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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2013-11-28, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013. PAGE 11. Continued from page 1 and was funded by a single wealthy individual. Smith said the location was created with a foundation, similar to the one the Campaign 14/19 group hopes to create. Smith used these two sites as examples of how an arts hub in Blyth could work, but he also said he would want to avoid creating, as Smith’s son had recently put it in his graduation speech, cultural silos. He wants the project to include everyone, not just those with an artistic interest or background. “14/19 is going to bring people from different walks of life [together],” he said. Smith then proceeded with a projected presentation reiterating much of what he has said at previous meetings regarding the creation of Memorial Hall and how artistic energy is going to continue on through the spirit of 14/19. “Creating the hall was a remarkable creative endeavour,” he said. “We’re going to continue that and bring people together.” He went on to say that the project is important, stating that, with Huron County being identified as having Canada’s third-oldest population, there was a renewed focus on trying to retain youth in the area. “With the departure of manufacturing, residents between the ages of 21 and 55 are leaving the county to find meaningful employment elsewhere,” he said, adding the 14/19 Committee Board believes having a cultural sector is the best hope for reversing that trend. Smith also reported the Ontario Arts Council, earlier this year, published a report which indicated that for every $1 invested in culture, an $11 return would be realized. He said the project’s aim is to create an environment where “meaningful work can exist [and] where a young man or woman can look out and see their future, 365 days a year.” Smith then introduced the board members by name and the rest of the volunteers by demographic, stating the group involves people from across the county between the ages of 21 and 65 who represent all facets of life in the rural communities including culture sectors, service clubs, education, business and politics. The board of directors for the project consists of Chair David Peacock, Co-Chair David Kelly, Treasurer Mary Davidson and Secretary Gary Long as well as board members David Armstrong, Douglas Barill, Rein Brietmaier, Eli Cohen, Rick Elliott, Elaine Frasier, Lisa Hood, Andy Lubbers, Scarlett Raczycki, Rick Sickinger, Crystal Taylor and Stephen Sparling. The group will be led by Smith, the Project Director, and Karen Stewart, the Project Administrator. While phase one, which is to renovate Blyth Community Memorial Hall, and phase three, which includes setting up an endowment to fund a cultural centre in Blyth for the future, of the project haveremained the same throughout the planning process, new additions were made to phase two. Smith stated phase two, which involves the actual creation of the cultural centre, likely at the former Blyth Public School, could also include the development of a natural amphitheatre at the Blyth Campground, hosting an annual music festival, establishing artisan studios throughout Blyth and creating a culinary school with the assistance of chefs throughout the county. Smith explained that through the $6 million campaign and the hundreds of volunteer hours that will be needed, Campaign 14/19 is about investing in Blyth and the county. He said that whether people are donating their time, their money or both, it will enrich the community for future generations. Following the presentation, Smith had everyone break into groups to discuss two questions; what is culture and what does a culture hall require to succeed. Following the breakout sessions, Douglas Barill, a local business owner and web designer, unveiled the new 14/19 website at blyth1419.ca When it came to designing the site, Barill had one priority forefront in his mind; an elegant interface for visitors to the site. Putting together a website for such a diverse group, however, is not an easy task. “To target people who are 18 to 75 years old and from all classes is nuts from a design stand-point,” he said. “I asked people on main street what we should do and I decided we needed a fire, a centre of information that people could rally around.” He said the end result wasn’t really an end result at all, but was a foundation or a beginning. “This site will grow for five years,” he said. “When you’re designing something like that, you can’t use what is catchy or innovative for that year, or else it will be out of style for the next year.” He explained that the design had to have more of a timeless appearance and it needed to be built with every user in mind, especially those who may not be as experienced on the internet. Barill explained he test marketed the website with seven users with different internet experience levels and found it worked well with all. Visit the site for the most up-to- date information on the campaign, to get involved or to sign up for the electronic newsletter. Website, additional projectsrevealed at 14/19 meeting Breakout Kings As part of a meeting on the future direction of Campaign 14/19, a project to create an arts and cultural hub in Blyth, breakout sessions were held during a Nov. 21 meeting at the former Blyth Public School to generate discussion about culture in the village. The sessions included local business owner Steven Sparling, centre, who is also part- owner of the school building. 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