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Cultural Hub update: Opportunities for Public Engagement Begin

Photo Credit: Waterfront Development
NSCAD is excited to announce progress in developments around the proposed cultural hub on the Halifax Waterfront, beginning with an open house public engagement session. Details in this media release posted today. Stay tuned for more opportunities for engagement on this exciting proposal!
Media Release:

Nova Scotians wanting to help shape the vision for a proposed new cultural hub on the Halifax waterfront are invited to provide input this month starting with an in-person public engagement session on Thursday, July 12.

The province announced earlier this year that it is exploring the development of a new cultural hub which would bring together the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and a new Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design University (NSCAD) campus in one location on the waterfront. The hub would also include public space to showcase and celebrate the province’s culture.

Nova Scotians are invited to help shape the vision for this proposed cultural hub and provide input which will be used to develop a facility plan. The vision and facility plan will be used by government to decide next steps.

The July 12 in-person engagement session will be held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water St., Halifax. Persons wishing to attend can drop by anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

An online public survey will be available later in July; check here for updates http://www.novascotia.ca/cultural-hub .

Architecture49, along with representatives from the government, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, NSCAD and Waterfront Development Corporation will also be holding sessions in July with specific stakeholders. These stakeholders include, NSCAD staff and faculty, and others with a specific interest in the proposed hub.

If the project proceeds to the design and construction phases, there will be other opportunities for public engagement.

The proposed cultural hub will help position Nova Scotia as a world leader in the visual arts, educate the province’s future creative industries leaders and create new public space to celebrate, and showcase, our arts and culture.

A message from NSCAD President Dianne Taylor-Gearing:

In addition to temperatures, things are heating up this month on planning for the proposed cultural hub on the Halifax Waterfront!  Over the coming days you’ll hear specifics about how the province plans to engage Nova Scotians and stakeholders from NSCAD, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Waterfront Development Corporation. Stay tuned as we invite you to help shape the vision for the proposed cultural hub during a variety of engagement opportunities. This is an incredible opportunity for NSCAD University.

The Province of Nova Scotia has engaged Architecture49, Andrea Arbic Consulting and the Resource Planning Group to undertake a Feasibility Study for the proposed Cultural Hub. The hub will include a new NSCAD University campus, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and public space on the Halifax waterfront. In fact, NSCAD’S facilities vision and planning is the very foundation for the discussions around the proposed hub.

Opportunities to participate in this Feasibility Plan will include a series of meetings at NSCAD throughout the week of July 16-20th.  A final schedule will follow.

There will also be a Public Engagement and an Open House on  July 12th at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water Street. Those interested may drop by anytime 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Online surveys will be available later in July; there will be a survey for students, faculty, staff and alumni.  

Your input will help shape the vision for the proposed cultural hub and will contribute to the  development of  a facility plan. Government will consider the vision and facility plan to decide next steps – a go or NO go. If the project proceeds to the design and construction phases, there will be further opportunities for your engagement.

The pace of this engagement phase is intense! I sincerely appreciate your consideration and participation in these consultations. This is a transformational time for NSCAD and its future depends upon your participation. I personally appreciate your commitment to the future of NSCAD University.

My very best,

Prof. Dianne Taylor-Gearing, FRSA
President, NSCAD University