Creating Synergy in Airdrie

Money, facilities, communication…. I wasn’t overly surprised to see these come up as priorities at a session that I facilitated recently for the arts and culture community in Airdrie.

After all, these are the things that often surface when speaking to people in the arts, recreation, and even sports sectors. I have seen many communities attempt to solve their challenges by building a new rec centre or arena only to falter later as they attempt to find the people to fill it or the money to sustain it.

So when a fourth priority arose during my recent discussions with Airdrie, my heart did that happy little thump. But maybe I should first go back a step.

My trip out to Airdrie began with an invitation by the city’s Community Development Department to help facilitate a visioning session. This session was for members of the arts and culture community but also included other interested participants like city council members, city staff, and volunteers.


Like many smaller communities who live in the shadow of major centres (in this case, Calgary), Airdrie was at a tipping point in terms of their identity for the arts and culture sector. The community had a lot of great things happening but often things were happening in pockets throughout the community. There were whispers of what needed to be done but the arts and culture community still lacked a unified voice and a collective vision. The talent in Airdrie was more than apparent but also apparent was the pull that the larger city of Calgary had on their creative pool.

So what was a city to do? After careful consideration of their assets and a possible vision, the participants at the session came to a unanimous decision about seven top priorities. And yes, financial stability, a gathering place or facility, and open communication all stood out as important to the community as did a focus on education, corporate partnerships, and dedicated city staff assigned to the arts. But what was the one priority, as I mentioned earlier, that made my heart go pitter pat?


The answer… create synergy! Synergy… cohesion… collective impact… that was, I feel, the most notable priority that came out of my discussions with Airdire. The participants decided that day that working as a group towards the common goal of strengthening their community was also top on their list. Hurrah!

This commitment to the common good for all involved is called collective impact. It might seem simple in theory but can be pretty darn hard at times. We, ultimately, all have our own agendas but if that agenda automatically included playing nice with others and working towards a common goal, imagine the possibilities.

I was in a meeting today where someone reminded me that ACE Communities has now worked with 75+ communities in rural Alberta. And one thing we have seen consistently is that when a community works collectively across groups as well as across sectors, they are the ones who flourish, create economic stability, and draw newcomers (and as well as youth who may have left) to their communities.

That is the true power of collective impact.

And so, as Airdrie moves forward in their efforts to become strong and unified as an arts community, I will wait to see how this spills over into other areas and into other sectors. I have seen that when a group can articulate their vision and their value, the money and the facilities will come. No doubt that it will still take work, and it will be messy, but we creative types can do amazing things, especially when we have a community championing our efforts.


Click here to see more pictures from the visioning session in Airdrie!

And here is a great document from the City of Airdrie also summarizing the evening.

If you are interested in more about collective impact, check out this great blog by ACE Communities Director Brenda Herchmer.