouraging greater participation across different age groups and interests. It also discussed the efficient use of resources, enhanced learning and growth opportunities, strengthened community identity and cohesion, and concepts of sustainability and ‘futureproofing’.

One of the advantages of having SACC as a partner, the letter points out, is their built-in ability to help with raising funds. Dobson wouldn’t speculate on what their potential might be, but did say it’s reasonable to state that government and possibly private grants are available to arts and culture organizations that aren’t accessible to others.

“The same is true of the YMCA and libraries – they have similar access to different grants,” he said. “Each group also has access to individual, private funders. We hope that a community-minded individual or family will see the opportunity to support their community with a generous donation, but it is very early to suggest that with any kind of detail. The idea is that all three groups will bring their own strengths to the project that will help create and animate it.”

Any kind of three-way partnership is far from being official, but Dobson said that kind of agreement will be the foundation of a working relationship for the future.

“We would be looking at both the large picture to start, with details to be filled in at a later date,” he said. “What is essential to the project right now is the shared vision that has been agreed on that allows the project to move forward.”

One final part of the letter that is significant is the fact that SACC states they will be conducting a feasibility study led by TCI Consultants of Toronto to help determine a solid, sustainable path forward for the arts and culture segment of Stratford, and that the YMCA and SPL may wish to participate in that study to see where their participation intersects with the GTR.

“The results will help both the SACC and individual groups see the trends, strengths and vulnerabilities of all groups, as it updates the past (2019/pre-pandemic) data, compiles current data and sees where the path forward might be and how to manage getting there,” he said. “For example, as a result of the pandemic, some groups have struggled and other groups have formed. A good example of the latter is that there are three new festivals in the arts and culture family that have formed in the past two years. The study will help the groups and SACC understand how they will expand the Stratford arts and culture ecology.”