On April 19, citizens of Rowan County are invited to a Cultural Summit to experience some of the talent this area has to offer and to give input to help guide Salisbury’s cultural future.
The event will be held in the F&M Trolley Barn, 125 E. Liberty St. It begins at 2 p.m. with the Amadeus Youth Chorus performing excerpts from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Following that, those in attendance will find out about “the state of the arts” in Rowan County.
The city of Salisbury has been working with consultant Mary Berryman Agard to formulate a cultural action plan. The plan will help the City of Salisbury learn more about what arts and cultural activities its citizens value and to develop a plan for creating and sustaining those activities.
At the Cultural Summit, Agard will present her findings to date and engage citizens in conversation about what they would like to see happen. This conversation will ask citizens to contribute their own ideas about what works best in Salisbury’s arts and cultural scene, what new activities could make the town more vibrant for consumers and artists alike, how arts and cultural education programs should be shaped, what opportunities exist for linking Salisbury’s arts and history resources to economic development and how programs and services could reach residents of all ages and interests.
Agard says, “This is your chance to be heard on what you and your family want and need. Whether you are an artist, a retiree looking for more access to recreational arts activities, a teenager with a desire to express yourself creatively, an arts or history buff, a volunteer or staff member working in a cultural organization, a neighborhood activist working for more positive activities for young people, a patron, a local business owner or a teacher looking for new resources to support your students, this is a conversation for you.
“The ideas contributed by citizens attending this meeting will have a profound impact on the shape of the final plan. The plan, in turn, will guide Salisbury’s investment in arts and culture for years to come.”
At 4 p.m., the competition, “Salisbury’s Got Talent,” will begin and Rowan residents will compete for cash prizes.
Admission is free. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis or by reservation.
For more information, call 704-638-5240.