The Red Deer Arts Council is an amalgamation of the numerous arts groups in Red Deer. It was created this year to promote the interests of the Red Deer arts community by fostering communication and interaction between the various disciplines and giving them a common voice with which to speak to government.
The RDAC Literary Arts Committe will focus on the interests of the Literary artists. I’ll chair that committe.
John A. Burnham's blog — One Fiction Writer's World 
I’m doing the first post to check this thing out (since I’m a techno-hamster) and also to make an announcement.
Emily has suggested that there should be a website/blog/group which enables the literary artists in Red Deer to communicate. That is one GREAT idea.
Howsomever, there have been several attempts made in this direction, but they haven’t been very effective.
I’ll be attending a meeting on Oct 12th to discuss what Red Deer Culture services has been doing in this regard. You can check out their website at http://www.reddeer.ca/City+Government/City+Services+and+Departments/Recreation+Parks+and+Culture/Community+Services+Activity+Guide.htm and click on Calendar of Events.
I’d like to take your opinions of the above to the meeting.
Hi John,
An RDAC Literary Arts Committee sounds like a great initiative — kudos to you for spearheading this. I just saw your posting on our (Culture Services) facebook page, and because this is the first I’ve heard of this I followed your blog to learn more and was surprised to read that you’re attending a meeting today with Culture Services because… well, that’s us, and no one here is aware of this meeting! I’m wondering if you’re perhaps meeting with someone in the City’s communication department instead, because they are an entirely seperate entity from Culture Services.
Regardless of whom you’re meeting with, on behalf of Culture Services I just want to let you know that we support your initiative and encourage you to use our Facebook page to promote any literary activities, events or projects happening in or around town. And as part of the Red Deer Arts Council they would be able to apply for Fee For Service Funding on your behalf.
In the meantime, Wendy Meeres, our Culture Community Development Coordinator, and myself, Community & Program Facilitator: Literary, Language & Media Arts, should both be available to meet in late October if you are able to pin down a brainstorming session sometime. As published fiction author and unproduced screenwriter myself, I think you have a good head of steam here and some passionate writers inspired by the idea, so I wish you luck and we will do our best to help in anyway we can.
Jason Brink
City of Red Deer
Culture Services
I’m sorry to hear that the old bus barns are going to be used as an indoor farmers market instead of a venue for Red Deer’s artist community in whole. Being both a visual and literary artist I would like to see such a development take place to feature the artistic community. It would promote culture in Red Deer as well as providing a facility to let artists exchange ideas. Writers Ink is currently planning an event requiring the need for for actors, writers, artists, stage production, clothing designers etc.. A facility where these people could meet, produce and stage the event would have been the difference of putting on a local show or a stage production as seen in major metropolitan centers. Our artists in Red Deer have outstanding talent we should be helping them to share with the world their creations and thought provoking ideas.
Hi Dave,
In response to your comment that you’re trying to find actors, stage production etc., you might try dropping by the Matchbox on one of their Boheme nights, where they open up the front lobby of the theatre as a place for artists to mingle and network. The next Boheme night is on October 18th and starts at 7pm.
How can I have an opinion of a meeting if I haven’t been to it, you silly. Grandma says, you spelled chaired without an I and please without the second e.
I have a suggestion for the Arts Council. Have them arrange an agreement with the Advocate and Express to print a monthly calendar of the arts – just the arts not everything else. It worked well in Coquitlam – easy to read and from which to make one’s choices.
God Bless you for taking on the chairmanship. I would be available Monday and Wednesday evenings in late October. I’d love to brainstorm with you and the rest.
This is what I’ve been thinking about in regards to the committee:
Hosting literary events in the city:
Poetry Prowl-I know one of these was put on back in eighties in Red Deer, before I was even born! But the basic premise is that coffee shops and perhaps even pubs in the downtown would host readings in their shops and people could travel from one to another by foot to hear some great writing and sip some good coffee.
Poetry Slam-I have a friend in Edmonton who participates in these in his city. Basically poets square off against each other on stage and a panel of judges critique them on style, content and performance and pick a winner at the end of the night.
Life Story Telling: an open venue where anyone could grab a mic at the front of the venue and share real-life stories, perhaps based on a specific theme for that evening. This event could also be a competitive one if that would increase participation. The Moth story-telling series down in the states inspired this idea: http://www.themoth.org/
Also a question: Would this committee get any funding? Or would we have to raise the funds on our own?
Also, I’m available on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and on weekends.
Emily,
These are excellent ideas and a good question.
I’m happy to report that the RDAC is in a position to “put wheels” under ideas like this.
The Downtown Business Association’s coordinator sits on the board of the RDAC. If the Literary Committee produces a proposal for something like any of the three events you suggest, he can facilitate communication with the owners of the potential venues.
The RDAC has a finance committee which can seek funding for worthwhile projects put forth by the Literary Arts Committee.
John,
My first thought was that we need a source for communication that has a clear, local focus on events of interest to writers. For example, Scripts at Work (SAW) has a workshop for writers at month’s end, Writer’s Ink has the skype sessions coming up, & RDPL is hosting the Youth Writer’s meetings. These could use more publicity. I’m agreeing with Emily and Judy that there is a need for a website and a separate Advocate Calendar. If we get more people out, maybe we can hold more workshops.
I would also like to make it known that a Poetry Society has started up at Red Deer College. I’ve joined up with them and mentioned the idea of a Poetry Prowl and they seemed very eager to team up with the literary arts committee and make this event and any other poetry-related events happen.