News Release

SAINT ANDREWS (GNB) – A second Economic Opportunities Summit on arts and culture was held in Saint Andrews on Tuesday.

“Arts and culture are valuable components of the New Brunswick economy,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister John Ames. “Promoting partnerships among artists, cultural organizations and businesses contributes to both the economic and social tapestry of New Brunswick. Your government understands the important role that local artists and cultural organizations play in economic growth. We are committed to continuing to work with partners to identify opportunities in arts and culture for economic growth, job creation and a better quality of life for New Brunswickers.”

Promoting arts and culture is a focus of Creative Futures – A Renewed Cultural Policy for New Brunswick. The gross domestic product of the arts and culture industry in the province is about $670.5 million, accounting for 2.3 per cent of the overall provincial GDP. The arts and culture sector accounts for 2.7 per cent (9,688) of the total jobs in the province.

Participants at the summit included representatives from the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, ArtsLink NB, and the Association Heritage New Brunswick. 

“We were pleased to be participants,” said Richard Hornsby, chair of Culture Plus. “Having meaningful dialogue with our provincial government officials, and our elected officials, as well, is always good when you have an opportunity to do it. Having a dialogue about how we feel the government is doing provides that check and balance, so we had an opportunity to comment on what has happened, as well as share some ideas on what we think they should spend their time on in the future.”

Discussions focused on actions implemented over the past year, such as establishing public arts pilot projects throughout the province. Participants also discussed opportunities for further collaboration with partners and stakeholders to better promote growth and innovation through promoting arts and culture.

The event was a followup to a series of Economic Opportunities Summits held throughout the province over the past two years to identify new prospects for job creation and economic growth.