Candidate Information
Welcome to Creative Calgary’s candidate information for the Calgary 2021 General Election. Creative Calgary’s goal is to educate voters on the extent to which candidates in the municipal election share its view that fostering support and strong investment in the arts sector is critical in building a vibrant and prosperous city.
We thank you for taking the time to visit our site and encourage you to do your own research on each candidate to ensure that on October 18, you cast your vote for the candidate that best aligns with your own values and priorities. A full list of candidates can be found here, and we have linked to candidates' public websites below, where applicable.
To read about Creative Calgary's process in researching each candidate, click here.
Ward 4
Sean Chu
Running for: Ward 4 City Councillor
Position on public investment in the arts: Sean Chu has not responded to Creative Calgary's request for information.
Personal arts statement: Sean Chu has not responded to Creative Calgary's request for information.
Inclusion of the arts in platform: Sean Chu's platform does not include a positive position on the arts.
Campaign website: www.seanchu.ca
Daniel James (DJ) Kelly
Running for: Ward 4 City Councillor
Position on public investment in the arts: DJ Kelly selected, "I believe a thriving, prosperous city must have a vibrant arts scene in order to succeed. The municipal government should prioritize finding strategic ways to increase investment in the arts sector."
Personal arts statement: "Arts and culture are key to making a city vibrant and livable. A thriving scene attracts people and businesses to Calgary, while our creative industries provide employment for thousands of Calgarians and are valued by hundreds of thousands more. I spent the first 10 years of my career working in the arts, I'm the former chair of the Calgary Professional Arts Alliance and Betty Mitchell Professional Theatre Awards, and I'm the citizen who initiated the Calgary Poet Laureate program."
Inclusion of the arts in platform: DJ Kelly's platform includes a positive position on the arts.
Campaign website: www.djkelly.ca
Angela McIntyre
Running for: Ward 4 City Councillor
Position on public investment in the arts: Angela McIntyre selected, "I believe a thriving, prosperous city must have a vibrant arts scene in order to succeed. The municipal government should prioritize finding strategic ways to increase investment in the arts sector."
Personal arts statement: "Supporting the Arts directly translates to economic prosperity. For example, the film and TV industry spent $200 million in Alberta in 2020. That translates to over 3300 jobs. In 2019 our tourism industry added $6.5 billion to our GDP with a strong focus on performing arts. Additionally, Alberta’s culture sector provided a total of 53,739 jobs in 2017. Frequent arts participation and cultural attendance are associated with lower levels of mental distress and higher levels of life satisfaction"
Inclusion of the arts in platform: Angela McIntyre's platform includes a positive position on the arts.
Campaign website: www.mcintyreward4.com
Shane Roberts
Running for: Ward 4 City Councillor
Position on public investment in the arts: Shane Roberts selected "I believe Calgary currently has many important civic priorities, including the arts. Current municipal investment in the arts is sufficient and should be maintained at its current level."
Personal arts statement: "Art enriches us. We should fund community centre art classes and local theatres. CADA's state-funded "activist-art" reinforces State Ideology––as does the East Village 2019 installation of masked, de-humanized subjects; enriching Art likely does not include non-critical representations of muzzling oppression."
Inclusion of the arts in platform: Shane Roberts's platform does not include a positive position on the arts.
Campaign website: www.shanerobertsward4.org