KLAC Member Benefits Expand
Dianne Lister, Membership Chair
The year 2020 posed challenges for all members of our community – in particular, across Canada, the arts and cultural sector has been hard hit by the pandemic. For KLAC, we had to figure out how a grassroots, volunteer-run arts council could invest in new ways to deliver benefits to our Members, and help sustain our local creative community.
First, we decided to hold the costs of membership at the same levels since 2015. Then in July 2020, KLAC committed to a new Digital Strategy designed to promote our Members and sought partners, wrote grant applications and raised funds. With $12,000 committed by September, the fall was spent in many Zoom meetings as we brought the plan to life - both the public face of KLAC and the back-of-house administrative systems. By December, we had designed a refreshed logo and built a new website with much greater functionality, and we were on our way.
The new Digital Strategy has three elements: increased social media presence to better profile Members and cultural activities, increased publication of Cultural Connections, our e-newsletter, from three times yearly to monthly, and the launch of KLAC’s Marketplace, our new online e-commerce platform.
For Members who choose to participate in KLAC’s Marketplace you will benefit from a robust, year-round marketing platform that provides the opportunity to sell your work 24/7. Also, you will be guaranteed a feature on our social media channels when you first post on Marketplace, and will be profiled in Cultural Connections. All of our Members (and the general public) will have access to an exciting online store of original works by artists and artisans.
In 2021, our pilot project year, we will be able to promote the works of visual artists, artisans and makers, and literary works on our Marketplace. We will research the ability to promote other artists such as musicians and performing artists as we move ahead.
As your Membership Chair, I look forward to engaging with you online, and hopefully we will be together soon at KLAC’s networking events, celebrations and workshops. Pencil in the date of November 21-22, 2021 – the planned return of our annual weekend Art Show & Sale, Made in Kawartha Lakes. Optimism prevails!
